Is there a kind of food that makes you grow at any age or not?
Adults can count on so many different ways to grow taller even though the growth plates of their bones have already closed.
Some of the most popular of the bunch include stretching exercises and the law of attraction. There are also all kinds of supplements that are being sold these days, each one of them claiming to add several inches to the height of consumers.
Unfortunately, many of these products do not work. Some of them even contain questionable ingredients that can endanger the health of those who take them.
If you are an adult who is currently looking for ways to grow taller, fret not. You don’t really have to take any pill, tablet, tea, juice, or shake that claims to turn you into a taller individual overnight.
Did you know that there are several foods that you may include in your diet in order for you to go from short to tall?
Why these foods can impress is this: they encourage your pituitary gland to produce more growth hormones. By adding these foods to your diet on a regular basis, you can increase your height!
Why Is Food Choice Important For Height Increase?
Growth hormones, just like what the name says, are chemicals needed by your body for it to grow. That includes the size and length of your bones.
Growth hormones, according to scientists, are also important for repairing the vital organs as well as slowing down the aging process. Yes, growth hormones have anti-aging properties!
Needless to say, growth hormones offer many other benefits, aside from making a person taller.
Sadly, growth hormones manufactured by your pituitary gland decrease in amount as you grow older. This is why growth spurts can be observed mostly in babies, kids, and teens. Once people reach adulthood, growth spurts no longer happen as a result of a considerable drop in growth hormone levels.
Let’s get one very important thing straight: the pituitary gland never stops releasing growth hormones as these chemicals are constantly needed by your various cells and tissues for their proper functioning.
What happens is that you only end up with lesser growth hormones in your blood than when you were just a teen.
It’s a good thing that it is still very much possible for your pituitary gland to produce more growth hormones even if you are already in your 20’s, 30’s or older! This can be done in a couple of ways:
Intake of supplements
Many athletes and bodybuilders take supplements that promote an increase in the levels of growth hormones in the body.
Their goal is to have bigger muscles, which allow bodybuilders to look more awesome and athletes to perform so much better while training or competing.
But just like any other supplement available in the market, something that causes a boost in growth hormones comes with side effects and risks.
Some of them include joint and muscle pain, tingling sensations, swelling of various body parts due to fluid accumulation, and increased cholesterol, which is a risk factor for deadly heart disease, heart attack, and stroke!
Consumption of certain foods
There are foods that are scientifically proven to encourage the pituitary gland to produce more growth hormones than usual. This is true, no matter if they are consumed by children, adolescents, or adults.
Aside from the ability to increase growth hormones in the body, a lot of foods also provide nutrients essential for the bones to grow longer and stronger. It’s for this reason exactly why, even if you are completely happy with your height, you should regularly include these foods in your diet.
Doing so is essential for lowering your risk of osteoporosis, which is a bone disease that can increase your chances of having fractures and becoming shorter, too.
Who needs to take supplements when it’s possible to simply eat certain types of foods in order to boost the levels of growth hormones in your body? Foods that can help adults to enjoy height increase as a result of more growth hormones are regarded as healthy.
So, in other words, they are nothing like supplements that can put your health in some form of danger. What’s more, they won’t leave your pocket with a gigantic hole!
You are probably already excited to know which foods can make an adult like you grow taller. So without any more ado, here are
Foods That Increase Height in Adults
1. Goji Berries
Also sometimes called wolfberries, goji berries come from China. Just like many other berries on the face of the planet, they are considered superfoods. That’s because some of the amazing health benefits that goji berries offer are:
- Stronger immune system
- Reduced cancer risk
- Lowered risk of heart disease
- Optimized blood sugar
- Improved liver health
- Shaper vision
- Lowered anxiety and depression
As you can see, there are so many perks that you can enjoy for welcoming goji berries to your diet. You should definitely consume them regularly if you are an adult who is looking for ways to grow taller naturally. That’s because goji berries are loaded with amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein.
Everyone knows that protein is vital for building muscles. However, not a lot of people are aware of the fact that protein also helps to improve the production of hormones, and they include growth hormones.
2. Pineapples
Worry not if you cannot find goji berries at the local supermarket, and you don’t have the budget for them.
That’s because you may simply count on a fruit that can help you to become a taller person but is easier to purchase and more affordable than goji berries. It’s none other than a pineapple!
