Height has always been a matter of concern for many of us. People of short height generally suffer from an inferiority complex, low confidence when they encounter their counterparts who are taller than them. While there is a wide range of products available in the market that guarantees an increase in height, they often don’t work as intended.
Mostly, height depends on the genes and on the right type of food and proper exercise to a certain extent. Males continue to grow till they reach the age of twenty-five whereas females attain their ultimate height by the age of eighteen to nineteen.
Height is regulated by a type of hormone called the Human Growth Hormone, i.e. HGH. It is secreted by the pituitary gland which is responsible for increasing the height. Thus, it is advised to take foods that help in improving the functioning of HGH. Though the height of your body is determined genetically, it is also a well-known fact that the growth mainly depends on some external factors. One of them is nutrition.
Poor height can be a result of slow growth because of inadequate nutrition. Therefore, following a balanced diet is important for improving growth prospects, specifically during the adolescence years to get a well-built body. Right food and exercise are needed to attain the optimum body weight and height. Make sure that your body gets various kinds of nutrients for building strong muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
A lot of minerals, vitamins, proteins, and calcium must be included in your diet. Here is what you need to your diet specifically as food for increasing your height.
- Proteins- Proteins are building blocks of our body and therefore can help in increasing your height by developing different tissues. There consists of amino acids which are designed for the growth hormones and are important for maintaining good muscles, healthy bones, skin, teeth, and organs. Also, they act as enzymes which stimulate the biochemical reactions of the body like respiration, excretion, and digestion. Lack of protein can cause various health issues like abnormal growth, weak immune system, abnormal growth, and inadequate mental development. Thus, carbohydrates must be replaced with foods that are rich in protein like eggs, fish, legumes, and milk. Protein is very much required for increasing the height.
- Minerals- Foods that contain minerals like phosphorus, magnesium, iodine, fluoride, and manganese also play a significant role in increasing the height and weight of the body. Calcium is an important mineral for the growth as well as the maintenance of strong bones. Carbonated drinks, excess sugar, salt, coffee, and fat must be restricted as they act as calcium inhibitors, therefore affecting your growth negatively. Illegal drugs and excessive smoking can stop your growth and have other detrimental effects on your health.
- Vitamins- Vitamin D is important for the development of healthy and strong bones and its deficiency can result in impaired growth, short stature, and weak bones. In addition, it is required by the body for the absorption of calcium. Other than Vitamin D, other vitamins like vitamin B1, vitamin A, or Vitamin C, Vitamin B2 or riboflavin. These are important for the normal growth of a person. These are mostly found in vegetables and fruits.
- Chicken- Chicken is one of the highest sources of proteins among other animal foods. In fact, it offers a greater amount of proteins to the body for building strong muscles and tissues.