Often people are curious about how to increase their height or how to grow taller. This question has often found a place in various discussion forums. Increasing your height after 18 can be quite tricky – because 18-20 is the age when humans attain their final height.
However, many people want to grow taller after 18. Is it possible to add a few inches to your height after this ripe age? Here is a list of these factors and their effect on humans:
Factors on how to increase Height After 18
There are a variety of factors that are responsible for an increase in height in humans. Here is a list of these factors and their effect on humans:
Hormones
Three hormones in the human body influence an increase in our height. The hormones are:
- Growth hormone (GH)
- Sex hormones(progesterone and estrogen)
- Thyroid hormone
All these hormones are responsible to determine the height of a person. Deficiency in these hormones may cause inhibited growth and thus your height doesn’t increase.
The deficiency of both GH and thyroid hormones stops the growth at an early age. Similarly, the deficiency of sex hormones stops growth during puberty.
Note: Interestingly, your hormones are also determined by the genes you carry and if they are functional at the right time.
Genes
According to Genetics Home Research, (NIH, USA), 80% of your height is determined by the DNA sequence (or 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.
Nutrition And Exercise
What you eat during your growing age and physical activity also help determine your final height. If there is a lack of nutrition in your diet then you may undergo nutritional growth retardation. In this case, the cells of the body show retarded growth to compensate for the lack of nutrition.
Moreover, the height is also influenced by the nutrition that the mother gets during her pregnancy. The adult height of the child can be improved by taking supplements of iron and calcium during pregnancy.
Along with nutrition, the child who is physically active in his or her growing age is likely to be taller. By remaining physically active in the growing age helps improve bone density and height.
What is HGH?
HGH is an anabolic 191-amino acid, single-chain polypeptide hormone that is synthesized, stored, and secreted by somatotropic cells of the pituitary gland in your brain. In English – It’s a hormone, produced in the brain that helps you grow!
It stimulates bone and muscle tissue growth through the metabolism of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. It is also a strong regulator of immune function among other physiological processes.
In childhood and adolescence, HGH is essential in promoting growth in height. In adulthood, it’s responsible for a number of maintenance tasks in your body including:
- Keeping your body lean and reducing fat accumulation.
- Strengthening your bones.
- Protecting your organs from age-related depreciation.
- Promoting more rapid hair and nail growth.
- Improving circulation.
- Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels.
Why should you focus on how to grow taller fast at 12?
Puberty is a vital stage that both boys and girls typically go through a significant growth spurt with dramatic changes in physical development, turning young children into mature teens and then adults along the time. This occurs at different ages for each gender.
For girls, puberty begins around age 10, along with breast development and menstruation. Their height growth usually reaches its peak by about 2 years after puberty began, which is 12 on average. Because their growth spurts start sooner, girls usually stop growing or grow slowly at around 16
Boys begin their puberty around 2 years later than girls, usually at the age of 12 -13. They start with a deeper voice and facial hair and tend to surge their growth at 12 to 15 years old. Most boys will continue to develop their muscles and growth until 18 years old.
Which 10 foods increase Height?
1. Milk
Milk is loaded with calcium that can surge up your height and also aids in strengthening your bones. For a good height, the body needs to have healthy and strong bones. With good bone health, one can achieve a good height rapidly.
2. Eggs
Eggs are a good source of nutrients for growth and child development. They contain a wide variety of nutrients, including vitamins, phosphorus, and protein. An average-sized egg contains 6-7 grams of protein.
According to a 6-month study in Ecuador, an egg a day helps children grow taller when introduced early into a child’s diet.
Eggs have gotten a bad reputation because the egg yolks are high in cholesterol. But studies have shown that egg consumption has no or little effect on total or “bad” LDL-cholesterol levels. Eating up to 3 whole eggs is regarded as safe for healthy people.
3. Beans
Soybean is yet another nutritious food that provides a boost to your height when consumed on a daily basis. Soybean is a rich source of proteins, folate, vitamins, fiber, and carbohydrates which makes it a complete food for improving overall health. The protein present in soybean also improves bone and tissue mass and density which is necessary for increasing height.
One should try to consume 50 to 55 grams of soybean every day. You can include baked or boiled soybeans in your salads, rice, and other recipes. You can also consume other soy products like soy milk and tofu.
