People only understand the importance of their height when they are aware of it. This reasons why their biggest concern is growing taller within a week. Is it possible to improve your height within this brief period?

Physical growth is an accumulation of minute bone natural extensions over time. It is a result of a healthy diet, active habits, and restfulness. So it is impossible to grow tall significantly within a week. However, creating such a foundation will ensure effective growth.

Nutrient Diet

Nutrition has a crucial role in influencing your height. A healthy and nutritious diet can help boost your bone growth. So what does this diet consist of, and why is it necessary?

Calcium: This is the most vital mineral in strengthening and extending your bones. Calcium-rich foods include dairy products, green leafy vegetables, and bread that contains fortified flour. Though spinach is a high-calcium leafy green vegetable, it also has high amounts of oxalate, a chemical that prevents your body’s capability to absorb calcium.

Vitamin D: No matter how much your calcium intake for the day is, without this vitamin, your body will not be able to absorb it. It leads to a slowdown in height increment, bone weakening, bowed legs, and skeletal deformities. Vitamin D exists in raw white mushrooms, eggs, fortified milk, and certain fishes (sockeye salmon and rainbow trout).

Type 2 Collagen: This collagen protein is made of chains of amino acids such as glutamine, glycine, arginine, and proline. It helps build bone density, and strengthen cartilage and connective tissues. Cartilage locates at the ends of bones, and its elasticity supports joint movements. Type 2 collagen can be found in animal cartilage, joints, and supplements that come from concentrate broth powder.

Phosphorus: 85% of this mineral in your body is combined with calcium to fortify your bones and teeth. It not only prevents bone fracture but also boosts bone growth. Phosphoric acid and its salts are major buffing systems to all your body cells. Phosphorus also helps break down food and creates energy, ensuring your body can function properly.

Carbohydrates: They are the main source of energy for your body. Carbohydrates are responsible for the development of the nervous system and cell formation. It’s highly suggested to have complex carbohydrates in your diet as they contain more fiber. Complex carbohydrates include whole grains, fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, and beans.

Unsaturated fat: Unsaturated fat helps your body to absorb vital vitamins and minerals. Despite its indirect correlation to height growth, it prevents your body from obesity, which directly decreases your growth rates. Unsaturated fat is in olives, avocados, nuts, seeds, fatty fish, and certain oils (olive, canola, peanuts, safflower, corn, and soybean oils).

Vitamin A: This vitamin is found naturally in beta-carotene (orange and dark green fruits and vegetables) and retinol (meat, fish, fortified carbohydrates, and supplements). Vitamin A is a fat-soluble nutrient that influences osteoblasts and osteoclasts. These are bone-building cells and bone-breaking-down cells. Although higher amounts of vitamin A links to lower bone density, it is still crucial to your body’s growth, skin reform, immune system, and eyesight.

Vitamin C: This antioxidant holds a crucial role in boosting your immune system, as well as ensuring healthy skin and nails. It helps your body to focus its resources on growth and development instead of healing and surviving. Vitamin C also influences the body’s ability to absorb and store iron and can be found in citrus fruits, berries, cruciferous vegetables, bell peppers, and tomatoes.

Roles of water and milk

Besides all nutrients and minerals from food intake, water and milk hold solid roles in increasing height throughout your life.

Water: Water is the foundation of life. It is a vital element of any living organism. You can eat anything when you are hungry, but only water can quench your thirst. Water keeps your body hydrated, and solvents oxygen and nutrients. So how much water should you drink? There is no one-size-fits-all answer due to many factors such as gender, health, body weight, and height. It is best to consult with your doctor to determine your daily amount of water intake.

Milk: By containing calcium, phosphorus, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and protein, milk is essential for bone and muscle growth. After exercising, a glass of milk can help with the muscle healing process as it contains a decent amount of protein. Researchers suggest that you should not consume more than 16oz (500ml) of milk per day.

Why exercise is important

Staying active is a must if you want to have a strong and healthy physique. You can start anywhere, like jogging, running, playing any sports, and practicing yoga. Besides burning excessive calories, they increase your bone density and reinforce your muscles. Your epiphyseal plates are stimulated during these processes, creating healthier joints and room to grow taller. 

Maintaining an active lifestyle contributes to 20% of your increase in height since growth hormones are released more during workouts. It is highly recommended to exercise at least an hour per day before 8 am and after 4 pm, no matter your sport of choice. If you are a morning person, jogging outside helps you absorb more vitamin D, which is crucial for calcium absorption. If you prefer to work out after 4 pm, you will have less risk of injuries as joints and muscles have already warmed up throughout the day. In case you prefer to exercise in the evening, try not to exhaust yourself too much. Instead of doing cardio at night, try yoga instead.

Having a light snack before working out is a must. If you prefer having a full meal instead, make sure to rest for at least 30 minutes before exercising.

Sunlight – Natural free source of Vitamin D

Early sunlight is extraordinarily beneficial to not only your height but also your overall mental and physical well-being. Exposure to the sun at least 15 minutes before noon a day generates enough daily amount of vitamin D naturally, which helps absorb all the calcium you have for a taller and stronger body. 

Although excessive sunbathing can cause skin cancer, a moderate amount of sunlight can help reduce the possibility of colon cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, and Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It also decreases high blood pressure and strokes. There is a negative correlation between exposure to sunlight early in life and type 1 diabetes in patients.

