Women Fed Soy Formula As Babies Suffer Worse Menstrual Cramps

By Megan Schmidt
Nov 14, 2018 11:01 PMJan 9, 2020 8:24 PM
Baby Bottle Formula
Soy formula exposure during infancy may cause more severe period cramps in adulthood. Around 12 percent of babies are regularly fed soy. (Credit: MaraZe/Shutterstock)

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Many women accept menstrual cramps as a fact of life. But researchers say that some women have it worse than others and that it may be related to what they were fed as infants.

Female babies fed soy formula are prone to more painful periods during their young adult years, according to a new study published this week from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The research, published in Human Reproduction, found that soy feeding was associated with a 50 percent increased risk of moderate and severe menstrual pain. Women who were soy fed also were 40 percent more likely to use hormonal contraception to ease pain and discomfort.

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