4 Natural Ways to Increase Height in Kids
Though growth is ultimately limited by genetics, height is deeply effected by habits and environment. Here are some strategies to ensure that your child is able to reach their full potential while their bodies are developing.
•Sleep
Just ask anyone who works out regularly and they’ll tell you, good sleep is essential for growth. When you sleep your body naturally produces Human Growth Hormone, or HGH, which is the catalyst for all growth in the human body. Kids should have between eight and 11 hours of sleep to reach their optimum height; any less and they’ll be risking stunted growth. Good strategies for getting good sleep include sleeping in a completely dark room, drinking chamomile tea before bed, and staying away from bright lights and screens at least two hours before bed.
•Nutrition
A balanced diet is essential for growth. Make sure the child is eating lots of whole foods that are nutrient rich like kale, sweet potatoes, blueberries and beef liver. Pay special attention to protein, which is in nuts, seeds and meat. Some doctors suggest eating a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. Along with protein, vitamin d helps booth HGH, and it can be found in abundance in sunlight and in mushrooms. Calcium is essential for bone growth and it can be found in spinach and kale. Make sure to consume calcium and vitamin d together, since research shows that vitamin d makes calcium more bioavailable.
•Exercise
As long as they are not overtraining, exercise and sports will help kids grow. When the body is active it needs more calories, which means that they’ll be able to give the body more nutrients, and nutrients are the body’s building blocks. If your kid is really serious about growing, yoga has been shown to help elongate the spine and increase height. In addition to spinal elongation, yoga will also help with stress, which can seriously stunt a child’s growth.
•Avoid Stunted Growth
As I mentioned above, you’ll want to help you kids deal with and avoid stress. Another thing to avoid is anabolic steroids, which have been shown to slow the growth of bones in children. Children who use inhalers with steroids are usually a half and inch shorter than their peers. While caffeine will not stunt growth, drinking caffeine after noon will help keep kids awake at night and will have a negative effect on their growth.