Study girls getting sexually mature sooner

Girls get sexually mature sooner: Before girls reach the age of ten, puberty already occurs.

(15.06.2010) Alarming results of the University Clinic of Copenhagen: More and more girls are sexually mature, the exact causes are still unclear. The early sexual maturity overwhelmed the girls mentally increasing, according to the authors of a featured Danish study.

According to a study by the University of Copenhagen, more and more girls enter puberty before they reach the age of ten. For example, the development of the female breast would start on average one year earlier than in 1991. For study leader Anders Juul, this is a clear sign that the development of children is influenced by external factors. It is still unclear what factors could be. The increasingly unhealthy diet, chemicals in the environment and food, or the lack of physical activity could be considered.

Children are psychologically overwhelmed with early puberty.
The early development of girls is alarming, the scientists say. The children are psychologically overwhelmed at the age of early sexual development. Also, early development is likely to put a strain on health, as early estrogen hormone production increases the risk of developing breast cancer or cardiovascular disease later on.

According to the German Research Institute for Nutrition, the age of girls in northern Europe had dropped by three years between the years 1850 to 1960 when the first menstrual bleeding occurred. However, based on these figures, the institute assumes that a better and higher living condition will be reflected.

Causes of early puberty.
However, the exact causes for this development are still unclear. A study in this context also published the "School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences" at the University of Brighton. In this long-term study, the relationship between diet and early sexual maturity was examined. It turned out that a high consumption of meat promotes the early onset of the first menstruation in girls. The Danish study authors also see a possible link between high meat consumption and early puberty. "Our studies have been able to show the influence of protein intake at the onset of puberty."

But not only the diet could influence the early sexual maturity. The Danish researchers also see a possible connection with chemicals. The scientists suspect that the massively used and controversial chemical "bisphenol-A" also contributes to early menstruation. Bisphenol-A is similar to the female sex hormone estrogen. But establishing a real connection is difficult, as people are exposed to many different chemicals during their lifetime. (Sb)

Also read:
Early sexual maturity through much meat
Maximum levels of pesticides lowered in food
Federal Environmental Agency warns of chemical bisphenol A

Picture credits: Rainer Sturm /Pixelio.de.