No proven method can reliably delay menopause. In the United States, menopause arrives at an average age of 51, and genetics sets most of that timeline. A mother’s age at menopause is one of the strongest clues to when her daughter will reach it.

Some habits can shift the timing by a year or two in either direction, and smoking is the clearest one, pushing menopause earlier. Researchers are testing drugs and procedures that might slow ovarian aging. None is approved, and doctors don’t recommend trying them outside a study.

That’s the short answer. For Black women, the most important factor may not be the one getting the headlines.

What decides when menopause starts?

The timing follows the supply of eggs in the ovaries. Women are born with roughly 1 million to 2 million eggs, and that supply drains over decades until the ovaries stop releasing them. Natural menopause usually comes between ages 45 and 55.

Race and ethnicity play a role. In the large SWAN study, which follows women across the country, Black women reached menopause about eight months earlier than white women on average. SWAN has also found that Black women tend to have hot flashes and night sweats for longer than other groups, often for a decade or more.

Do birth control pills save eggs for later?

No. This is one of the most common myths. The pill stops ovulation, but it doesn’t stop the steady background loss of egg follicles, so it doesn’t extend the ovaries’ life.

Blood tests for AMH, a hormone that reflects egg supply, can estimate how many eggs remain. Doctors don’t use them to predict when an individual woman will reach menopause.

Can diet or habits delay menopause?

They can nudge it, but the evidence comes with caveats. Smoking is the clearest factor you can change. Studies tie it to menopause one to two years sooner.

A UK study of more than 14,000 women found that each daily portion of oily fish was linked to menopause about three years later, and fresh legumes to about a year later. Eating a lot of refined pasta and rice was linked to menopause about a year and a half sooner. Because the study was observational, it shows a connection, not proof that food changed the timing. Lower body weight is also linked to earlier menopause, but gaining weight isn’t a safe strategy.

Can surgery change when menopause happens?

Yes, and this is where the story turns personal for many Black women. Removing both ovaries brings on menopause immediately. Even a hysterectomy that leaves the ovaries in place can bring menopause a year or two earlier. Chemotherapy and pelvic radiation can also shut down the ovaries. Hormone therapy eases symptoms like hot flashes but doesn’t delay the underlying timeline.

Black women develop uterine fibroids more often and earlier than other groups, and they undergo hysterectomies at higher rates, often because of fibroids. That means a decision made in a doctor’s office can affect when menopause arrives.

What new research could slow ovarian aging?

Scientists are testing several ideas. At Columbia University, the VIBRANT pilot study gave 50 healthy women either rapamycin, a drug used to prevent organ transplant rejection, or a placebo once a week for three months. The goal was to see whether it slows how fast eggs leave the ovarian reserve. A larger trial with about 200 women is planned.

A 2024 modeling study predicted that freezing ovarian tissue and transplanting it back later could significantly delay menopause for most women under 40. Companies such as Oviva, Celmatic and Gameto are also working on ways to slow ovarian aging.

All of this is early. Some researchers, like Jennifer Garrison of the Buck Institute, say delaying it is the wrong way to frame it, since the real goal is protecting women’s long-term health, not extending periods.

Is a later menopause better for your health?

Not automatically. Earlier it is linked to higher risks of heart disease and osteoporosis. Later menopause is linked to a somewhat higher risk of breast and endometrial cancers.

What can women do now?

Don’t smoke, know your mother’s history and talk to a doctor about any symptoms that start before 45. Menopause before 40 is called premature ovarian insufficiency and needs its own medical evaluation.

For Black women, there’s one more step that rarely makes the headlines. If fibroids lead to a conversation about surgery, ask whether treatments that keep the uterus and ovaries could work for you, and how each option might affect your timeline. Diet tips may buy a little time. The biggest controllable shift may come down to the choice made in the operating room.

This article is for general information and is not a substitute for medical advice.