Nutrition is essential for good health at every age, but is especially important during puberty. This is a time when rapid changes in your body increase your nutritional requirements. Nutritional quality during puberty influences growth, sexual development and immediate and future health risks. Deficiencies or excesses in calories or certain nutrients increase your health risks. Consult your doctor or nutritionist about your diet and the importance of nutrition in puberty.
Puberty
Puberty is a period of several years when a child becomes sexually mature. Puberty in girls starts earlier than in boys. For girls, puberty begins at approximately 11 years of age, but can start as early as 6. Puberty in girls most often involves development of breasts, pubic hair, armpit hair, acne and menstruation. For boys, puberty begins at about 12 years of age, but can start as early as 9. Puberty in boys most often involves growth of larger testicles and penis, public hair, armpit hair, deeper voice, muscles, acne and facial hair. Most girls become physically mature by 14, while most boys become mature by 16. Malnutrition can delay puberty, including failure to develop breasts or increase growth of testicles by early teenage years.
Body Growth
Nutrition affects growth during puberty. Puberty involves growth spurts in height and weight, yet malnutrition, including deficiencies in calories, protein, vitamins and minerals, retard growth during puberty, according to research published in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in August 2000. The scientists report malnutrition increase risks of many types of diseases and disorders, including osteopenia and anemia. Furthermore, undernutrition delays menstruation, while obesity is associated with early menstruation. Malnutrition involves both undernutrition characterized by insufficient calories and nutrients and overnutrition characterized by excessive calories.
Bone Health
Nutrition during puberty affects development of strong bones and risks of osteoporosis later in life. According to research published in the "Journal of Dance Medical Science" in 2011, teenage ballet dancers who eat more than twice the recommended amount of proteins, yet insufficient dairy and below recommended amounts of all other nutrients, have delayed puberty, including delayed menstruation, low body mass index and low bone mineral density. Researchers report following a balanced diet during puberty, including sufficient dairy products, can increase body weight and improve bone mineral content. The scientists discovered a positive correlation between years since menarche and bone mineral density, a finding that emphasizes importance of exposure to estrogen during normal puberty and risks to bone health from delayed puberty.
Balanced Diet
During puberty, your body requires more calories, protein, folate, calcium, iron, zinc and other nutrients. Following a balanced diet made up of nutrient-dense foods and avoiding processed and fast foods enables you to meet your nutritional needs and minimize health risks. Although supplements may help you increase intake of certain nutrients, they do not replace phytonutrients and other substances in foods.
References
- FamilyDoctor.org; Puberty: What to Expect When Your Child Goes Through Puberty; July 1999
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Growth and Pubertal Development in Children and Adolescents: Effects of Diet and Physical Activity; A.D. Rogol, et al.; Aug 2000
- Medical News Today; What Is Malnutrition? What Causes Malnutrition?; February 2010
- "Journal of Dance Medical Science"; The Effects of Nutrition, Puberty and Dancing on Bone Density in Adolescent Ballet Dancers; Peter Burckhardt, et al.; 2011
- Nutrition.com.sg: Healthy Eating for Teens
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010; January 2011
