[Source: lybrate.com]
I’ve grown up amongst one of many parents who urge their children to drink more milk because they believe drinking enough milk will help their children to grow. However, unlike their assumptions, height is said to be determined by more factors – genetics, sleep, exercise, and nutrition – than what they think.
My parents were partially right. Protein, which is commonly found in milk, cheese, yogurt, and eggs, helps with growing taller in the developmental years of one’s life. According to Health Eating, protein is a macronutrient that increases the level of growth hormone levels, which help bodies to grow taller. In addition, Vitamin D is produced when one is exposed to the sun. Because Vitamin D helps one to strengthen bones and muscles by absorbing calcium, spending more time outside and being active can help children to grow.
Depending on the gender and also the ethnicity of a person, he or she will reach their ultimate height at different developmental cycles. Typically, for females, their growth phase starts faster and ends faster than men. Therefore, it is common to see men still growing in college while this is unusual for women. When epiphyseal plates (also known as growth plates) close, this signifies that the bone will no longer grow from its cartilage. By visiting doctors, people can check if their epiphyseal plates are still growing to take advantage of following tips described in this article.
Moreover, sleep plays a significant role when regulating one’s height. Sleep is when the majority of growth hormones in one’s body is released; thus, when one does not receive the suggested amount of sleep, the body can stop releasing growth hormones. It is in stage 3 of one’s sleep that most of the growth hormones are released and these hormones restore the body of the stress that was accumulated throughout the day.
Although following these activities doesn’t guarantee one will grow taller, there are other benefits to them, such as straightening one’s posture, which would help he or she to appear taller than they normally do. In fact, human growth hormones are also released during exercise. For instance, health specialists recommend exercise like pilates and yoga because they are the most effective measure for correcting posture and the curvature of the spine and neck.
Height is also dependent on genetic factors. Data found by molecular biologist Chao-Qiang Lai show that the height is determined hereditarily: 60 to 80 percent of one’s height is determined by the height of our parents. Even if both parents are shorter than average, it is important to remember that height is just one part of your appearance.
Amy Yang, Grade 12
Academy of the Holy Angels
