The type of food we consume significantly affects several functions in our bodies. What you consume is directly connected to your health and physical characteristics.
Although genes play a vital role, food is important. You should learn as much as possible about the type of food you take.
One of the things that food affects in the body is weight and height. Maybe you want to grow tall, but you keep consuming the wrong type of food.
If you do not want to be short, you have to learn as much as possible, as you will find out in this article. So, do you know,
What Food Makes You Shorter?
Rice, Corn, Soda, Alcohol, and Soy will make you shorter. Rice contains too much carbohydrate, and when you eat it alone, it inhibits bone growth. Soy inhibits the absorptions of calcium, while soda contains too much phosphorous that is not good for bone growth.
Find out more below.
Soy
Soy will cause stunted growth. Soy will inhibit calcium absorption in the body, which affects growth, especially in children.
Calcium is responsible for the growth of bones which adds up to height. Soy products such as tofu, yogurt, and soy milk contain phytic acid responsible for this effect.
Rice
As much as rice is one of the most consumed food in many families, and it is safe, there is a way you will consume it, and it will lead to stunted growth.
When you consume too much rice without any other food, you take too much carbohydrate with no protein or vitamins, automatically making you shorter, especially for kids.
The main problem is too much carbohydrates in the body. As long as you take rice in a balanced manner with proteins and other nutrients, then you will be fine.
Junk Food
Junk foods are a favorite for many, but they come with their share of challenges and problems. We all know that junk food is not very good for the body due to obesity and diabetes.
Another adverse effect of consuming too much junk food is stunting bone growth, especially in kids.
When kids take too much potato chips, their body growth is affected such that there is more mass in the body and no growth of bones. So, a child will be obese and short. Avoid this.
Soda
Yes, soda is another food that will make you shorter. Soda contains a lot of phosphorous. According to a study, phosphorous affects body growth by slowing down bone growth and density.
Children who consume high amounts of soda take excess amounts of calories. As a result, they end up having stunted growth.
Ice Cream And Sugars
We all know sugars are not the best for our health. Stunted bone growth is one of the effects of the high consumption of ice cream, cakes, and cookies.
You have to be careful with your kids as they will consume as much sugary foods as they can get without any worry of the damage they can do to them.
Research has already shown that kids taking high amounts of sugary foods are shorter than those who do not.
Corn
Corn as a whole without anything else does not affect height. However, if it gets mold, it will develop aflatoxins, an agent that will inhibit growth, especially for children. It develops aflatoxins when you store corn poorly in a humid and warm place.
Other cereals that grow this mold include wheat, peanuts, chiles, and tree nuts. As a result, you should store all your cereals in a dry and clean environment to prevent aflatoxins.
Alcohol
Alcohol will make you shorter, although it is not a food. Adults who consume alcohol during their growth stage will experience stunted growth.
In addition, you should make sure that your kids do not come across alcohol as it has the same effect on them and at high rates.
Other Factors Affecting Human Height
Food is not the only thing that affects your height. There are other factors, and for some, you can control while others you cannot control. They include the following.
Gender
Scientists suggest that there is growth variation in height between men and women. Research done by CDC in 2018 indicated that the average men’s height is 5’9 and women 5’3.6 in the United States. This shows that in most cases, men grow taller than women.
Genetics
Genetics is the main determinant of height. Genetics are responsible for more than 80% of human height characteristics.
This means you may avoid all other factors that affect your height and still end up being short or tall, depending on your genes. Sometimes, people do so much to avoid being short, but you cannot control your genetics.
Exercising
Physical exercises have a direct effect on your physical characteristics. As a result, people who exercise more have more say in how their bodies look.
When you have exercises related to bone and muscle stretching, the chances of growing tall are high. However, people who do not exercise will not grow so tall with all factors held constant.
Sleep
Did you know that most of your body growth occurs during your sleep? This is due to the pituitary gland, which releases human growth hormones.
The growth hormone works by stimulating protein synthesis hence bone, muscle, and connective tissue growth.
As a result, the type of sleep you have in quantity and quality affects your bone growth directly.
Health Condition
Several health conditions will affect the rate of your bone growth significantly. This happens in children but also affects young adults.
Such health conditions include Down syndrome, hypopituitarism, dwarfism, Russell-Silver syndrome, and delayed puberty.
What Foods Make You Grow Tall?
In the same way, some foods make you grow shorter; some will make you grow taller. They include the following.
- Chicken – Chicken contains high amounts of protein which are good for the growth of bone and other body parts.
- Beans – Beans are highly nutritious, with the main nutrient being protein. Protein found in beans boosts bone and muscle growth.
- Almonds
- Sweet potatoes
- Eggs
- Quinoa
- Leafy greens
Things To Do To Grow Tall
If you want to grow tall, you should do the following things.
Get Enough Sleep
Sleep is one of the factors that affect body growth and especially height. The quantity and quality of sleep you get are crucial when it comes to your body growth. When you sleep well, you give your body enough time to release growth hormones.
Here are sleeping patterns for different ages.
- Newborn to 3 months – 14-17 hours per day
- Between age 3 and 11 months – 12 to 17 hrs per day
- Babies between ages 1 – 2 years, 11 to 14 hrs per day
- Children between age 3 and 5 years, 10 to 13 hrs per day
- Children between age 6 and 13 years, 11 hrs per day
- Teens between age 14 and 17, 8 to 10 hrs per day
- Adults between 18 and 64 years, 7-9 hrs per day
- Sixty-five years, 7-8 hrs per day.
Balanced Diet
A balanced diet will always work to your advantage if you look for a good height. This is in addition to avoiding food mentioned earlier in this article.
In addition, make sure your diet contains foods such as fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, dairy, and proteins.
Stay Active
Staying active also means regular exercise. Regular exercising has numerous benefits to your body which boosts bone and muscle growth. In addition, you can manage your weight.
Some of the exercises good for height include;
-Yoga for flexibility of your muscles and bones
-Aerobic such as biking, playing tag, and jumping rope
-Strength building which includes situps and pushups.
Supplements
It is possible to use supplements to boost your height, especially kids. Supplements also help reduce shrinking for adults.
However, you must be very careful when using them since supplements can cause harmful effects when poorly used.
An example of cases where supplements do well is when your body cannot produce enough growth hormone. In such cases, a doctor can recommend a supplement to boost production, helping your height.
Another case is for adults who cannot produce enough calcium; hence, they risk shrinking. A doctor will recommend a supplement to help your body compensate. Make sure you discuss with your doctor before using any supplement to avoid adverse effects.
Body Posture
As stranger as it may sound, your body posture can affect your height. People who have bad posture may look slouching or slumping, which affects their actual height.
Some people also adopt a poor posture that is permanent and makes them seem short. Learn to adapt the right posture that represents your actual height.
Conclusion
Diet is a crucial part of the human body and its growth. As a result, you must make sure you watch your diet to avoid taking foods that will make you shorter, as mentioned above. In this article, some foods will boost your height. Ensure your children are getting the proper diet.