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Milk and Height: What’s the Link?
What Determines Height
What Makes You Grow Taller?
Dairy milk is rich in nutrients linked to growth, but will drinking milk make you taller? The answer is it depends.
If you haven’t been getting all the nutrients you need from your diet, drinking more milk could give you a slight boost. However, if you already have a balanced diet, drinking more milk will likely not make you taller. And once you get throughpuberty, you stop gaining height.
The biggest factor in height is yourgenetics. But as long as you’re still growing, some things may affect your height.
This article covers the links between milk and height, nutrition, and other factors that affect growth and development.
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Milk contains insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), which plays a major role in growth and development.It’s also rich in othermicro- andmacronutrientsthat affect growth, such as:CalciumProteinVitamin DVitamin AZinc
Milk contains insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), which plays a major role in growth and development.It’s also rich in othermicro- andmacronutrientsthat affect growth, such as:
In Children and Teens
Do growing children need milk? Many nutrients in cow’s milk are related to growth and development. However, studies on whether consuming milk or milk products affects growth during childhood and puberty have reported mixed results.
Research suggests that drinking milk increases height and a lower probability ofstunted growth. However, other factors, such as overall diet,malnutrition, and access to healthcare, may play a role in some study findings.
Children and teens need nutrients like protein, calcium, and vitamin D to grow strong and healthy. You can get them from milk or other sources.
A healthcare provider can address your concerns about your child’s growth.
What About Adults?
You stop growing after puberty, so drinking milk won’t help you grow taller once you’re an adult. Among its other benefits, calcium is good for your bones and may help preventosteoporosis, a condition in which you lose bone mass and density. Over time, you can lose height due to bone compression.
Most adults need 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day.Milk can help you meet your calcium needs, but it isn’t the only way to get there. You can get calcium, vitamin D, and other nutrients from various foods. A healthcare provider may recommend dietary supplements if you have osteoporosis orosteopenia, a precursor to osteoporosis.
One of the main factors in determining height is beyond your control. As much as 80%of a person’s height has to do withDNA, with more than 700 gene variants playing a direct or indirect role. During gestation, factors such as maternal nutrition,smokingstatus, and exposure to hazardous substances can affect the child’s growth.
Other factors that affect height throughout childhood and adolescence include:
A Word From VerywellWhile genetics play a role, certain nutrients, like protein, are vital for growth. Getting enough of these nutrients during childhood can help you meet your full height potential. Foods high in protein include lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, and legumes.—ALLISON HERRIES, RDN, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
A Word From Verywell
While genetics play a role, certain nutrients, like protein, are vital for growth. Getting enough of these nutrients during childhood can help you meet your full height potential. Foods high in protein include lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, and legumes.—ALLISON HERRIES, RDN, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
While genetics play a role, certain nutrients, like protein, are vital for growth. Getting enough of these nutrients during childhood can help you meet your full height potential. Foods high in protein include lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, and legumes.
—ALLISON HERRIES, RDN, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
You can’t do anything to override your genetics. But while you’re still growing, there are a few things you can do to make sure you reach your full growth potential.
Get Enough Sleep
Your body releases growth hormones while yousleep. Missing a good night’s sleep on occasion won’t affect your growth. However, over the long term, insufficient sleep suppresses growth hormones, which can affect growth.
Children between 6 and 12 should get around 9-12 hours of sleep every night. Teens aged 13 to 18 years should aim for 8-10 hours.
Exercise
Physical activity during childhood and adolescence may influence the growth of muscle, bone, and body fat (adipose tissue).
Children and teens ages 6 through 17 should get one hour or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical exercise daily. This should include a mixture ofaerobics, muscle-strengthening activities, and bone-strengthening exercises.
Eat a Balanced Diet
A healthy eating pattern for those aged two and older should include:
It’s also best to limit calories from solid fats and added sugars.
Milk Serving Size in Different Age Groups
Although water can provide all the hydration needed to live,milk offers nutrients essential to healthy growth and development. Experts recommend:
For adults and children 9 or older, the recommended milk intake (or other dairy products such as cheese and yogurt) is 3-8 oz servings per day.
How much milk you need depends on the overall quality of your diet. If you already have a high-quality diet, drinking more milk may not be helpful. You likely get enough of the same nutrients from other foods. For example, you can get plenty of calcium in foods such as:
Summary
The biggest factor in height is genetics. But it takes good nutrition throughout childhood and adolescence to reach your full height potential. Milk is a powerhouse of nutrients essential for growth and development. If you’re malnourished or can’t maintain a balanced diet, drinking more milk may help you gain height. Other factors that can affect growth are getting enough sleep and exercising regularly.
But if you already have a nutritious diet, drinking more milk probably won’t help you grow taller. And once you reach adulthood, you’ve reached your full height. Speak with a healthcare provider if you have questions about growth and development.
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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