4. Fish
Fish is another non-vegetarian food that can be consumed in order to increase height. It is rich in proteins and vitamin D. Salmon is a fish that contains fatty acids (a type of heart-healthy fat) that’s crucial for growth and development. Tuna fish contains high quality of protein which helps to build muscle mass. Carp fish and Loach fish are also good for height growth.
5. Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables not only aid height growth but also helps in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. They are rich in vitamins, fiber, potassium, and folates. Your diet should be a good mix of fruits like cantaloupes, grapefruit, papaya, mango, passion fruit, watermelon, and apricots; and vegetables like carrots, peas, pumpkin, broccoli, spinach, cabbages, sweet potato, etc. These fruits and vegetables are abundant in vitamin A. Citrus fruits, berries, potatoes, and tomatoes give you vitamin C required for the healthy growth of bones and thus contribute to the growth of height.
6. Oatmeal
Oats contain carbohydrates, sugar, fat, protein, minerals, and vitamins. Oat contains plant protein which helps in increasing muscle mass. Experts believe that 50 grams of oatmeal must be included in the daily diet (better if taken in breakfast).
7. Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are also great foods to give your kid when he is growing. They are rich in essential minerals and vitamins as well as healthy fats and amino acids, which are vital for growth. You can add them to breakfast cereals or other breakfast preparations or give these to your child as a snack.
8. Leafy Green Vegetables
One of the best foods to increase height is fresh leafy green vegetables, which contain all the essential minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates, and dietary fibers required to stimulate growth hormones in the body which in turn helps in boosting your height.
Some of the green vegetables that must be consumed for increasing height are spinach, collard greens, broccoli, peas, Brussels sprouts, okra, etc.
9. Chicken
Chicken is also high in protein just like eggs; in fact, it is one of the highest protein-content items among animal-based foods. Chicken helps in building your child’s tissues and muscles which, in turn, helps him grow taller.
10. Banana
Rich in potassium, manganese, and calcium, the humble banana is a simple fruit that can really help in boosting your child’s health.
8 Best Exercises To Increase Height
1. Swimming
When it comes to height-increasing exercises, nothing can beat the benefits of swimming. It is a simple, refreshing, and low-impact cardio exercise that stretches almost all parts of the body and helps in increasing your height. It is also one of the best cardio workouts to lose weight. Swimming not only improves the flexibility in our body but also stimulates the cells within. It helps in stimulating every muscle. This stimulation helps in increasing the height naturally.
2. Hanging Exercises
Hanging exercise is one of the best height increase exercises. This is a simple and fun exercise for height increase that shows results quickly. Hanging exercises can be done anywhere, and they provide a great challenge to the body. It might be tough in the starting, but you will get the hang of it with practice. This results in increasing the height by 1 to 2 inches, but not instantly.
3. Toe Touching
This is a simple exercise and you just have to stand straight and then bend downwards towards your knees. Make sure that you do not fold your knees. Stay in this position for 5 seconds and return to the starting position. Repeat this stretch 15 times. It is the easiest and most effective exercise to increase your height.
4. Skipping Rope
During jumping ropes, the spine and calf muscles experience stretching due to the forceful lifting of the feet from the ground. Jumping ropes also increase blood supply to the bones and increases bone density, and it also stimulates the growth hormones.
5. Cycling
Cycling is a strenuous workout for your legs, which helps muscles become more flexible and increases blood circulation, thereby helping you increase your height.
6. Table Top
This is an effective but slightly difficult exercise for height increase, and it requires a lot of practice to do perfectly. But this stretching exercise works wonders for increasing height. It also helps in firming the back muscles and spine.
7. Forward Spine Stretch
Sit up straight on a mat with your feet in front. Your legs should be extended about shoulder-width apart and your feet should be flexed. Inhale and extend your arms out in front of you. While doing so, bend forward and try to touch the tips of your toes.
Also read: Benefits Of Drinking Water: How Much Water Should You Drink?
8. Cobra Pose
It is one of the best yoga poses to increase height naturally. Cobra’s pose begins with lying on your tummy and slowly lifting up your upper body as if opening the can of beer. The positing and shifting should be very smooth. Bend as much as the tensile strength of your body permits and this will enhance the growing capabilities of your body cells.