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Height plays an important role in how we feel about ourselves — it often boosts confidence and presence.Although our genes play a major role in determining our height, other elements that affect our growth potential include our lifestyle, posture, food, and hormones. Many people think that height cannot increase after a certain age, and this is partially true—natural height gain is difficult once our bones’ growth plates close.You may maximize your natural height while the growth plates are still open, though, by leading a healthy lifestyle. You may promote development and even enhance your body alignment to look taller, more self-assured, and healthier by combining exercise, yoga, stretching, and good posture with the right diet.

How do genetics play an important role in determining a person’s height ?

Although our genes play a major role in height, our lifestyle decisions can have an impact on our developmental potential..

• As 60% to 80% of a person’s eventual height is determined by genetics, children typically have heights that are comparable to those of their parents.
• The remaining 20% to 40% of height is determined by lifestyle and environmental factors, such as hormones, sleep patterns, diet, and general health.

How genetics influence height

Polygenic inheritance: Height is a “polygenic trait,” which means that a large number of genes, each with a minor impact, work together to influence it.Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have actually found more than 12,000 genetic variations linked to height.

Genetic disorders: Rarely, just one gene change can result in disorders like gigantism (excessive growth) or achondroplasia (low stature) that significantly impact height.

Why do many people believe that height doesn’t increase after a certain age?

Yes, it is accurate to say that after a certain age, height does not increase.After a certain age, the growth plates in your bones close, which is the main reason why your height does not increase.

• Growth plates: Growth plates, sometimes referred to as epiphyseal plates, are cartilage patches found close to the ends of your long bones. These plates are active during the teenage years, generating new bone tissue that causes the bones to grow longer.
• Hormonal changes: During puberty, the growth plates undergo ossification, a process in which a rise in the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen causes the plates to stiffen and fuse.
• Plate closure: Any additional height gain is impossible once the growth plates are closed, preventing the long bones from growing longer. This process ends for the maority of people in their late teens. Usually, the growth plates close between the ages of 13 and 15 for females and 18 and 21 for men.

Can height increase naturally after puberty

Since the growth plates at the ends of the long bones close when growth is finished, it is not possible to grow taller beyond puberty.

• During the final stages of puberty, which usually occur between the ages of 14 and 17, these plates fuse and solidify into bone.
• Your bones cannot get longer after the growth plates have closed, no matter how much you stretch, exercise, or eat.

How to increase height naturally before the growth plates close

The body can continue to grow naturally until the growth plates close. Reaching your greatest natural height potential is made possible by proper nutrition, yoga, stretching, sleep, and sunlight, all of which help to strengthen bones, improve posture, and boost growth hormones.

Proper Nutrition for Increasing height :

1. Higher Protein

• It promotes the growth and repair of bones, muscles, and other tissue.
• Eggs, fish, lean chicken, lentils, beans, chickpeas, soy, milk, and dairy products are some of the sources.

2. Calcium

• Necessary for the structure, strength, and growth of bones.
• Sources include tofu, sesame seeds, paneer, cheese, yogurt, milk, and green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale.

3. Vitamin D

• It promotes healthy bones, calcium absorption, and overall growth.
• Sources include fatty fish (salmon, sardines), eggs, fortified milk, sunlight (the primary source), and mushrooms.
• Advice: Promote 10–20 minutes of sun exposure each day.

4. Zinc

• Zinc is necessary for cell development and growth hormone activity.
• Sources include cashews, chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, eggs, red meat, and whole grains.

5. Both phosphorus and magnesium

• Encourage mineralization and bone development.
• Sources include dairy, legumes, green vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.

6. Vitamin A

• Essential for bone health and the growth of cells.
• Sources include spinach, papaya, sweet potatoes, mangos, pumpkins, and carrots.

7. Other Micronutrients That Support Height

• Iron: lean meats, beans, brown rice, and spinach.
• Vitamin K: green leafy veggies, broccoli, and cabbage.

Yoga

1. Tadasana

This is one of the best yoga poses for height gain since it fully lengthens and straightens your spinal cord and releases the hormones that cause height gain.

How to perform

• Place your feet a few inches apart as you stand.
• Turn your wrists outwards, interlock your fingers, and hold your hands out in front of you.
• Take a breath and raise your arms above your head.
• Balance on your toes and lift your heels off the ground.
• Hold this posture for ten to fifteen seconds.
• Exhale now and bring your heels back down to the floor.
• Return your fingers to your sides after unlocking them.

