Increasing height: Is it Possible?

Increasing height can be quite tricky especially after 18, when humans attain their final height.

However, many people want to grow taller, So is it really possible?

Frist of all, you have to know why you are short in the first place. So, here are the factors that determine your height:

Genetics

(60%-80%) of your height is determined by the genes you inherited.

The action of many genes (about 50) plays a role in determining your growth.

A few examples of these genes are FGFR3, GH1, FBN1, GPC3, and EVC. A single mutation in one of these genes may hinder your growth.

Moreover, your hormones can also affect your growth. Let’s find out how.

Hormones

The three main hormones that affect increasing height are:

1-Growth hormone (GH).

2-Thyroid hormone.

3-Sex hormones (estrogen and testosterone).

Deficiency in the growth or thyroid hormones may stop growth and increasing height at an early age.

The sex hormones also play a major role as they affect the growth of boys and girls during puberty.

Puberty

Puberty hits boys at around 11-12 years and girls at 9-10 years.

Pubertal growth occurs in different phases – growth acceleration and then deceleration.

In the acceleration phase, the increase in height occurs by the activation of the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and gonadal glands. This growth is termed as “adolescent growth spurt” or “take-off” phase of growth in terms of increasing height and sexual maturity.

Growth continues during puberty as boys and girls hit the Peak Height Velocity (PHV) phase. It is the phase in which the increase in height is maximized. The average age for boys to hit PHV is 13.5 years, and for girls is 11.5 years. The PHV is highest in early-maturing children than in late-maturing ones.

Nutrition And Exercise

What you eat during your growing age and physical activity also helps determine your final height.

There is a condition called “Nutritional Growth Retardation” in which a child’s cells start to compensate for the lack of nutrition with slow growth.

Nutrition during pregnancy also affects the child’s height. Taking iron, iodine, folate, and calcium supplements may help improve the child’s adult height.

Along with nutrition, exercising and being physically active from early childhood also helps build better bone density, prevents the onset of osteoporosis, and improves height.

You must keep in mind that excessive exercising may also cause stunted growth. The mechanical stress caused due to over-exercising causes the nutrition you take to be used up for compensating cellular and metabolic needs.

Environment

It seems unlikely, but the environment you grow up may also affect your height. Of course, genes are the major players, but so are your social background, geographical location, pollution, economic status, and disease exposure.

These are the major factors that determine the final height.

Now you know why you are short, but can you do anything about it?

Most people attain their final adult height at 18. Increasing height after 18 is not possible, even through nutrition and exercise, because the growth plates stop growing.

The growth plates (epiphyseal plates) are present at the end of long bones. The growth plates proliferate to add cartilage, which gets calcified, degraded, and replaced by bone tissue to add height or inches to your growth.

However, there are certain things that you can do throughout adolescence to ensure that you’re maximizing your potential for increasing height. You should continue these as an adult to promote overall well-being and retain your height.

Here are some of them;

1. Eat a balanced diet

During your growing years, it’s crucial that you get all of the nutrients your body needs.

Your diet should include:

Fresh fruits.
Fresh vegetables.
Whole grains.
Proteins.
Dairy.

You should limit or avoid foods containing:

Sugar.
Trans fats.
Saturated fats.

If an underlying medical condition, or older age, is causing your height to decrease by affecting your bone density, up your calcium intake.

It’s often recommended that women over age 50 and men over age 70 should consume 1,200 milligrams (mg) of calcium per day.

Vitamin D also promotes bone health. Common sources of vitamin D include tuna, fortified milk, and egg yolks. If you aren’t getting enough vitamin D in your diet, talk to your doctor about taking a supplement to meet your recommended daily amount.

2. Try using supplements

There are only a few cases where supplements may be appropriate to increase height in children and combat shrinking in older adults.

For example, if you have a condition that affects your human growth hormone (HGH) production, your doctor may recommend a supplement containing synthetic HGH.

Additionally, older adults may wish to take vitamin D or calcium supplements to reduce their risk of osteoporosis.

In all other cases, you should avoid supplements with promises about height. Once your growth plates become fused together, there’s no chance that you can increase your height, regardless of what the supplement label advertises.

3. Get the right amount of sleep

Occasionally skimping on sleep won’t affect your height in the long term. But if during adolescence you regularly clock less than the recommended amount, it may lead to complications.

This is because your body releases HGH while you sleep. Production of this hormone and others may go down if you aren’t getting enough shut-eye.

It’s suggested that:

newborns up to 3 months old get 14-17 hours of sleep each day.
infants ages 3-11 months old get 12-17 hours.
toddlers ages 1-2 years get 11-14 hours.
young children ages 3-5 years old get 10-13 hours.
children ages 6-13 get nine to 11 hours.
teenagers ages 14-17 get eight to 10 hours.
adults ages 18-64 get seven to nine hours.
older adults ages 65 and older get seven to eight hours.

Getting extra sleep may even increase HGH production, so go ahead and take that power nap.

Related: Helpful tips to have better sleeping

4. Stay active

Regular exercise has many benefits. It strengthens your muscles and bones, helps you to maintain a healthy weight, and promotes HGH production.

Children in school should get at least an hour of exercise a day. During this time, they should focus on:

Srength-building exercises, such as pushups or situps.
Flexibility exercises, such as yoga.
Aerobic activities, such as playing tag, jumping rope, or biking.

Exercising as an adult has its benefits, too. In addition to helping you maintain your overall health, it can also help reduce your risk of osteoporosis. This condition occurs when your bones become weak or brittle, resulting in bone density loss. This can cause you to “shrink.”

To reduce your risk, try walking, playing tennis, or practicing yoga several times a week.

5. Practice good posture

Poor posture may make you look shorter than you actually are. And over time, slumping or slouching can also affect your actual height.

Your back should curve naturally in three places. If you regularly slump or slouch, these curves may shift to accommodate your new posture. This can cause pain in your neck and back.

Being mindful of how you stand, sit, and sleep is key. Talk to your doctor about how you can incorporate ergonomics into your daily routine. Depending on your needs, a standing desk or memory foam pillow may be all that’s needed to correct your posture.

You can also practice exercises designed to improve your posture over time. If you’re unsure of where to begin, talk to your doctor. They can help develop an exercise routine that’s right for you.

6. Use yoga to maximize your height

If targeted posture exercises aren’t your thing, give yoga a try. This whole-body practice can strengthen your muscles, align your body, and help with your posture. This will help you stand taller.

You can practice yoga in the comfort of your own home or in a group setting at your local gym or studio. If you aren’t sure where to start, search for a beginner yoga routine on YouTube.

Some popular poses to improve posture include:

In most cases, you reach your peak height by the time you’re done with puberty. Although there are things you can do to maintain this height during adulthood, your growing days are long behind you if you already over 18.