Can we increase height regardless of age?
There are some people that claim to have increased height after 20 years. But is it possible ?
The major factors that can influence persons height are their genetics. This means that if your parents and cousins are tall you will most likely be tall .However, we have also seen some exceptions which means that there could be some other factors involved too. These factors are nutrition, hormones , activity level and any medical conditions associated during the development of the body.
Scientists say that DNA is the major factor and is responsible for about 80 % of persons height. An average human body grows in height till the age of 18 . The environmental factors during this period also affects a persons height.
Factors that affect height:
People grow fastest in the initial 9 months of their life. However, growth slows down until the age of age of 8.However, it is observed that after 8 years , the child grows at an average of 5.5 cm per year.
The height depends on growth hormone. The growth is secreted by the pituitary gland in the brain. This growth hormone will increase the height if present in sufficient amount. It facilitates the formation of bones until the age of 18 . If a large amount of growth factor is present in the body , it can lead to abnormally increase in height as well as the size of limbs . This is known as 'gigantism'. However if too little growth hormone is produced , very less height is increased through the ages. This can lead to 'dwarfism'.
In adolescence the height increases drastically . This sudden increase in height is known as 'growth spurt'. However , after this the height does not increase as fast and th person might stop growing.
In aging process, people lose height by an inch due to wear and tear of the bones.
These are some of the factors that determine a persons height:
DNA:
DNA is the major factor to increase height of an individual. it decides how tall a person can become.
Scientists have discovered about 700 genes that affect a persons growth plate and the amount of growth hormone.
Genes are transferred by the parents. Hence if you have short parents, you are most likely to be short.
Hormones :
Hormones are chemical messengers of the body. They are required for the timely an deficient working of all the organs. However, they also affect the way we look . Any disturbance in hormones can lead to disorders. In case of height they instruct the growth plate to increase height.
There are 3 major hormones that influence height and growth of the body:
Growth hormone:
They are produced by the pituitary. They influence the height increase. There are some children that have rare condition called as the Congenital growth hormone deficiency. In this , the child grows at an increasingly slower rate.
Thyroid hormone:
Thyroid hormone influences growth .
Sex hormones:
Sex hormones are estrogen, progesterone and testosterone . They are important for development of reproductive organs and secondary sexual characteristics.
Sex:
Males grow taller and for a longer time than females. On an average males are 5.5 in taller than females. Hence sex plays a major role to increase height.
How to increase height naturally?
Now , we have seen which factors affect height. If you are an adult you are unlikely to increase height. These tips and home remedies are essential to increase height in children below 18 years of age .
Eat a healthy balanced diet:
It is crucial that you are nourished during your growing years. This is because, the body needs nutrients to grow properly into a healthy adult. Therefore, diet of a child should not be neglected. During these years ,it is observed that there is increase in appetite of children . So, it is important to have healthy alternatives for satisfying constant hunger .
Your diet must include the following to increase height:
- Fresh fruits- avoid having packed juices as they contain a lot of sugar and preservatives. Make fresh juice.
- Fresh vegetables : Vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals .
- Whole grains
- Proteins: have legumes, meat and eggs to suffice the proteins demand of the body.
- Dairy: Milk contains calcium and a lot of proteins. It helps in muscle mass development .Other dairy products you can include are cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, buttermilk etc.
These are food you should avoid:
With increase in food technology , there are a lot of fast foods, packed foods and instant foods coming to the market. Teenagers and kids seem to get attracted to the colorful marketing of the food and taste. Although, these packed, instant foods have artificial flavors, a lot of preservatives, sodium and sometimes sugar in case of sweets. In addition they are fried in cheap oil. They contain a lot of trans fats and saturated fats.
If you have an underlying disorder which affects the density of bones ,you should increase the intake of calcium and vitamin D. Vitamin D helps in absorption of calcium by the body. Food that contains vitamin D are tuna, fortified milk, egg yolks.
Supplements:
Supplements to increase height should be taken under doctors guidance. thy should be taken in special conditions only. There is no synthetic medicine to increase height.
For example , if a child is suffering from a condition that affects the growth factor , he is advised to take supplements. Even if this is the case you should never take growth factor influencing hormones without doctor consultation.
Some adults with osteoporosis take vitamin D and calcium supplements.
Apart from these condition supplements should be strictly avoided.
There are some advertisements claiming to increase height , you should ignore them. This is because once your growth plates becomes fused you cannot increase height whatsoever.
Sleep right:
If you don't sleep for enough hours, it affects both your and physical health. Sleep wont affect your growth in adulthood .However it will affect your height if you don't sleep right during adolescence. This is because while you sleep ,body produces growth hormone. So , you should not be sleep deprived in adolescence ages. Sleeping right amount and for right time will increase height.
- At ages 0-3months: 14-17 hours of sleep
- At age 3-11 months: 12-17 hours of sleep
- Babies at ages 1-2 years: 11 to 14 hours
- Small children ages 3-5 years: 10 hours
- At the ages 6-13 : nine hours of sleep.
- At ages 14-17: 10 hours of sleep.
- Teenagers at ages 18-64 : 7-9 hours of sleep.
Physical activity:
Physical exercise keeps your mind and body active. It not only strengthens your body but also promotes GH production.
Children should focus more on the following exercises:
- Strength building exercise: Pushups, sit-ups, running .
- Flexibility producing exercises: yoga , stretching
- Aerobic activity: Skipping, jumping rope, bicycle riding.
If you exercise regularly, it can help to increase height. As an adult , exercise helps to keep you fit and reduces osteoporosis. This condition makes your bones brittle, and decreases bone density. This can cause shrinking of bones.
Good posture:
Sulking and bad posture can make you look shorter than you actually are. The back can curve in three places. If you slump or slouch, your back accommodates to this new posture. This creates an unappealing appearance and decreases your height than usual. Hence you should be mindful of how you stand ,sit and sleep . You can consult our doctor on incorporating ergonomics into your daily routine.
Yoga to increase height:
How to increase height naturally? Is it possible?
Yes ,yoga can increase your height naturally without any side effects. Yoga stretches your spine, lengthens your back and leg muscles naturally. It essentially improves your posture and increases your height. However, your height wont drastically increase. Yoga improves the posture and thus helps to increase height naturally. These are stretches to increase height.
Yoga relaxes and reduces stress . By practicing these yoga poses you can increase height naturally:
Cobra pose:
- Strengthens the back and spine.
- Makes your spine flexible.
- You can achieve good posture with this pose.
- Stretches the shoulder muscles ,chest and abdominal region. Hence flushes out stress.
- Lying down body twist:
- Stretches and tones the neck and abdominal muscles of the body.
- Enhances muscle tone and protracts the muscles of lower back and hips.
- Supple up the spine.
Tree pose:
In this pose you stand on your one leg . It essentially .strengthens and lengthens the spine. Improves the posture, reduces sulking. Makes the breathing steady. It stretches the spine.
Cat stretch:
In this pose you stretch your back like a cat does when angry . This restores the curves of your spine if practiced regularly and gives good posture. Increases blood circulation and suffices the oxygen demand of the body.
Take away:
By practicing these easy techniques and yoga you can increase height naturally. Moreover, yoga poses an diet will help in maintaining healthy lifestyle . They will reduce stress and anxiety . It will also reduce stress .
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