4. Lifestyle Choices: The Controllable Factors in Early Menopause
Our daily habits and lifestyle choices can usher in menopause earlier than genetics alone might dictate. Smoking, with its toxic brew of chemicals, has a particularly notorious reputation. It’s known to hasten the depletion of ovarian eggs, bringing on menopause up to two years earlier in some women.
But it’s not just smoking that casts a shadow over ovarian longevity. Excessive alcohol consumption, poor nutrition, and chronic stress also contribute. They create a hostile environment for the ovaries, compromising their ability to produce hormones effectively.
Weight plays a role as well. Both obesity and being underweight can disrupt the delicate hormonal balance required for regular ovulation. Adipose tissue, or body fat, is not just a passive store of calories. It actively produces and regulates hormones, and an imbalance in body composition can lead to an imbalance in hormone production.
The good news is that these factors are modifiable. Quitting smoking, adopting a balanced diet, managing stress, and maintaining a healthy weight can all help delay the onset of menopause. It’s a powerful reminder that, while we can’t control everything, we can influence our health outcomes through conscious lifestyle choices. (4)