Besides, enjoying early-morning sunlight also makes the brain release serotonin, a hormone that is responsible for boosting moods, clarity, focus, and calmness. According to researchers, UVB in sunlight pushes growth in the hippocampus, which is accountable for organizing and retaining memory.

Sleep

A high-quality night’s sleep is crucial for physical development. Growth hormones are released between 10 pm and 1 am every day. With this hormone, your body can grow fast and effectively. Your muscles, bones, and joints improve at night time. It is due to relaxation on your joints when you evenly distribute your weight horizontally, rather than vertically when sitting and standing. Sleeping posture can have a significant effect on your growth as well. Incorrect posture can put pressure on the wrong spot of the body.

It is vital to stay away from devices for at least 30 minutes and to not eat for 3 hours before sleep. Blue lights from electronic devices can affect your circadian rhythm, making it harder for you to fall asleep. Overeating before bed can spike your insulin and prevent the release of growth hormones.

A 15-20 minute nap is highly encouraged in the afternoon. Different age groups require different minimum sleeping hours. 

• 14-17 hours of sleep are required for infants less than 3 months old.
• 12-17 hours of sleep are required for infants from 3 to 11 months old.
• 11-14 hours of sleep are required for children from 1 to 2 years old.
• 10-13 hours of sleep are required for children from 3 to 5 years old.
• 9-11 hours of sleep are required for children from 6 to 13 years old.
• 8-10 hours of sleep are required for teenagers from 14 to 17 years old.
• 7-9 hours of sleep are required for adults from 18 to 64 years old.
• 7-8 hours of sleep are required for seniors 65 years old and above.

Correct posture is necessary

Maintaining a correct posture can help you improve your height. Another crucial benefit is preventing bone and spinal issues by evenly distributing your weight throughout the body. Slouch is common among everyone, especially children and adults. It is a bad habit that leads to preventable aches and injuries. If you currently have an incorrect posture, adjusting it might increase your height noticeably. Sleep posture is also necessary for physical development.

Clothing/hairstyle can cheat your way

Clothing: Choosing the right outfits for your body can lengthen your appearance and hide some of your flaws. If you have a skinny body and are not very tall, a straight bright color pair of pants and some boots can surely help you look better. If you are chubbier, wear clothes that are dark in color as long as it makes you comfortable. Too-tight clothing will give you a hard time moving around, while too-loose ones can be comfy but also clumsy.

Hairstyle: For all the ladies, you can surely bundle up your hair into a high ponytail for an event, either formal or casual. Similarly, for men, you can brush up your hair, or choose a man bun. These are only non-permanent hairstyles and are not the best options.

High heels/height-increasing shoes

One way to cheat your way to becoming immediately taller is to wear height-increasing shoes. For ladies, high heels consist of an endless variety to choose from. To gentlemen, you can squeeze some height-increasing insoles into your favorite shoes. However, this is only temporary and deceiving as the choice of clothing and not an official method of actually growing taller.

Roles of height-supporting supplements and fish oil

It is common to not be able to find all the necessary nutrients in your daily diet. It is where dietary supplements do their best. Height support supplements provide your body with all the nutrients and minerals for development. They also support daily activities and nights of sleep.

Height support supplements come in all shapes and sizes, from capsules to traditional and chewable tablets.

Additionally, fish oil supplements are rich in protein and fatty acids, which are crucial in bone development.

Say no to sugary treats and high-sodium food

Sweet treats can lead to obesity and type 2 diabetes, especially in children. Consuming too many sugary sweets or any type of junk food force your blood sugar level to spike abnormally, interrupting the usual insulin rate. It leads to unhealthy fluctuation in good and bad bacteria in your body and weakens the immune system. Obesity sabotages your joints as your body now puts lots of pressure on them. This tightening of the growth plates inhibits your growth ability. A high sugar level in the blood can also cause anxiety and stress. It’s best to stay away from high fructose corn syrup and white cane sugar.

High-sodium food also imbalances your body’s nutritional level. People with high-sodium diets are prone to high blood pressure, heart diseases, and bronchocele. Your teeth start to decay as consuming high amounts of salt pushes the calcium out of your body. But it doesn’t stop at the teeth, your bones start to weaken similarly also.

If you crave snacks, pick fresh fruits and vegetables instead of highly processed munchies. There is less sugar and more fiber in a carrot or an apple than in a piece of milk chocolate. They are also more filling by volume than milk chocolate alone.

An absolute NO to addictive substances

Addictive substances can have negative effects on your growth and development.

Caffeine: Sleep is crucial in physical development. If you let caffeine interfere with your sleep at night, your growth rate in life will slow down.

Nicotine: According to a study from Columbia University, nicotine and your physical and mental development are negatively correlated. The study conducted on twins found that those who did not smoke were taller than those who did.

Steroid: Although steroid supports muscle growth, it prohibits bone development. It explains why people that are on steroids have a bulky look. With more mass but a flimsy structure, this body type is more likely to face injury during exercise.

In summary

It takes time and effort over a long period to grow taller sustainably. So it’s impossible to increase your height genuinely within a weeklong period. If there are no noticeable changes within a week, be patient with the process. Maintaining an active, healthy lifestyle ensures you will get taller.