Vegetables and lean proteins–based and processed meats and refined grains –based dietary patterns in early childhood are associated with pubertal timing in a sex-specific manner: a prospective study of children from Mexico City

Childhood diet has been implicated in timing of sexual maturation. A key limitation of published studies is the focus on individual foods rather than patterns. We hypothesized that dietary patterns characterized by fruits and vegetables during early childhood (age 3 years) would be associated with delayed pubertal timing, whereas energy-dense and meat-based dietary patterns would relate to earlier puberty. The study population included 496...