Is your height already programmed by your genes or can you grow taller than your parents? Nature versus nurture has been the bone of contention among scientists for years, and despite being largely controlled by genetics, human height is under the influence of other factors as well. These include nutrition, exercise, sleep, and living environment.
This explains why increased income leads to an increase in average height. Indeed, parallel with more income is a better quality of life in which people have proper nutrition, involvement in physical activities, and improved sleep quality. Among these factors, nutrition stands out as the most powerful aside from your genes in your height growth. Want to beat your genetics to reach an ideal height? Read on to find out the foods that make you grow taller in this article.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
How does nutrition affect height growth?
Our genes (height heritability) are the main factor affecting our height, but it is not the only determinant thing for increasing height. Other environmental factors, including nutrition, play a vital role in influencing our height gain.
Basically, in poor areas and developing countries, nutrition shortfalls lessen heritability because nutrient-rich and energy foods are less readily available to school-aged kids. And that results in a tendency toward stunted growth, undernourishment, or even obesity.
That said, the first step towards a good height is to have a healthy and scientific diet. During the growing years, children’s bodies need the right amount of nutrients to grow well. So, if you select to consume proper foods, especially during puberty when your children are still growing, it will be easier to promote their height and help them reach their height potential.
What foods make you taller?
Plant-based protein
As mentioned above, nutrition is key to achieving your desired height. However, it can only unleash its power if you know what the right foods to eat are. Although no magic recipes can boost your height overnight, consuming foods high in calcium, vitamin D, and protein can increase your height substantially in the long run.
Let’s start with plant-based protein. You can opt for lentils, beans, nut butter, and nuts as they all are recommended sources of protein. Because protein has the biggest impact upon height, eating celery dipped in almond butter or peanut butter is both healthy and serves as a turbo boost for your height.
To make your diet more diverse, you can add chickpeas, hemp seeds, and flax seeds to your dishes. Quinoa is another complete plant-based protein that tastes awesome and can be added to a variety of dishes. Make a plain yogurt more nutritious and lively by tossing some almonds or walnuts into it. There is little difficulty in adding protein to your diet if you set your mind on growing taller.
Dairy and whole eggs
Milk almost always makes a presence in our daily breakfast. Rich in calcium, vitamins A, B, D, E, and protein, milk is extremely critical in boosting your height gain. However, organic milk is better and more recommended than inorganic one as the former is free of rBST, rBGH, and antibiotics which can negatively affect your growth. Your height growth can be naturally maximized with a cleaner diet. The healthy fats and Omega 3 in milk are also beneficial for proper nutrition.
Milk and dairy products help increase height
Similar to milk, eggs have been in humans’ diets since the dawn of time. Not only are eggs high in protein but they are also nutritious whole foods. There is 100% protein and albumin in the white of the egg. Nevertheless, it is advisable to use whole eggs as they add calcium, vitamin B12, and healthy fats. Eggs are also highly versatile in that it can be cooked in a number of ways from fried, scrambled, hard-boiled, and baked. They can be turned into yummy breakfasts for children and teenagers to grow taller.
Vegetables and fruits
Veggies are not favorable foods for some people, especially children. Yet, most of the vegetables are valuable sources of minerals, vitamins, and fiber that are essential for your bone health and bone growth. Try to fill your daily diet with vegetables such as spinach and kale to increase your height fast and effectively.
In addition, a bone-nourishing diet is not complete in the absence of fruits. As a matter of fact, such fruits as apples, mangoes, oranges, grapefruits, and nectarines all work great in helping you grow taller rapidly. The reason for this is that these fruits are rich in vitamin C which facilitates easy calcium absorption and utilization. This is extremely critical to height increase.
Fish and meat
Fish and lean meats are fine as long as they are organic, grass-fed, or wild-caught. They contain huge amounts of healthy fats and protein. You can combine eating fish and lean meats together with plant-based protein as variety is pivotal to your diet. Besides, you can add chicken to your dishes. Free-range and organic chicken that is free from any antibiotics or hormones is highly recommended.
