Want To Increase Your Height? Eat These 9 Foods

Nutrition

oi-Neha Ghosh

By Neha Ghosh

on January 3, 2019

Are you the person who often gets asked, 'what is your height'?. Well, height is a major concern for some people. They start having an inferiority complex when people start teasing them. Hence, this article will address the same concern and discuss some foods you can consume to increase height.

What Factors Determine Your Height?

Your height depends on your genes to a certain extent. On the basis of twin studies, scientists determine the genetics and how they affect body height which means if one twin is tall; the other one is likely to be tall as well ^[1] , ^[2] . And based on this study, around 60 per cent to 80 per cent of the difference in height in people is because of genetics and the other 20 per cent to 40 per cent is due to nutrition ^[3] , ^[4] .

The human growth hormone (hGH), which comprises of 191 amino acids, is produced by the pituitary gland which plays a major role in growth, body composition, metabolism and cell repair ^[5] , ^[6] . This growth hormone stimulates the growth of all tissues of the body, including bones. After the age of 20, the height stops increasing and the reason is your growth plates or epiphyseal plates, cartilage found near the end of your long bones ^[7] .

Your height increases because of the lengthening of the long bones, due to the active nature of the growth plates. But, when an individual is near the end of puberty, hormonal changes allow the growth plates to become inactive and the lengthening of the bones stop. This is where your height stops. However, consuming a healthy diet can help.

Foods To Increase Your Height

1. Turnip

Turnips are found to be extremely rich in growth hormones, and consuming turnips can help in increasing height. It is rich in vitamins, minerals, and fibres, they can help boost the secretion of growth hormones in the body which in turn help in increasing height. Other than that turnips are an excellent source of phosphorous, vitamin B2, vitamin K, potassium, magnesium and manganese.

2. Raspberries

Raspberries are rich in melatonin which can increase the release of human growth hormone by up to 157 per cent. The study shows that melatonin stimulates the pituitary gland which in turn triggers the secretion of growth hormone through pathways in the body which help in increasing height ^[8] . Raspberries are also an excellent source of vitamin C, manganese and dietary fibre.

ALSO READ: 10 Mind-blowing Health Benefits Of Raspberries

3. Eggs

Eggs are another food that can boost the production of growth hormone due to the presence of choline, a water-soluble vitamin. This vitamin is the precursor for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine which increases your height and strength at the same time according to a 2008 study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition ^[9] . Choline is also an essential nutrient required for cell signalling, cell structuring, bone formation, and lipid transport ^[10] .

4. Dairy products

Dairy products which include cottage cheese, milk, curd, and yogurt are all high in essential minerals such as vitamin A, calcium, vitamin E, vitamin D and vitamin B. Milk contains all the essential nine amino acids which help in the growth of the cells and is considered a complete protein food. The high level of amino acids in dairy products play a major role in triggering the natural production of human growth hormone ^[11] .

5. Chicken and beef

Similar to eggs, chicken and beef are high in protein which makes both an excellent protein-rich food. Chicken and beef both help in building the tissues and muscles and encourages human growth hormone secretion. Chicken is high in l-arginine, an amino acid which has been studied as a possible stimulator of growth hormone secretion. Beef, on the other hand, contains amino acids that synthesise l-ornithine which raises your growth hormone levels by up to four times ^[12] .

ALSO READ: 10 Amazing Health Benefits Of Eating Chicken

6. Fatty fish

Fatty fishes like wild salmon and tuna are packed full of protein and vitamin D. Protein, as we all know is the building block of our body, which help in building tissues and increase height. Protein contains all the essential amino acids that are known for increasing growth hormones and are also essential for maintaining strong and healthy bones, tissues, muscles, organs, skin and teeth ^[13] .

7. Soy

Soy is a complete nutrition-filled food that can increase your height if consumed on a daily basis due to the presence of amino acid l-arginine. It increases your growth hormone levels by stimulating the pituitary gland ^[14] . It also improves bone and tissue mass density. Incorporate baked or boiled soy in your salads, rice and other dishes.

8. Nuts and seeds

Nuts and seeds are eaten as snacks to satisfy your hunger cravings. Nuts like peanuts, walnuts and almonds and seeds like pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, etc., are rich in l-arginine, an amino acid that triggers the boost of human growth hormone. These nuts and seeds also contain high levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) which stimulates the pituitary gland to produce more of human growth hormone ^[15] .

9. Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha, also known as Indian ginseng, helps to increase height. The different kinds of minerals present in the herb broaden the bones and increase bone density and it also has the ability to influence the human growth hormone in an indirect way. You can consume ashwagandha by mixing two tablespoons of its powder into a glass of milk.

ALSO READ: Benefits And Side Effects Of Ashwagandha (Indian Ginseng) You Should Know

Other Ways To Increase Your Height

• Exercise at a high-intensity to raise human growth hormone levels.
• Get an adequate amount of sleep as studies have shown that not getting enough sleep could reduce the amount of growth hormone that your body produces ^[16] .
• Practice yoga and swimming.
• Enjoy a balanced diet and practice a good posture.