Our body needs essential vitamins to grow taller. The height of a person is primarily dependent on the genetics, nourishment. You should have healthy routine, growth nourishments to keep your body growing. The probable way to keep all this in place is to take a proper diet that includes all the essential vitamins, minerals. You need to have different minerals and vitamins in varying amounts to grow taller. It is essential to take a balanced diet for growth, less intake of any vitamin results in deficiency and deficient related illnesses. Therefore, it is good to know the vitamins required for growing taller as well as the source of foods. That is the reason it is called as a balanced diet, it plays a crucial role in one’s growth. Let us see the essential vitamins that can enhance your height.
Vitamin B1:
- This vitamin is also known as Thiamine-a water soluble vitamin, it promotes growth of the body, regularizes process of digestion and maintains healthy heart, nervous system which in turn helps body to grow by providing regular blood supply to the organs of your body. The National Institute of Health office of Dietary Supplements suggests that one serving of fortified breakfast cereal provides 1.5 milligrams of thiamin.
- Foods that provide B1 are whole grain, meat, fish, bread and cereals, beef, pork, salmon, blue mussels, Tuna, black beans, Acorn Squash, macaroni, sunflower seeds, barley, corn, brown rice, oatmeal, dairy products, fortified cereals, white rice, egg noodles, English muffins,
Vitamin B2:
- This vitamin is also known as Riboflavin, it helps to breakdown proteins, fats and carbohydrates. It helps to maintain energy in the body. It converts carbohydrates into Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP). This is essential for storing energy in muscles. It is also essential for hormone production by adrenalin glands. This vitamin is water soluble, hence cooking foods can lose the vitamin.
- The foods that contain B2 are: Fish, meat, and poultry, such as turkey, chicken, beef, kidneys, and liver, Eggs, dairy products, asparagus, artichokes, avocados, cayenne, currants, fortified cereals, kelp, lima beans, navy beans, peas, molasses, mushrooms, nuts, parsley, pumpkin, rosehips, sage, sweet potatoes, cruciferous vegetables (green leafy vegetables), whole-grain breads, enriched breads, wheat bran, yeast extract.
Vitamin D:
- This vitamin essentially helps in strengthening the bones. Insufficiency of this vitamin can lead to weakness in bones and teeth and poor growth. Height is affected due the lack of Vitamin D. Certain tests also determine if there is deficiency in vitamin D. Perhaps that may help to find the deficiency and consume those products that provide Vitamin D.
- Sunlight is one source that provides this vitamin, additionally there are other sources of vitamin D in variety of foods such as Tomatoes, Potatoes, milk, Cauliflower, fruits, Salmon, shrimp, egg yolks, mushrooms, fortified foods – cow’s milk, soy milk, orange juice, cereal oatmeal.
Vitamin C:
- This is also called as ascorbic acid and all the citrus fruits contain this vitamin. Citric acid help in flushing out the toxins from the body. It helps in increasing the growth rate of teeth and bones. It is one of the good antioxidants and prevents illness that may affect the growth at a younger age. It heals wounds and helps in forming scar tissue, also repairs and maintains cartilage, bones and teeth. The antioxidants present in the vitamin C help in countering damage caused by radicals.
- Foods that are rich in vitamin C are all citrus fruits, potatoes, berries, guava, kiwi, grape fruit, plums, acerola cherries, chili peppers, black currants, , kale, mustard greens, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, Kiwi fruits, papayas, clementine, oranges and strawberries.
For example, consumption of calcium age-wise:
- 1 to 3 years: 500 mg calcium
- 4 to 8 years: 800 mg calcium
- 9 to 18 years: 1300 mg calcium
- 19 to 50 years and above: 1000 to 1200 mg calcium
Vitamin F:
- This vitamin contains polyunsaturated fats and other components that essentially develop cells, restructure bones and therefore, it acts as a catalyst in height growth.
- Seafood, mackerel, fruits like canola are good sources. Other sources are nuts and seeds. The essential fatty acids can be derived from different oils like soybean, sunflower and corn oils.
Phosphorus:
- Phosphorus along with calcium is needed to strengthen the bones and tissues. It helps in the digestion of vitamin riboflavin, prevents osteoporosis. It also prevents the delayed growth in children. It promotes the growth.
- Nuts, beans, fish, chicken and turkey, pork, organ meats, seafood, dairy products, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, nuts, whole grains, amaranth and quinoa, beans and lentils, soy are the great source of phosphorus.
Apart from the above mentioned top six vitamins, the body also needs minerals for height growth. Magnesium, calcium, zinc, boron are the minerals required. Calcium is for bone regrowth, the food sources are milk, banana. Magnesium is to strengthen the musculature by reinforcing bones. The food sources are whole grain food, spinach, almonds, cashews, peanuts, avocados. Zinc restarts the bone growth in the children. The food sources are meat, shellfish, legumes, nuts, dairy, eggs, whole grains like wheat, legumes, and dark chocolate.
The proper consumption of these foods which contains the vitamins and minerals mentioned will provide enough to increase height. Along with the foods, it is also good to do some growth enhancing exercises to grow taller. There are vitamin supplements too available but when it is found naturally found in the foods, it is better to consume as is than relying on a vitamin supplement unless it is really required. Along with the foods consumed, exercise as well as healthy lifestyle is important. Stress will have a bad effect on health, keep away from stress and follow what it takes to increase your height and grow taller.
FAQs:
- Can food habits make you taller?
It is a known fact that genetics play a very important role in determining one’s height. However, diet also contributes to the growth of an individual. Therefore, it is important to consume foods that are rich in vitamins that contribute to growing taller.
- Can Medicines help in increasing height?
If you suspect that the growth rate of your child is at a slow pace, check with your physician and identify what is delaying the growth, based on that the doctor may suggest to take growth hormones if these are deficient.