Scientists confirm that pineapples are capable of boosting the levels of serotonin and melatonin in your bloodstream. As a result of such, you are able to enjoy high-quality sleep for 7 to 9 hours.
Perhaps you have already heard from a friend or read on the web that sleeping is something that can make you taller. The reason for this is that it’s when you are asleep when your pituitary gland produces lots of growth hormones.
Because pineapples can encourage you to be a better sleeper, it can make you grow taller! It’s not just height increase that pineapples can bring, but also the following:
- Regular bowel movement
- Improved digestion
- Lowered risk of heart-related problems
- Reduced cancer risk
- Improved joint health
- Delayed aging process
- Stronger immune system
3. Grass-Fed Beef
Put simply, grass-fed beef means that it’s from cattle that ate nothing but grass. This only means that throughout the lifetime of the cattle, it didn’t consume anything that contains antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, and other kinds of chemicals that can wreak havoc on the health of the consumer.
Because of this, you can enjoy the following health benefits that come with eating grass-fed beef:
- Bigger and stronger muscles
- Weight loss due to reduced caloric content
- Lowered risk of deadly cancer
- Reduced inflammation as a result of having more healthy fat
- Optimized blood sugar levels
The intake of grass-fed beef can also help you to become a taller individual because it is packed with protein. Just like what was mentioned earlier, protein is needed by the body for better hormone production.
So in other words, adding protein-rich grass-fed beef to your diet regularly can encourage your pituitary gland to make more growth hormones.
4. Eggs
Just like grass-fed beef, eggs are also loaded with protein. It’s for this reason exactly why consuming eggs on a regular basis is a good idea, especially if you want to go from short to tall with the help of foods. Health experts say that it’s safe to consume an egg daily.
However, make sure that you ask your doctor how many eggs you can have per week, most especially if you are diagnosed with a health condition.
Don’t just eat any egg — go for something that’s organic and free-range! This is because they are free from anything that can harm your health in the long run.
Aside from helping you to grow taller naturally, eggs also allow you to enjoy the following:
- Sharper vision
- Healthy brain and nerves because of B vitamins
- Better building of muscles
- Reduced hunger as egg is very satisfying
- Beautiful skin, nails, and hair
5. Chicken
Are you worried about cholesterol associated with the intake of beef and eggs?
Fret not because it is still possible for you to supply your body with lots of high-quality protein without worrying about your cholesterol levels. You can enjoy a more statuesque physique and a few other health perks by consuming chicken.
What’s really nice about chicken is that it supplies your body with good amounts of protein that helps to boost the levels of growth hormones. As it does so, it helps to keep at bay various concerns such as increased cholesterol and caloric consumption.
That’s why a lot of people who are conscious about their health and figure go for chicken. Just remember to avoid consuming the skin of chicken if you want to stay healthy and also slim down because it’s where those cholesterol and calories are!
Also, remember to cook chicken in a healthy manner, such as grilling, baking, and roasting.
Let’s take a quick look at some other amazing health benefits offered by a chicken:
- Bigger and stronger muscles
- Smaller waistline
- Reduced risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke
- Healthy brain and nerves
- Nicer skin
Did you know that chicken is also very good for fending off insomnia? So, in other words, it can help you enjoy plenty of shut-eye, which is important for growing taller. Check out the next food entry to know why!
6. Turkey
So here’s the reason why both turkey and chicken can help to promote sleep: studies say that turkey and chicken contain tryptophan, which is a type of amino acid.
Tryptophan has the ability to increase the levels of serotonin and melatonin, both of which can encourage a good night’s sleep. By now, we have already established the fact that sufficient amounts of sleep can help increase your height as a result of more growth hormones.
Needless to say, you should consume turkey, not only during thanksgiving! Other than making it so much easier for you to fall asleep, turkey also supplies your body with protein that helps to regulate the production of growth hormones.
Consuming turkey also helps to:
- Build and strengthen muscles
- Lower anxiety and depression because of magnesium
- Trim the waistline
- Keep the thyroid glands healthy
- Strengthen the immune system
Especially if you don’t want to gain unwanted weight, consider eating the breast part without the skin. Also, it’s a good idea to cook a turkey in a healthy fashion, the kind that doesn’t require you to add unhealthy oils to it.
