Human height has long been the subject of extensive research across multiple fields of science for its ease of measurement, relative stability in adulthood, and rather normal distribution. As a metric or quantitative trait, human height is determined by various genes and environmental factors. Aside from genetic factors that most of us have no control over, a multitude of environmental factors can affect height to a great extent. They operate during the whole growth period of a person. The physical growth of children and teenagers can decline, leading to a negatively affected adult height in the presence of adverse environmental conditions. In this article, we will go into detail about which factors influence the height of a person, thereby offering advice on how to take advantage of these factors to maximize your height growth potential.
Genetics
Genetics is the principal factor determining a person’s height. Over 700 different genes have been found to determine how tall you will become, some of which influence growth hormone production while others control the growth plates. A person whose parents are tall is likely to gain an attractive height naturally whereas a person with short parents will have to work hard on the other factors to grow up tall.
People from different ethnic backgrounds have different normal height ranges, which is once again determined by their DNA. Some genetic conditions such as Marfan syndrome and Down syndrome also affect a person’s final adult height.
Gender
Your height also depends on whether you are a boy or a girl. Boys tend to be taller than girls. The average height difference between boys and girls is 14 cm [1]. Besides, boys also have a longer growing period than girls. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the average heights of females and males in the United States are 161.5 cm and 175.2 cm respectively [2].
Learn more about at what age girls and boys stop growing here (chèn link bài “When does your height stop growing?”).
Hormones
Our body produces certain hormones that stimulate the growth plates to make new bone. Human growth hormone is the most important hormone for the growth of a person. It is secreted in the pituitary gland in our brain. A lack of growth hormone will badly affect your potential for height growth and ultimately your final adult height. Several health conditions can restrict the amount of growth hormone within your body. In addition, some children grow at a much slower rate than other children due to a rare genetic condition called congenital growth hormone deficiency. The good news is you can encourage the body to release more growth hormone to an extent. Check out the best tips to boost growth hormone production here (chèn link bài “Best tips for you to boost Growth Hormone naturally”).
The thyroid gland also produces hormones that affect a person’s growth. What is more, sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone also play a huge role in teenagers’ growth during puberty.
Nutrition
Of all the environmental factors affecting height growth, nutrition has the most powerful influence. Children and teenagers without good nutrition will not be as tall as those with adequate nutrition. This is because different nutrients help the body in different ways. Instead of indulgence in junk food which has few or no nutrients, a balanced diet consisting of all the essential nutrients for height growth (protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals) should be preferred. Protein and calcium are especially important for bone growth and bone health. Some foods rich in protein to include in your diet are:
- Poultry
- Meat
- Eggs
- Seafood
- Legumes
- Nuts and seeds.
Some calcium-rich foods include:
Exercise
Systematic exercise or sports are known to improve the height of a person. These activities stimulate the production of growth hormone, which directly contributes to bone and muscle growth. Sports and exercises result in better blood circulation, hence providing more growth hormone to all parts of your body. Furthermore, exercising or playing sports regularly also helps in stretching your body. This facilitates better structure for the spine and legs to allow you to grow as tall as your genetically predetermined height or even surpass it. Some sports and/or exercises to improve height are:
- Pelvic shift
- Hanging
- Cobra stretch
- Skipping
- Swimming
- Dry land swim
- Cycling
- Basketball
- Pilates rollover
- Alternate leg kick.
Sleep
It is a well-known fact that sleep is important as it allows your body time to rest and gets rid of tiredness after hours of work during the day. But did you know sleep is also an important factor for human height growth? As growth hormone is secreted more during deep sleep compared with when a person is awake, it is understandable that you need sufficient sleep to grow taller fast. Moreover, when you are asleep, the body can heal and recover from any injuries, thus fostering optimal growth of not only your bones and muscles but also your overall health and wellbeing.
Living environment
The living environment also influences how tall you will be as an adult. A person living in a good social and cultural environment as well as a clean living space is more likely to achieve an ideal height compared with a person growing in an adverse environment. Climate also affects the height of a person, although it is beyond our control.
All in all, height growth is largely controlled by your genes. Despite this, there are environmental factors such as nutrition, exercise, sleep, and living environment that can affect height gain during your growing years. As children and teenagers get older, they need adequate nutrition, regular exercise, sufficient sleep, and a healthy living environment in order for their bodies to produce hormones needed for growth. Teenagers will go through a growth spurt during puberty, but once the growth plates fuse together and stop making new bone, they will not get any taller. As a result, to achieve your full height potential, it is utterly important to take care of the above-discussed external factors affecting the height of a person.
Source:
[1] https://www.yourhormones.info/topical-issues/growth-and-height/