2 . Cobra Pose

This height-increasing yoga pose reduces the strain on your spine. By correcting bad posture, this makes you appear taller.

How to perform

• Maintain a straight posture with your feet turned back while lying on your stomach.
• Your hands should be flat on the floor in front of your chest.
• Breathe deeply, then progressively raise your chest while maintaining a grounded lower body.
• Keep your shoulders loose and your head slightly up; avoid bending your neck too much.
• Breath normally while holding this position for 15 to 30 seconds.
• Exhale slowly and lower your chest again.

3. Forward Bend While Seated

In along with stretching your calf muscles and spine, this yoga pose for height gain relieves tension between your vertebrae, making you appear taller.

How to perform

• Your legs should be straight out in front of you while you sit on the floor.
• Keep your feet straight up and your back straight.
• Breathe deeply, then lift your arms above your head.
• Try to reach your toes by bending forward slowly from your hips, not your waist, as you exhale.
• Go as much as you can without straining yourself while holding your ankles or feet.
• Breathe slowly while holding your head near to your knees for 20 to 30 seconds.
• Take another breath and slowly raise yourself back to a sitting posture.

4. Tree pose

One of the best yoga postures for height gain because it activates the pituitary gland, which secretes growth hormones.

How to perform

• Stand straight with your feet together and arms by your sides
• .Shift your weight onto your left leg and slowly lift your right foot off the ground.
• Place your right foot on your left inner thigh (or lower leg if that’s easier). Avoid placing it on the knee.
• Join your palms together in front of your chest in a prayer position.
• Focus your eyes on one point in front of you to help maintain balance.
• Take slow breaths and hold the pose for 20–30 seconds.
• Lower your leg gently and repeat the same steps on the other side.

Importance of Sleep

Sleep is essential for your body’s natural growth in height. Your body grows muscles, repairs tissues, and—most importantly—releases growth hormones that help in height gain when you get a good night’s sleep.

A substance known as Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is released by the pituitary gland during deep sleep, particularly during the slow-wave (deep) stage. This hormone promotes cell repair, strengthens the spine, and aids in the growth of your bones and muscles—all of which are critical for height gain.

Insufficient sleep lowers HGH levels, which may delay growth, particularly in adolescence. For this reason, it’s crucial to go to bed early and obtain 7 to 9 hours of good quality sleep each night so that your body can naturally grow and heal.

According to Researches

Since 2022, researchers have been examining the ways in which a person’s height can be influenced by their genes, medications, and natural practices prior to the closure of the growth plates in their bones. In 2023, research examined the potential of natural plant-based compounds, such as herbs and unique plant molecules, to promote bone cell growth. In another study, children who were shorter than average were given a medicine called recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH). The findings indicated that this medication might aid in height gain if physicians used it carefully. However, experts also point out that not all scientists concur with these results and that further study is required to determine whether it is entirely safe and beneficial over the long term.

The possibility of delaying the closure of growth plates to allow individuals to continue growing for an extended period of time was first investigated by some scientists in 2024. But this concept is still very new, and there is currently no safe or tested method for doing this. There is now no natural or medicinal approach that can ensure a gain in height, even if scientists are continuously learning more about height and growth. For this reason, it’s best to be wary of trusting any promises that promise guaranteed methods of becoming taller.

Exceptional case of Adan Rainer

The story of of Adam Rainer is genuinely unique in medical history.Adam, who was born in Austria in 1899, was regarded as being much shorter than his friends and classmates when he was little. By the time he was 21, he was actually just 4 feet 8 inches (142 cm) tall, making him a recognized “dwarf” according to medical standards.

But as Adam reached his early twenties, a very strange thing occurred: he began to grow quickly. His height increased dramatically over the following ten years, reaching approximately 7 feet 8 inches (234 cm) in height. This made Adam the only person in history to be both a giant and a dwarf in the same lifetime.

Because Adam had a tumor in his pituitary gland, a little organ in the brain that regulates growth, he experienced an unusual fluctuation in height. His body overproduced growth hormone as a result of the tumor, which caused his growth to occur suddenly and dramatically.

Conclusion :

In summary, a variety of factors, including hormones, nutrition, sleep, physical activity, and heredity, influence height growth. Science is still figuring out how our bodies can function to their fullest capacity, as evidenced by the modern research conducted after 2022 that looks for safe and natural ways to promote bone growth before the growth plates complete.