7. Dark Chocolate
Chicken and turkey are not the only ones that can supply your body with tryptophan. There’s another food source of this chemical that helps to promote sleep and ultimately height increase, and it’s none other than dark chocolate!
Yes, you read that right! Something as simple as enjoying dark chocolate can make you grow taller. Thanks to its tryptophan content, snacking on it, especially before bedtime, can help you get to dreamland without trouble.
And when that happens, your pituitary gland will produce good amounts of growth hormones that can help you to enjoy height increase even if you are no longer in your teenage years.
But before you reach for dark chocolate, make sure that what you are about to snack on is at least 70% cocoa. Something that has less cocoa in it may not contain enough tryptophan.
What’s more, it can make you gain lots of unnecessary weight because it’s loaded with calories as well as unhealthy fat from its milk and sugar content!
Dark chocolate can impress further with its other incredible health perks, including:
- Reduced blood pressure
- Lowered risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke
- Slowed down aging
- Improved functioning of the brain
- Protection of the skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays
- Lowered anxiety and depression
8. Nuts
Some dark chocolate brands out there contain nuts. This is excellent news not only for certified chocoholics but also for those who would like to add a few inches to their height by means of their diet. It’s for the fact that nuts are capable of encouraging the pituitary gland to manufacture more growth hormones.
The reason for this is the presence of what’s referred to as arginine, which is an amino acid just like tryptophan. So in other words, arginine found in nuts is a building block of protein, which helps to regulate hormone production.
Numerous scientific investigations have proven that arginine is effective for increasing the levels of growth hormones in the body.
This is why a lot of bodybuilders and athletes are taking arginine supplements daily — they need extra amounts of growth hormones not for height increase, but for bigger and stronger muscles.
Luckily, there is no need for you to pop arginine capsules in your mouth to have more growth hormones as you can simply have some nuts.
Some popular examples of nuts that you may snack on regularly to grow taller include:
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Brazil nuts
- Pine nuts
- Cashews
- Pistachios
- Macadamia nuts
- Chestnuts
- Pecans
There are plenty of nuts for you to choose from. This only means that eating foods that increase height in adults won’t leave you feeling bored and deprived!
Before we proceed with the next food entry, let’s check out some other benefits that you can get from nuts:
- Lifted mood
- Optimized brain and nerve health due to B vitamins
- Stronger bones
- Bigger muscles
- Weight loss if consumed in moderation
- Healthy skin, nails, and hair
9. Peanuts
No, this is not a mistake — peanuts really have their own section in this article instead of just being mentioned above while we were talking about nuts. That’s because peanuts are not nuts. Technically, they are legumes!
Despite not being true nuts, peanuts can still help you to become a taller person naturally because it packs good amounts of arginine. Again, it’s an amino acid that has the ability to encourage the pituitary gland to produce more growth hormones than normal.
Peanuts are also teeming with protein, which can help to regulate the levels of hormones within you. It goes without saying that you may also count on peanut butter to increase your height.
Here are some of the other health advantages of snacking on peanuts or peanut butter:
- More effective building of muscles
- Healthier pregnancy
- Smoother skin
- Reduced blood pressure
- Stronger bones and teeth
By the way, of course, you should avoid relying on peanuts for height increase if you are allergic to them. Between your health and height, the former comes first!
10. Seeds
There are a couple of reasons why seeds are very good for promoting height increase in adults. First, they are excellent food sources of arginine.
Most seeds also contain tryptophan. Both arginine and tryptophan are amino acids that make it possible for your pituitary gland to secrete lots of hormones even though you are past your puberty stage.
Second, seeds are rich in fats. No, the fats they contain are not the kinds that can make your waistline expand uncontrollably, but those that have health perks. So, in other words, you can obtain healthy fats from seeds.
Healthy fats are capable of reducing inflammation taking place inside the body. There are many different problems that you may encounter if there’s inflammation going on within you.
One of them is hormonal imbalance, which is something that may cause a considerable drop in the levels of growth hormone. This is why it’s important for an individual who would like to become taller to get rid of inflammation with the help of healthy fats.
The following are some other reasons why healthy fats from seeds are good for you:
- Regulated bowel movement
- Lowered hemorrhoid risk
- Normalized cholesterol levels
- Decreased risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke
- Elimination of excess pounds
Just like nuts, there are plenty of seeds for you to choose from, such as:
- Hemp seeds
- Flax seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Chia seeds
11. Oily or Fatty Fish
Aside from seeds, you can also obtain lots of healthy fats from oily fish. Also, sometimes referred to as fatty fish, these aquatic treats can help you grow taller, not to mention make you healthier!
