Dairy milk is rich in nutrients linked to growth, but will drinking milk make you taller? The answer is it depends.
If you haven’t been getting all the nutrients you need from your diet, drinking more milk could give you a slight boost. However, if you already have a balanced diet, drinking more milk will likely not make you taller. And once you get through puberty, you stop gaining height.
The biggest factor in height is your genetics. But as long as you’re still growing, some things may affect your height.
This article covers the links between milk and height, nutrition, and other factors that affect growth and development. Milk contains insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), which plays a major role in growth and development. It’s also rich in other micro- and macronutrients that affect growth.
Do growing children need milk? Many nutrients in cow’s milk are related to growth and development. However, studies on whether consuming milk or milk products affects growth during childhood and puberty have reported mixed results.
Research suggests that drinking milk increases height and a lower probability of stunted growth. However, other factors, such as overall diet, malnutrition, and access to healthcare, may play a role in some study findings.
Children and teens need nutrients like protein, calcium, and vitamin D to grow strong and healthy. You can get them from milk or other sources.
A healthcare provider can address your concerns about your child’s growth.
You stop growing after puberty, so drinking milk won’t help you grow taller once you’re an adult. Among its other benefits, calcium is good for your bones and may help prevent osteoporosis, a condition in which you lose bone mass and density. Over time, you can lose height due to bone compression.
Most adults need 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day.4 Milk can help you meet your calcium needs, but it isn’t the only way to get there. You can get calcium, vitamin D, and other nutrients from various foods. A healthcare provider may recommend dietary supplements if you have osteoporosis or osteopenia, a precursor to osteoporosis. One of the main factors in determining height is beyond your control. As much as 80% of a person’s height has to do with DNA, with more than 700 gene variants playing a direct or indirect role. During gestation, factors such as maternal nutrition, smoking status, and exposure to hazardous substances can affect the child’s growth.5
