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Let me guess: you thought that once puberty comes to an end, you’ll never, ever get taller.
Think again. Your (height) story isn’t written and done with just yet.
Indeed, it is possible to grow taller by eating healthy and intentionally consuming foods that are conducive to growth. You just need to eat the right foods, that include the proper vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to maximize your height.
First, let’s run through the types of nutrients that are essentials when it comes to foods that help you grow taller. Then, we’ll consider the actual foods to eat to become taller.
Let’s dive in.
Nutrients to look for
First and foremost, let’s acknowledge that human growth hormone is the most essential ingredient when it comes to maximizing height. Of course, HGH is produced by the body and can’t be found in any single food, but instead, your body’s production of HGH can be enhanced and encouraged based on your diet.
Calcium is an obvious nutrient to keep an eye out for; we’ve all heard from the time we were little kids that we need to drink milk to make our bones strong and help us grow.
Indeed, when it comes to what to eat to grow taller, anything with high levels of calcium is also high on that list. Milk is an excellent source of calcium, of course, but there are plenty of foods that also contain the micronutrient, including oatmeal and tofu and some fish, such as salmon.
Calcium not only makes your bones stronger but can assist in their growth, and even if you’re done with puberty, there’s no harm in making your bones stronger as you age. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to ingest as much calcium as you can.
Vitamin D is another critical component in foods that help you grow. Such foods that include high levels of vitamin D are cheese, egg yolks, and some fish, including salmon and tuna.
You can also ensure that your body gets plenty of vitamin D by absorbing sunlight for at least 20 minutes per day. Seriously, that’s all it takes to make sure that you are getting what you need to aid your body in maximizing its growth. So be sure to get outside on your lunch break or first thing in the morning to get as much daylight as you possibly can.
And, speaking of maximizing, an important step to make sure that your body is taking advantage of all of this calcium and vitamin D that you are taking in is also to consume plenty of magnesium. Magnesium assists in the processing of such micronutrients and help in the prevention of bone diseases, including osteoporosis.
Ensuring that your body is getting enough vitamin D, calcium, and magnesium is one big step to putting you in the best possible position to reach your maximum height.
Some other nutrients are also beneficial, although not as prominent as the three listed above. These include a variety of amino acids, as well as vitamin B12, vitamin A, vitamin K, and even vitamin C. Other nutrients that are important for a variety of health reasons but are also vital to bone health specifically include iron and zinc.
We’ve compiled a list of (mostly) everyday food items that include some combination of the above-listed vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. There are more, of course, but many of these options are ones that you may already come upon in your daily life, and it’s important to just make the transition to eat them more often and more regularly.
All that said, let’s get into our list of the best foods to consume if you’re wondering how to get taller after puberty.
Foods to consume
As a reminder, we’re looking first for any elements that could help the body produce more HGH, as well as the three micronutrients above: calcium, vitamin D, and magnesium.
- Oatmeal. As mentioned above, oatmeal includes plenty of calcium, which goes a long way towards strengthening your bones and encouraging their growth. It also provides fiber, which helps your body manage blood glucose levels, which in turn reduces cholesterol in the blood and assists in digestive system maintenance.
- Salmon. Another food mentioned above, salmon is a fantastic source of omega-3 fatty acids. Along with some other fatty fishes, such as tuna and mackerel, salmon helps with brain development and in the avoidance of heart disease, all while supplying your body with plenty of vitamin D.
- Soy milk. Soy milk includes vitamin B12, which helps your body produce healthy red blood cells that contain plenty of all-important oxygen. Of course, most dairy milk are going to include sufficient calcium, which as we’ve already established is vital to maximizing height and growth. It’s not a bad idea to add both soy and dairy milk in your diet.
- Eggs. Eggs include vitamin A, an important but perhaps not as well known of a nutrient for bone growth. In addition to helping in the growth category, vitamin A is also fantastic for healthy eyesight.
- Bananas. We haven’t mentioned potassium as of yet, but it’s a supremely essential nutrient that you need plenty of for several reasons, from minimizing the risks of heart and kidney disease as well as enhancing metabolism and encouraging muscle and bone growth. Which, of course, can lead to you reaching your maximum height, too.
- Oranges. Another fruit, another vitamin. Vitamin C is prevalent in many fruits, including oranges. It helps with cell repair and immune system strengthening, and also helps with cell growth.
- Pineapples. Believe it or not, eating pineapples might help you sleep. Fall asleep faster, sleep sounder, and sleep for longer and you’re well on your way to enhancing your body’s production of human growth hormone. Plus you merely grow taller when you sleep, anyway. So, what are you waiting for?
Let’s get tropical. - Avocado. That avocado toast might help you maximize your height, believe it or not. Indeed, avocados include healthy fats, and similar to fish such as salmon and tuna that we already highlighted, these rats can help reduce bad cholesterol in your body. As a bonus, it can also help prevent osteoarthritis.
- Mushrooms. Ever heard of beta and alpha glucans and ergothioneine? No? Well, they’re important nutrients that help with an immune system boost — the latter of which can only be found in mushrooms.
- Spinach. Spinach is healthy for many reasons. For instance, it’s an excellent source for vitamin K, which is an essential nutrient when it comes to bone health. You’ll also find zinc and iron, which accomplish similar goals as vitamin K.White beans. Iron is vital when it comes to bone health, as well as your body’s blood and hemoglobin production. White beans, among plenty of other delicious foods, are a great source of iron.
- Pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin flavored stuff isn’t just for fall — not if you want to give yourself every possible chance to grow taller, that is. Find pumpkin seeds at your local grocery store and enjoy benefits such as zinc, which promotes cell growth, and assistance when it comes to sleeping at night. Again, a better night’s sleep equals more HGH production and maximum decompression for your bones.
- Raisins. You’ll find plenty of L-arginine, an essential amino acid, in raisins. As mentioned earlier, L-arginine is important in your body’s production of HGH. Raisins are a great snack and are easy to travel with. Try them instead of crackers or fruit snacks that might be high in sugar.
- Tofu. Tofu has eight (8!) essential amino acids included that will help encourage your body’s growth. Plus, you’ll find plenty of iron in tofu, too. So … tofu it is, I guess.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, it’s simply most important that you focus on eating the right foods. And not just eating the right foods occasionally and feeling good about it, but eating the right foods every day.
Of course, the easiest way to grow taller is to eat some combination of the above food and consume plenty of the essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients while you’re still going through puberty. But even if you are past that point, these foods will only help you maximize your height.
Indeed, growing taller after puberty starts with eating right and not eating junk foods that could stunt any potential growth and fill you up so there is less room for the good stuff. Growing taller after 18 is certainly possible; you just need to be intentional when it comes to what you’re putting into your body.
That said, you’ll need to make sure that you aren’t overeating, if the foods your consuming are legitimately healthy foods packed with nutrients. Especially is you’re trying to grow taller after puberty, your metabolism has likely slowed down to the point that you want to be sure that you aren’t overeating.
So, if you’re asking yourself “can you grow taller after puberty?”, than you’ve hopefully taken all of the above to heart and can go about changing your diet for the better.