Scientists have been debating for years on nature vs. nurture and how it is possible to grow taller. When a person reaches the age of 40, they may lose half or more inches of height due to several reasons including osteoporosis, compression of the spine or more.
While the majority of your height depends on your genetics, a diet rich in healthy nutrients can help maintain your height. However, it is possible to help your kids grow taller by feeding them the right foods.
Certain nutrients like protein play an important role in the healthy development of your kid by promoting immune function and tissue repair. Calcium, vitamin D, magnesium and phosphorus are some of the other micronutrients essential for growth.
So, if you are looking for foods that can help you make your child grow taller or help you maintain your height, here is a list of foods that you should incorporate into your diet:
1. Leafy greens
A study found that consuming greens every day helped preserve bone mass, which supports enhanced growth and help maintain your height. Leafy greens such as spinach, kale and cabbage contain vitamin C, iron, magnesium and potassium – all of which are essential for your growth. They are also rich in vitamin K that can help bone density that helps maintain your height.
2. Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A, which is extremely healthy and improves bone health and help you grow taller and maintain your height. They also contain soluble and insoluble fibre, which helps improve bone health and grow taller or maintain your height. It also promotes a healthy gut microbiome that ensures that your system gets enough vitamins and minerals, required for growth and development.
3. Quinoa
Quinoa is highly nutritious. It is rich in protein and magnesium that contains all the essential nutrients necessary to increase bone mineral density. It also contains nutrients like manganese, folate and phosphorus – important for bone health.
4. Eggs
Rich source of protein, riboflavin, iron and biotin, eggs are highly nutritious that helps in cell growth and development. A study showed that malnourished children who ate a high-protein diet developed more height than those who didn’t. If your child is not allergic, then you can include omelette in their diet or feed them boiled eggs.
5. Fatty fish
Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel contain omega-3 fatty acids – heart-healthy fat that’s important for growth and development. According to a study, omega-3 fatty acids are related to sleep problems, which could have a negative impact on a child’s growth.
6. Milk
Milk is rich in protein and several other nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus and magnesium, all of which helps maintain bone health. A Food And Nutrition study found that cow’s milk stimulates weight gain and muscle building in children. If the kid is not allergic or lactose intolerant, then drinking cow’s milk may help increase their height.
7. Chicken
Poultry meat is a good source of protein, along with vitamin B-12 and taurine, which are essential nutrients for a person to grow taller and maintain a healthy weight. Vitamin B12, in particular, is a water-soluble vitamin that is crucial to a person’s growth. Taurine is also amino acids that help with bone formation and growth.
8. Beans
Highly nutritious and a good source of protein that increases the level of insulin-like growth that helps regulate growth in children. It is also high in iron and B vitamins, both of which are important to protect a person from anaemia – a lack of red blood cells in the body. Several studies have linked anaemia or iron deficiency that contributes to delayed growth in children.
9. Berries
Include more blueberries, strawberries, blackberries in your diet as they are all highly nutritious. They are a rich source of vitamin C, which promotes cell growth and tissue repair. Studies have shown that vitamin C promotes the synthesis of collagen, which helps increase bone density and improve bone health. This helps you grow taller and maintain your height.