Carbohydrates
Carbs are another main source of dietary energy and are vital for growth and development. Although they are found in many foods, you should choose fresh fruits and vegetables instead of sweetened foods, sugars, carbonated drinks, and sugar-added fruit juices.
Healthy fats
Getting enough amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids, like omega-3 fatty acids, help enhance osteoblast activity while obstructing osteoclast activity to support bone formation. You easily get healthy unsaturated fats in vegetable oils (almonds, canola, olive, sesame, and sunflower), avocados, oily fish, oysters, eggs, almonds, and cod liver oil.
Water
Although water has no organic nutrients or calories, it is an indispensable thing for the body. It helps carry nutrients to reach biological fluids and is the key channel for the removal of toxins and waste. Drinking mineral water is another good way to help you stay hydrated and get a certain amount of calcium [1].
Foods that you should avoid
Apart from the above-listed foods to add to your diet, there are foods that you should stay away from if you want to reach your maximum height potential. Topping the list of height inhibitors are sodas and all aerated drinks. Not only are the sweeteners and sugar in these drinks badly affect your overall health but they also block your body’s ability to absorb calcium efficiently. Because calcium is vital for healthy bone growth, you would lose your chance of growing taller if you keep consuming these calcium inhibitors.
What is more, foods that are rich in carbohydrates, especially highly processed foods such as bread, rice, cereals, and pasta can impact the production of growth hormone in a negative way. If you want to eat these carbohydrate-rich foods, you should opt for natural ones and whole grains. Try to avoid processed or instant foods at all costs. At the end of the day, natural and fresh foods are the way to go.
Apart from the above-listed foods to add to your diet, there are foods that you should stay away from if you want to reach your maximum height potential.
Sodas
Topping the list of height inhibitors are sodas and all aerated drinks. Not only are the sweeteners and sugar in these drinks badly affect your overall health but they also block your body’s ability to absorb calcium efficiently. Because calcium is vital for healthy bone growth, you would lose your chance of growing taller if you keep consuming these calcium inhibitors.
Fast food or processed foods
These types of foods just taste good yet deliver less valuable nutrients. Badly, they have a high amount of trans fatty acids that might affect your height growth. Also, you should avoid foods high in sugar like cookies and sweets because they only prevent you from consuming nutritious foods.
Foods rich in carbs
Foods that are rich in carbohydrates, especially highly processed foods such as bread, rice, cereals, and pasta can impact the production of growth hormones in a negative way. If you want to eat these carbohydrate-rich foods, you should opt for natural ones and whole grains.
Aflatoxins
If you store corn, wheat, chiles, or peanuts inappropriately in warm and humid places, it may produce molds, called aflatoxins. They seem to restrict protein synthesis and increase inflammation and the risk of infection, thereby preventing growth in children [2].
Unfermented soy
Tofu, soymilk, sprouts, and soy nuts are unfermented foods you should avoid because they have phytic acid, which might lower calcium absorption. The best way is to replace them with fermented soy like miso, natto, soy sauce, and tempeh to get more protein.
One last thing, you can consider taking height growth supplements
Height growth supplements can be a great option to supplement your growing body with essential nutrients that are lacking in your diet. Knowing which foods to eat is one thing but incorporating them into your daily diet is another.
Moreover, children and teenagers with busy parents are even more subject to nutritional deficiencies as their parents do not have time to cook for them, and most of the time, they have to resort to processed or fast foods. To tackle this problem, parents can consider letting their children take height growth supplements to ensure they get all the nutrition they need for optimal growth.
However, it is imperative for parents to examine the quality carefully before buying any height boosters. Click here for a review of the best height growth supplements for you to take into consideration.
Joy Bauer is a renowned physician and nutrition expert who has dedicated her career to helping people live healthier, happier lives. With over two decades of experience in the field of health and wellness, Dr. Bauer has become one of the most trusted voices in the industry.
One of Dr. Bauer’s areas of expertise is in the field of height growth. She has worked with countless patients over the years who were looking to increase their height naturally, and has developed a range of effective strategies and techniques to help them achieve their goals.
