Written By: Debjani Arora | Published : October 5, 2017 2:05 PM IST
Breast development is a sign of puberty in girls which usually starts at around eight years of age and continues till 13 or 15 years. However, in some cases, breast development of girls can happen as early as two years of age. This definitely isn t a healthy sign and a lot of external factors at times can lead to this and one of the reasons is diet. Intake of certain food products can lead to early breast development in girls due to its chemical compositions. This mostly happens if your baby is fed processed food from a very early age. Remember even the infant formula that you buy fall under the category of processed food. This is why they say breast milk is best for your baby. Here are five causes of early puberty and what you can do about it.
However, there could be many problems that might make it difficult for a mother to breastfeed and she might take help of formula. But reading the labels before picking up one is a good idea. There are various types of infant formula mixes you might get in the market. Try and avoid picking up soy-based infant formula, especially if you have a baby girl. Here are five side effects of tofu that you should know.
A study done in the year 2008 and published in Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition pointed out towards the early development of breast buds in girl children as young as 24 months who were fed soy-based infant formula. The study took into account 694 female infants aged between three to 24 months who consecutively attended 10 general pediatric clinics. However, none of them was been referred for breast development detection. But the general check-ups revealed the presence of breast buds that served as a marker for further investigations. It was noted that the development of early breast buds was directly linked with intake of soy-derived phytoestrogens.
It was noticed that of the participants, 92 had consumed soy formulas for more than 3 months. Breast tissue was more prevalent in the second year of life in infants fed soy-based formula compared to those who were breastfed and fed dairy-based formula [1].
Why you should worry
In a different study published in the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, it was noted that early puberty and menstruation in girls makes them prone to breast cancer. This study didn t take into consideration the soy-diet pattern that the previous study took into account. However, it mentioned that the typical westernised high fat, low fibre diet was one of the reasons for early puberty and breast development in young girls [2]. High estrogen levels due to a soy-based diet in children can also lead to early puberty.
Can soy actually be harmful?
Soy contains isoflavones, which are chemically similar to estrogens. Too much secretion of estrogen leads to breast cancer risk and promotes the growth of ER-positive human breast cancer cells. This is the reason why soya has always been a controversial food. But some studies also suggested that women consuming moderate amounts of soy throughout their life have lower breast cancer risk than women who do not consume soy; however, this protective effect may originate from soy intake early in life [3]. There are also various health benefits of soy and it is a rich plant-based protein source. However, another study also pointed out that soy intake during early life may both reduce breast cancer risk and risk of recurrence. What one should keep in mind is that a lifetime exposure to high estrogen levels is associated with increased breast cancer risk. For these reasons, estrogens present in our food and environment may pose a risk to us [4].
What can you do?
Reference:
[1]1: Zung A, Glaser T, Kerem Z, Zadik Z. Breast development in the first 2 years of life: an association with soy-based infant formulas. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2008 Feb;46(2):191-5. doi: 0.1097/MPG.0b013e318159e6ae. PubMed PMID:18223379.
[2]1: Stoll BA. Western diet, early puberty, and breast cancer risk. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 1998 Jun;49(3):187-93. PubMed PMID: 9776502.
[3] Hilakivi Clarke, L., Andrade, J. E., & Helferich, W. (2010). Is soy consumption good or bad for the breast?. The Journal of nutrition, 140(12), 2326S-2334S.
[4] Hilakivi Clarke, L., Andrade, J. E., & Helferich, W. (2010). Is soy consumption good or bad for the breast?. The Journal of nutrition, 140(12), 2326S-2334S.
