Vitamins that help you grow taller

by Maanasi Radhakrishnan

Don’t just blame your genes for your short stature!

Apart from your genetic structure, the right amount of nourishment and vitamins is also important in deciding your height. To stand tall, you need to ensure that your bones are healthy and strong. You need to make the most of your growth spurts and provide your body the nutrients it needs to keep growing. This can be ensured by maintaining a proper diet, balanced with all types of nutrients, including all essential vitamins and minerals. Yes, it’s not just one vitamin that helps your body grow. Instead, your body requires different vitamins and minerals in varying amounts for its proper development. The vitamins your body requires are vitamin B1, B2, D, C and minerals such as calcium and phosphorus.

Several studies suggest that eating food rich in just one vitamin will not result in you reaching your optimum height. So, it is important to consume a balanced diet to reach your genetic height potential and beyond. A balanced meal is bound to nourish your body with all the vitamins and minerals needed to shoot up vertically. Listed below are the vitamins and minerals needed by the body and their conjunction with growth.

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Vitamins to Grow Taller:

1. Vitamin D:

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This is the most important vitamin that contributes in making the bones strong and long. When a person does not get vitamin D in the required dosage, his bones and teeth become weak. Apart from sunlight, which is the major source of vitamin D, you can also increase its intake by including vitamin D rich foods in your diet such as milk, tomatoes, citrus fruits, potatoes and cauliflower. This will certainly enable you to achieve the height you are destined to reach genetically. Vitamin D also contributes in the growth of height by helping the body effectively absorb phosphorus and calcium that are important for the growth of the bones.

2. Vitamin B1:

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This vitamin to grow taller is helpful in promoting body growth. It also helps in regularizing the digestion process. Vitamin B1 contributes in maintaining a healthy heart and nervous system, which provide your organs with regular blood supply, enabling the body to grow. Some common sources of vitamin B1 are rice, peanuts, pork and soybeans.

3. Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin):

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Riboflavin is also known as vitamin B2. It is a crucial vitamin that helps in increasing height. It promotes the growth of bones, skin, hair, and nails. Foods rich in riboflavin include eggs, fish, milk, and green leafy vegetables.

4. Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid):

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This vitamin is also known as ascorbic acid that helps in strengthening the bones and teeth and promoting their growth. It is a rich antioxidant and prevents illness, thereby increasing the chances of the body to grow during young age. Rich sources of this vitamin are tomatoes, potatoes, citrus fruits and berries.

The above mentioned vitamins for growing taller are a must to include; however, just vitamins will not ensure that you grow to your maximum height. It is also important to include essential minerals in your diet such as calcium and phosphorus in order to reach your genetic height potential.

5. Calcium:

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Calcium is one of the most important minerals required by the body to speed up bone growth. The regular intake of calcium can increase the longevity and strength of your bones. The major sources of calcium are milk and other dairy products. It can also be obtained from other food sources such as collards, spinach, fortified soy products and turnip greens. Along with calcium, phosphorus too helps in promoting the growth of bones.

Age-wise Guidelines for Calcium Intake:

  • 1 to 3 years: 500 mg calcium
  • 4 to 8 years: 800 mg calcium
  • 9 to 18 years: 1300 mg calcium
  • 19 to 50 years and above: 1000 to 1200 mg calcium

Some of the richest sources of phosphorous include fish, peanuts, cola drinks and meat.

Please remember that just eating healthy will not make you grow taller. It is important to couple a balanced diet with a good exercise regimen to derive the maximum benefits of the food you eat. Encourage your children to indulge in sports such as aerobics, swimming, and cycling. These sports help in exercising all parts of the body, increasing the body’s metabolism and together contribute to increase in height.

These are really essential vitamins that help you grow taller.