Dr. Bauer believes that a healthy diet and lifestyle are essential for optimal growth and development. She works closely with her patients to develop personalized nutrition plans that are tailored to their unique needs and goals. These plans include a variety of nutrient-dense foods and supplements that are designed to support healthy bone growth and development.
In addition to her work in height growth, Dr. Bauer is also a leading expert in the areas of weight loss, disease prevention, and overall wellness. She is a regular contributor to a number of popular media outlets, including The Today Show, The Dr. Oz Show, and Good Morning America.
If you’re looking for a physician who is passionate about helping you live your best life, look no further than Dr. Joy Bauer. With her expertise, compassion, and commitment to excellence, she is the ideal partner for anyone who is looking to achieve their health and wellness goals.
The reason behind the creation of the website HowToGrowTaller is to provide effective guidance and support to individuals who are looking to increase their height naturally. Dr. Joy Bauer recognized that many people feel self-conscious or insecure about their height, and that there is a great deal of misinformation out there about how to grow taller.
With HowToGrowTaller, Dr. Bauer wanted to create a comprehensive resource that would provide individuals with the tools, knowledge, and support they need to achieve their height goals. The website includes a wide range of resources, including nutrition plans, exercise routines, and other proven strategies that are designed to support healthy growth and development.
One of the key benefits of HowToGrowTaller is that it is a one-stop-shop for all things related to height growth. Instead of spending countless hours researching different strategies and techniques, individuals can turn to the website to access everything they need in one convenient location.
Overall, the goal of HowToGrowTaller is to help individuals feel more confident and empowered in their bodies. By providing them with the resources and support they need to grow taller naturally, Dr. Bauer hopes to help people achieve their height goals and improve their overall quality of life.
When it comes to height increase, both boys and girls will experience significant impacts on their growth at the age of 12. Despite gender-dependent differences, this is still a golden growth age for teenagers to increase height and maximize their growth. Let’s learn more about how to grow taller at 12 effectively. Why should you ...
A healthy and balanced diet has a great impact on your children’s nutrition intake and body development. Aside from nutritious foods, healthy drinks and beverages can help them grow stronger and taller naturally. Here are some drinks that can add inches up to your children’s height and keep them healthy in the long run. Water ...
Height is undoubtedly one of the most conspicuous physical attributes of human beings. Other than making us literally stand out from the crowd, a good height also comes with many benefits - from boosting our self-confidence and self-esteem to increasing our attractiveness, giving us an advantage in sports, and supporting our careers. No wonder most ...
Parallel with improvements in income and living standards in most cities is the growing concern of parents about their children’s overall development, in terms of not only their education, physical and mental health but also their appearance. Short parents have a perpetual worry that their children will end up inheriting their modest height, which gives ...
How to grow taller at 12 years old for teenage boys and girls
When it comes to height increase, both boys and girls will experience significant impacts on their growth at the age of 12. Despite gender-dependent differences, this is still a golden growth age for teenagers to increase height and maximize their growth. Let’s learn more about how to grow taller at 12 effectively. Why should you ...
Top 8 healthy drinks that make you taller
A healthy and balanced diet has a great impact on your children’s nutrition intake and body development. Aside from nutritious foods, healthy drinks and beverages can help them grow stronger and taller naturally. Here are some drinks that can add inches up to your children’s height and keep them healthy in the long run. Water ...
How to grow taller at 17
Height is undoubtedly one of the most conspicuous physical attributes of human beings. Other than making us literally stand out from the crowd, a good height also comes with many benefits - from boosting our self-confidence and self-esteem to increasing our attractiveness, giving us an advantage in sports, and supporting our careers. No wonder most ...
Do height growth pills work?
Parallel with improvements in income and living standards in most cities is the growing concern of parents about their children’s overall development, in terms of not only their education, physical and mental health but also their appearance. Short parents have a perpetual worry that their children will end up inheriting their modest height, which gives ...