These are some of the oily or fatty fish that you may add to your diet:
- Salmon
- Mackerel
- Herring
- Tuna
- Sardines
- Pilchards
- Kippers
- Whitebait
Health and nutrition experts recommend consuming two servings of oily fish per week. You should do so if you want to grow taller as healthy fats in oily fish can help to deal with inflammation, thus allowing normal levels of hormones to be reinstated.
When that happens, it will be easier for your pituitary gland to produce growth hormones. And by the way, oily fish are also packed with hormone-regulating protein.
Below are a few more benefits to enjoy simply by consuming oily fish regularly:
- Reduced joint pain and swelling
- Decreased cholesterol levels
- Lowered risk of heart-related diseases
- Reduced risk of various types of cancer
- Bigger and stronger muscles
12. Greek Yogurt
So far, we have talked about a couple of amino acids that can help promote height increase in adults. They are tryptophan and arginine.
There is another amino acid that you should welcome into your life if you want to add a few inches to your height without taking supplements with questionable ingredients.
It’s none other than glutamine, and it’s scientifically proven to help increase the levels of growth hormones in your bloodstream.
There is one very good food source of glutamine: Greek yogurt.
Yes, this delicious treat that’s primarily known to help promote a healthy gut is also capable of stimulating increased growth hormone production by the pituitary gland. It goes without saying that snacking on Greek yogurt is a wonderful idea if your goal is to become taller.
But why should you go for Greek yogurt instead of just regular yogurt? Well, it’s all about the protein content. Compared to any other type of yogurt that you can find at the dairy section of the local supermarket, Greek yogurt has more protein.
This makes it very good for building muscles and, of course, regulating hormone levels within. In addition, Greek yogurt has fewer calories, and this is why it’s usually recommended for people who wish to slim down.
Here are a few more reasons why you should eat Greek yogurt regularly:
- Stronger bones and teeth
- Eliminated excess weight
- Healthier brain and nerves
- Lowered blood pressure
13. Tofu
A vegetarian source of height-increasing glutamine exists, and it’s none other than tofu. Basically, tofu is just curdled milk obtained from soybeans. It’s because of this exactly why you know that it’s healthy.
Just like what we discussed before, glutamine is an amino acid that can encourage your pituitary gland to produce more growth hormones than usual.
What’s really nice about tofu is that it allows your body to obtain good amounts of glutamine without causing your waistline to expand, and your cholesterol levels to shoot up — tofu is completely free of bad fats as well as bad cholesterol.
Needless to say, as tofu encourages your height to increase, you can have peace of mind that your general health is out of harm’s way.
Let’s take a look at some of the other health perks that tofu is known to offer:
- Reduced risk of heart disease
- Stronger bones and teeth
- Optimum functioning of the brain and nerves
- Decreased constipation risk
- Reduced menopause symptoms
14. Watermelons
Back when we were talking about nuts, we mentioned the amino acid arginine, which has the ability to promote increased growth hormone production by the pituitary gland.
Well, there is an amino acid that can turn itself into arginine once it’s inside your body, and it’s called citrulline. You can obtain good amounts of it from watermelons.
It’s during the hottest months of the year when watermelons are abundant. That’s really a good thing because these fruits are packed with water.
You need to stay hydrated very well, especially when performing stretching exercises for height increase, such as hanging and yoga.
Swimming is a great form of stretching, too! Proper hydration is also important as you engage in sports, some of which can encourage you to grow taller.
There are many other good things that the consumption of watermelons brings, such as:
- Regulated bowel movement
- Stronger immune system
- Healthier teeth and gums
- Sharper vision
- Reduced fine lines and wrinkles
- Lowered risk of cancer
15. Coconut Oil
Last but definitely not least, there’s coconut oil that you may include in your diet regularly if you want to become a taller person even if you are way past your teenage years. That’s because coconut oil contains healthy fats that your body needs to put inflammation under control.
Earlier, we mentioned that inflammation within you could lead to hormonal imbalance, which can cause your pituitary gland to produce insufficient amounts of growth hormones.
