If you’re nearing the age of menopause onset, which is usually 52 years old in the U.S., there’s little you can do to delay it. But some factors throughout life may cause later menopause.

Menopause begins when you haven’t had a period for at least 12 monthsTrusted Source in a row.

This transition isn’t immediate, though. For some people, it can take over a year to go from having regular or irregular periods to having none.

Genetics play a big role in determining the age at which menopause starts. Yet scientists think that diet, socioeconomic status, and other lifestyle factors can also influence the age of onset.

There’s a big range when it comes to when people will start natural menopause and perimenopause.

The average age at which people start menopause in the United States is 52 years oldTrusted Source. But it might begin at any age between 45 and 55.

Some people might start menopause before age 40, which is known as early menopause. People who start even before then have premature menopause, or premature ovarian insufficiency.

Menopause that starts after age 55 is known as late menopause.

Your family history and ethnicity may affect the onset. For example, a 2022 studyTrusted Source found that Black women started menopause on average 8.5 months earlier than white women.

If you are nearing the age when you expect your periods to end, you can’t do much to change the timing.

Several factors can contribute to someone beginning natural menopause later in their lifetime. More research is still needed.

Pregnancy and chestfeeding history

If you nurse for 7 to 12 monthsTrusted Source during a child’s infancy, research suggests you have a lower chance of starting menopause before age 45.

That same study from 2020 analyzed the pregnancy and chestfeeding history of over 100,000 women between ages 25 and 42.

When adjusted for the duration of nursing, researchers found that the number of pregnancies was associated with a lower risk of early menopause:

  • one full-term pregnancy lowered risk by 8%
  • two pregnancies lowered risk by 16%
  • a third pregnancy lowered risk by 22%

Chestfeeding for a combined total of 25 months lowered the risk by 27% compared to women who nursed less than a month.

Education

According to one study from 2024, educated women reach menopause later in life than uneducated women do.

Specifically, women with the lowest level of education are 7 times more likely to experience premature menopause compared to those with the highest level of education.

The reasons for this connection are not entirely clear.

Diet

Including lots of fruit and meat in your diet was associated with a later onset of natural menopause in women in China.

One large study from 2018Trusted Source also suggests that eating oily fish and fresh legumes delayed menopause by several years.

Everyone’s overall nutritional needs are different, so it’s a good idea to discuss any big changes in your diet with a healthcare professional.

Menopause accelerates bone loss by up to 20%. Later menopause is associated with a lower risk of osteoporosis.

When people reach menopause at a later age, they have a lower riskTrusted Source of dying as a result of cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis.

Menopause does not increase cancer risk, so delayed menopause won’t decrease your risk. Your likelihood of developing cancer just increases as you age.

In addition to your family history and ethnicity, several factors can make it more likely that you’ll reach menopause 1 to 3 years younger than the average. Factors include:

  • smoking
  • lower social class
  • lower levels of physical activity
  • diets high in refined pasta and rice

This transition is different for every person who experiences it, but some symptoms are fairly common.

As you enter perimenopause and transition into menopause, you may experience:

If menopause symptoms are getting in the way of your everyday life, talk with a doctor about whether these treatments could work for you:

Each treatment has benefits and risks, which you should consider when deciding what’s right for your body.

Your genes and family history largely determine the age at which you begin natural menopause.

Other contributors — most notably your diet, socioeconomic status, and smoking habits — have some influence on when your periods will stop.

The older you are, the less likely it is that a change in your habits will alter the onset of natural menopause.

If you’re concerned about the length of your reproductive life or want to avoid health issues from very early or very late menopause, talk with your doctor about changes you can make in advance to create a healthier life and easier transition.