How to Grow Taller

The height reflects and affects any person’s looks and makes him/her attractive. You are all on the hunt for methods and means to find most appropriate ways to know how to grow taller than your present height. Technically, considering that you are a teenager or young adult and worried about how tall you may grow at later ages of your life, your height can easily be predicted. By taking into account the height of both of your parents and adopting the following formula, you can anticipate how tall you may grow at a mature age. It works like this:

Taking your father’s height + your mother’s height, divide the sum height by two. Adding 3” (7.62cm) to the figure will give a probable height in inches if you are a boy or male adult. In case of girls or female adults, deduct 2” (5.08cm) from the added figure to reach a possible future height in inches. This method of determining how taller you can get is formulated by research endocrinologists.

Why is it your concern as an adult to find how tall you can grow or if there are ways on how to grow taller? Although there are known standard ages for each bone responsible for your height building, one must keep in mind variations do exist from childhood, teenage and adulthood. These flexible parameters provide you options on how to grow taller if you are shorter than your peers. As you look around, you may find individuals taller than yourself. That should not be a worry. There are combination of steps on how to grow taller and to attain improved height and a more impressive personality.

Growth Rate Throughout The Years

How fast or slow we grow from our birth till our adulthood is something that varies from individual to individual but a general set of rules for it can be drawn out. 

During the first year, a baby grows 25-8cm a year, in declining order. Between the first and second year, he/she grows four inches a year. From 2-4 years, a toddler’s height grows an average of three inches a year. During the ages of 4-10, a child grows an average of 2.2 inches a year. Following this trend, preteen girls grow 2.2 inches a year whereas the boys grow 1.9 inches/year. After puberty, girls grow 3.33 inches/year whereas boys’ height shoots up to an average of 3.75 inches per year. By the time women reach their early 20s and men their mid 20s, the increase in height stops.

As we settle well into adulthood, our height also starts shrinking. Research shows that men lose an inch, and women two inches, as early as the age of 30 till the age of 70. It is likely that they might lose yet another inch of their after post-80. The causes for this are shown to be sarcopenia (decrease in muscle mass) and osteoporosis.

Bones That Determine How to Grow Taller

The two major bones responsible for making you taller are femur and tibia, present in your lower limbs. The ends of both these bones (epiphysis) are soft cartilages (elastic tissues in bones) which grow in center to give more length to each long bone. As the cartilage becomes harder, the bone elongates and makes you taller. This increase in length in both long bones and most of the other bones completes and stops between ages of 17-25. Their speed of maturity determines how taller you grow. Generally the end of femur becomes solid bone from plastic cartilage tissue between age 18-22 years in both males and females. Similarly tibia or the shin bone stops growing between ages of 18-23 years. This data provides options for taking all measures on how to grow taller.

Your vertebral column keeps growing till after limbs stop growing. The first peak of spinal vertebral length increase takes place at 8.5 years. In male it is 61mm, whereas in females it is 63mm. It further gains length of 42mm (for males) and 31mm (females) at 12.5 and 11.5 years respectively (research on Taiwanese population). Howell et.al indicated 14mm of increase in spinal length even after skeletal maturity.

Your 22 skull bones grow in circumference by adding one layer on the outer layer. Meanwhile there is resorption of inner layers in the skull cranium. This enables the skull cavity to accommodate a growing brain.

All the bones of your skeletal structure mature by 22 years. But most young male and female adults reach peak bone mass till the age of 30 years, where peak bone mass is the maximum bone size and strength. During the growth spurt this happens at the speediest rate of height development.

Organ System Monitoring on How to Grow Taller

The primary influences on your height and general growth build-up are following:

Growth hormone, which is secreted from the pituitary gland located in your brain. The pituitary gland produces GH when it gets the stimulus from adjacent brain. The mechanism of its release is found to be influenced by sudden lowering of sugar level in blood. Major functions of GH are building protein in muscles and enhancing osteoblast and chondrocyte formation in your bones, thereby playing major role in how to grow taller. GH also helps retaining calcium in bones, which is important for increase in their strength and length.

Thyroid hormone is produced by thyroid glands located in your neck. Its main roles are to increase metabolic rate, induce protein synthesis and enhance the growth of long bones along with GH.

Sex hormones are very important for stimulating your bones as to how to grow taller. Testosterone, from testis brings major changes in male organ, skin of face, bones and cartilage in your body, particularly of shoulders. Female hormone estrogen secreted from ovaries, enhances breast, vaginal and uterine growth. It also stimulates hip bones development. The phase of rapid bone development in females, called growth spurt, is influenced by androgen secreted by adrenal glands. It acts in same way for both male and female.

Parathyroid hormone produced by parathyroid glands in your neck helps in regulating deposition of calcium in bone matrix, thereby giving strength. It is also a key substance in converting inactive vitamin D to its active form.

Physical Adaptation to Different Conditions

When we speak about how to grow taller, broken bone repair is also a vital issue. There is an inflammatory reaction followed by soft callus formation during the initial two weeks. With this, the gap between two broken ends is filled which later gives place to hard callus formation. The hard callus formation with restoration of original woven bone structure completes in 12 weeks. The primary bone developing cells, which are laid at the damaged area, are osteoblasts.

There are also the chondroblasts, which form new cartilage. So when a bone breaks, your body has already started repairing it naturally with the help of these cells. This healing process is influenced by the parathyroid hormone.

Physician’s Guidance on How to Grow Taller

Your healthcare provider may have plenty answers on height issues. The history and physical examination he conducts can reveal the speed and rate of your bone growth. If it is found that your short stature is associated with some defects in the major bones of your body (such as arms and lower limbs), a number of lab tests should be undertaken.

X-ray of bones, usually of left arm and wrist to reveal any disparity in your chronological age and bone age.

Complete blood count may point towards your anemic state. Low serum calcium may occur in glucocorticoid deficiency. ESR for excluding Crohn’s disease and Juvenile arthritis.

Most important indicator in your quest of how to grow taller is GH (growth hormone) profile. In conjunction, glucagon hormone check may be done as a confirmatory test for GH. Other hormones such as thyroid stimulating hormone, testosterone, follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) and prolactin will evaluate functions of target organs responsible for your skeletal growth and overall development.

Bone-mass index or bone density test will clearly indicate an adult or teenager having chronic nutritional deficiency, puberty delay, stunting growth.

LH and FSH(luteinizing hormone/follicular stimulating hormones) level may indicate primary ovarian failure in female or secondary to mumps or testicular trauma.

Major Concerns on How to Grow Taller

Your height determines so many issues in your life. From attending school and college to career and matrimony, how tall you grow and look when reaching at maturity of growth has significant bearing. Sex, genes, general health status, nutrition, necessary vitamins and physical activities all play a role. With having consulted your healthcare provider, the conclusion will lead to steps on how to grow taller.

Genetics can easily predict how to grow taller to almost 70% accuracy, after you reach puberty. If both of your parents are taller than average, your chances of growing are 95%. That leaves variables which are affected by co-factors. Even if your parents are of shorter than average for height, you may still have better than fair chances of increasing your height. You can consider searching and applying methods and procedure as to how to grow taller.

Your nutrition during teenage and growing to adulthood plays a crucial role how to grow taller  The puberty or growth spurt period is the best time to attain peak bone mass. You should be aware that fresh fruit and vegetable intake goes a long way in maintaining optimum health and ideal growth level. Avoid sweets and fatty food during your quest on how to grow taller. An ample amount of protein is vital during bone growing years. Taking lean meat, egg white, fish oil and cheese on regular basis will assist in growth hormone functions. 

Physical Training, Key for How to Grow Taller

Walking, running and stretching exercises will make sure you attain maximum height during puberty and at later growing age. These are weight-bearing, which result in the increase in bone size and strength. Young teens and adults who indulge in team sports like soccer and basketball during their peak development ages can achieve better than average height. Maintain a good posture during sitting. Keeping your spinal column straight assists in lengthening vertebral bodies and gaining further height. They are all positive efforts on how to grow taller. Here, it is of some interest to mention the aggressive manual cervical vertebral lengthening done by women of Burmese tribes. They place brass rings in concentric pattern on their necks. It results in increasing cervical length to as much as 15-20”!

Hanging over a chin-up bar will greatly help you grow taller. Stretching your legs up and laterally will also boost your efforts. These exercises stretch your spine and joints to further lengths.

Sleeping well is an excellent way to grow taller. It not only improves circulation in your skeleton but enhances release of growth hormone.

Yoga exercises have marked effects for speedy height gain. Stretching and adopting different postures during yoga can play significant role in making you grow taller.

Swimming minimizes gravity compression on your spine, improves your circulation for growth hormone and thyroid hormone production. Both of these hormones are major substances in increasing your peak bone mass and size.

Factors Blocking Efforts of How to Grow Taller

Smoking is a negative influence, not only for lungs and heart, but for growing bones. A teenager smoking will have very low bone density than a non-smoker of similar age group.

Alcohol acts as a toxic substance for growing bones. It not only hampers nutrition but depletes calcium supply.

Caffeine in excess of more than three cups results in loss of bones. It also causes calcium loss in urine.

Vitamins and mineral keep you on path of how to grow taller
                             

Calcium: Ensures strong bones and reduces the risk of osteoporosis. This in turn lessens strain on the joints and saves them from inflammation. In the form of milk, its regular intake helps building important bones in your body. These strong bones will grow significantly and enhance your height to desired level.

Vitamin D: Also important for healthy bones and joints is vitamin D. It helps in calcium absorption and can be obtained naturally through sunlight exposure. Fortified cereals, mushrooms, fruit juices, salmon and mackerel are also good sources for this vitamin.

Vitamin K: Found in green leafy vegetables, it is fat-soluble and is used to convert bone protein matrix 'osteocalcin' from its inactive to its active form. It safeguards us from osteoarthritis by preventing the bones and cartilage from mineralization. Vitamin K also repairs damage caused by arthritis.

Vitamin C: Also known as ascorbic acid, vitamin C is crucial for the structural integrity of bones, tendons, blood vessels and ligaments. It forms collagen, which slows down the wear and tear of joints. Citrus fruits are high sources of vitamin C. Broccoli, strawberries, raspberries and red pepper also contain good amounts of this vitamin.

Vitamin B: Found in eggs, wheat germ, almonds, cottage cheese, bananas, soybeans, lean meats and fish, vitamin B is prerequisite for the proper functioning of joint.

Word of Advice on How to Grow Taller

Your personality is greatly influenced by your appearance. In that context, your height has major barring. You should keep one thing clear in your mind that even if odds of genes are against you, you still can gain height by adopting and altering certain environmental factors and lifestyle changes. Unless your healthcare provider finds some pathological reason or physiological imbalance in your hormones and nutritional values, rest assure you have an excellent chance of elevating your overall height.