Here are some other coconut oil health benefits:
- Improved liver health
- Lowered bad cholesterol levels
- Reduced deadly heart disease risk
- Optimized levels of sugar in the blood
- Increased energy
- Faster metabolic rate
Especially if you are trying to maintain your weight, it’s a good idea to limit your intake of coconut oil to 2 tablespoons per day. It’s because coconut oil is loaded with calories.
By the way, other than coconut oil, you may add olive oil to your diet. Just like coconut oil, it’s also loaded with healthy fats. It goes without saying that the health perks of olive oil are pretty much the same as the health perks of coconut oil, so feel free to choose between these two height-increasing oils!
No matter which one you prefer, both coconut oil and olive oil make for healthy salad dressings and cooking oils, too.
16. Bananas
If you often have a bout of insomnia, the chances are that someone has already suggested for you to snack on a banana just before you hop into bed.
Well, that person is right because a banana actually has sleep-inducing benefits. If you are way past your adolescent stage and you still want to grow taller, it’s a good idea to get 7 to 9 hours of shut-eye per night. With the help of a banana, you will find it easier to go to sleep.
There’s another reason why a banana can encourage height increase in adults: it contains a range of nutrients the bones need. Leading the list are calcium and potassium, both of which help to make your bones to become bigger and stronger, too!
Before we talk about the next food entry, let’s take a look at some other useful things that banana brings:
- Reduced blood pressure
- Lowered resting heart rate
- Improved mood
- Optimized digestive process
- Decreased risk of diarrhea and constipation
- Increased energy levels
17. Milk
Last but not least, drinking a glass of milk is also highly recommended if you want to add a few inches to your height even if you are already an adult.
Just like bananas, milk can encourage a good night’s sleep, which is vital for increased growth hormone production and utilization, too. Experts on home remedies agree that warm milk is best for promoting sleep. Consider having milk in the morning as well to get your day jump-started.
And just like bananas, milk also contains an assortment of nutrients that your bones need in order for them to grow bigger and stronger. They include magnesium, potassium, and of course, calcium.
Drinking milk also allows you to enjoy the following:
- Faster building and repairing of muscles
- Stronger teeth
- Reduced stomach acidity
- Softer and smoother skin
Other Ways to Increase Growth Hormones
You’ll be more than happy to learn that the consumption of the foods that we mentioned above is not the only way to naturally boost growth hormone production.
Experts confirm that there are many other things that may be done in order to encourage your pituitary gland to manufacture more growth hormones beyond your teenage years.
Some of the steps that you may take for increasing the levels of growth hormones in your body are actually easy. As a matter of fact, you may have already tried doing them!
Without any more ado, let’s take a quick look at other all-natural ways to have your growth hormones increased:
- Go for high-intensity exercise. Exercising intensely causes your muscles to break down, which is something so important for making them grow bigger and stronger. In order for that to happen, the pituitary gland has to produce high amounts of growth hormones for your muscles to utilize.
- Shed off excess pounds. We all know that being obese or overweight comes with various health dangers and risks. Numerous studies have shown that having more fat cells than necessary can cause an imbalance of chemicals in the body. This includes considerably reduced levels of growth hormones.
- Decrease sugar intake. A diet that’s high in sugar can wreak havoc to the normal levels of chemicals in your body. It goes without saying that it can decrease the number of growth hormones in your bloodstream. Besides, cutting back on your sugar consumption comes with many health perks, too.
- Step foot inside the sauna. High temperatures can cause your metabolic rate to increase. This causes elevated growth hormone levels. Needless to say, the sauna can also make you grow taller other than encourage you to slim down and have clearer skin. If you have a medical condition, ask your doctor about sauna use.
- Get high-quality sleep every night. It’s a good idea for you to sleep for 7 to 9 hours per night if you want to grow taller. That’s because it is when you are sleeping when the pituitary gland produces more growth hormones. Also, your body utilizes growth hormones better while you are asleep.
- Avoid excessive late-night snacking. Experts say that too much insulin in the bloodstream can reduce the production of growth hormones, which are secreted by the pituitary gland at night. Foods that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates can trigger insulin spikes, and that’s why you should avoid consuming lots of them late at night.
But, how about people who do not eat meat? Don’t worry vegetarians and vegans. We didn’t forget about you! Check another post we have:
Top 13 Vegetarian Food To Increase Height
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases made on our website. If you make a purchase through links from this website, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclosure.