ABSTRACT
I. Introduction ...................................................................................... 222 II. The Pubertal Transition and Menarche.......................................... 223
A. The Pubertal Transition ............................................................ 223 B. Factors Associated with Pubertal Onset and Menarche ........ 224
1. Body Size Variables ............................................................ 224 2. Diet Composition................................................................ 225
C. Studies of Age at Menarche of Vegetarians and Omnivores.................................................................................. 226
III. The Reproductive Years .................................................................. 228 A. Characteristics of the Normal Ovarian Cycle.......................... 228 B. Ovulatory Disturbances............................................................. 228
1. Subclinical Disturbances..................................................... 229 2. Clinical Disturbances .......................................................... 229
C. Effects of Dietary Components on the Ovarian Cycle .......... 230 1. Energy.................................................................................. 230 2. Fat ........................................................................................ 231 3. Fiber..................................................................................... 231 4. Fat and Fiber....................................................................... 231 5. Meat ..................................................................................... 232 6. Phytoestrogens .................................................................... 232
D. Effects of Nutrition-Related Cognitive Variables on the Ovarian Cycle ..................................................................... 234
E. Studies of the Ovarian Cycle in Vegetarians and Omnivores .......................................................................... 235
IV. The Menopausal Transition............................................................. 237 A. Definition and Description ....................................................... 237 B. Factors Associated with Age at Menopause ........................... 238
1. Reproductive Variables ....................................................... 238 a. Age at Menarche .......................................................... 238 b. Frequency of Ovulation............................................... 239
2. Lifestyle Variables ............................................................... 239 a. Tobacco, Alcohol and Caffeine Use........................... 239 b. Dietary Practices........................................................... 239
3. Body Size Variables ............................................................ 240 C. Studies of Age at Menopause in Vegetarians
and Omnivores .......................................................................... 240 D. Can Plant Components Replace Hormone Therapy? ............. 241
1. Phytoestrogens .................................................................... 241 2. Herbal Remedies................................................................. 242
V. Summary and Conclusions.............................................................. 243 References .................................................................................................. 244
The purpose of this chapter is to assess the adequacy of vegetarian diets in maintaining normal reproductive function in women throughout their life-span. At the outset, this topic may appear simplistic: vegetarian women, like omnivorous women, pass through puberty, some bear children, then pass through menopause. Yet, nutrition-related variables have the potential to exert either subtle or profound influences on reproductive capacity, and whether these differ between vegetarian and omnivorous women has received relatively little systematic study.
