Women with higher levels of everyday exposure to chemicals experienced menopause 2 to 4 years earlier than the average woman in a large Washington University School of Medicine study. Chemicals significantly linked to earlier menopause included pesticides and phthalates (which are common in everyday products such as lotion, hairspray, perfume, and nail polish).
The study didn’t prove causation, but researchers say it is a call for more research, since early menopause can pose various health risks.
World of Medicine
Reader’s Digest
June 2015