This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.
Women who exercise a lot hit menopause earlier Women who spend a lot of time exercising or eat a heart-healthy diet appear to reach menopause earlier, a new Japanese study shows
For the study, researchers tracked more than 3,100 premenopausal women over 10 years. Those who exercised the most -- about eight to 10 hours a week -- were 17 per cent more likely to start menopause during the study than their sedentary peers. Similarly, women who ate the most polyunsaturated fats -- found in many fish and vegetable oils -- were 15 per cent more likely to reach menopause than those who got the least. During menopause, a woman's ovaries stop producing eggs and she can no longer get pregnant. According to Dr. Margery Gass, who directs the North American Menopause Society, menopause usually begins between ages 41 and 55. In the new study, published in the journal Menopause, Dr. Chisato Nagata of Gifu University and colleagues gave food and activity questionnaires to women aged 35 to 56 at baseline. Over the next decade, nearly 1,800 women went through menopause. Although it's unclear how old they were when that happened, the findings suggest very active women and those getting lots of polyunsaturated fats have a higher chance of reaching menopause early. Doing so means women have less exposure to high estrogen levels, said Dr. JoAnn E. Manson, president of the North American Menopause Society. The hormone promotes breast tumors, and that may explain why early menopause is tied to a lower risk of breast cancer. On the other hand, Manson told Reuters Health, early menopause has also been linked to increased risks of heart disease and bone thinning. "I wouldn't want women to be concerned that they would be at higher risk of cardiovascular disease or osteoporosis if they make lifestyle modifications," she cautioned. "The benefits far outweigh any risks."