Does Caffeine Stunt Your Growth

One of the most popular caffeinated beverages eaten worldwide is coffee. This is partly because of its stimulating qualities, as well as its fantastic flavour and perfume. In fact, US individuals between the ages of 18 and 65 consume more coffee that any other caffeinated drink, including energy drinks, tea, and soda. Coffee is the second most popular caffeinated beverage among teenagers, after energy drinks .

As a result, there is considerable discussion on whether coffee is safe for adolescents because it is believed to impede healthy bone growth and development. No, drinking coffee won’t stop you from growing. Genes have a major role in determining your height. To achieve your greatest height potential, good nutrition is also essential.

However, caffeine is present in coffee. A cup or two of coffee each day is generally not harmful. But if you’re drinking more, you might want to cut back, particularly if you’re also consuming caffeine from soda or energy drinks.

Loss of Height Causes

Compression fractures from osteoporosis can shorten an adult’s height. However, it is possible to lose height without osteoporosis. Water is present in the discs above and below the majority of the vertebrae in the spine.

With time, they lose water, which causes them to deteriorate and somewhat compress. You may gradually lose a measurable amount of height if enough discs are damaged. Loss of height can also result from the spine’s curvature (scoliosis) or forward bending (kyphosis).

Scoliosis and kyphosis are usually brought on by osteoporosis in adults and developmental problems in children. Getting additional calcium and vitamin D through food (or supplements) might easily remedy this for anyone worried about the impact of coffee drinking on bone health.

Even though it’s true that persons with osteoporosis of the spine can become shorter (and frequently have curved spines), it’s fractures, not osteoporosis, that cause people to become shorter.

Caffeine Can Impair Sleep

Coffee’s caffeine can momentarily make you more alert and energised, but it can also keep you up at night. It has a longer half-life in a young person’s body than it does in an adult’s body, which prolongs the duration of its effects. 191 middle students participated in a two-week study that looked at sleep habits and caffeine consumption.

It was discovered that daily caffeine consumption ranged from 0 to 800 milligrammes. A higher caffeine intake was linked to less or disturbed sleep at night and more daytime tiredness.

Additionally, teens who lack sleep are more likely to have poor academic performance and consume foods high in sugar and calories, which is a major contributor to juvenile obesity. Some coffee beverages include a lot of sugar. Many common coffee beverages feature a large quantity of added sugar in the form of whipped cream, shaved chocolate, and flavouring sugar syrups. Compared to sugar naturally present in whole foods, added sugar typically causes larger blood sugar rises.

The Dangers and Rewards of Coffee

Numerous studies have failed to find any significant medical concerns connected to coffee use. Some individuals can experience sleeplessness, jitteriness, and a modest (temporary) increase in blood pressure after drinking coffee. Although conclusive data is still lacking, excessive coffee drinking (six or more cups per day) has been linked to decreased fertility and miscarriage.

However, most coffee drinkers don’t experience any unwelcome side effects. Additionally, a number of studies have “cleared” coffee as a risk factor for major illnesses including cancer and heart disease.

In reality, studies have connected coffee drinking to a number of health advantages, such as a decreased risk of Type 2 diabetes, abnormal heart rhythms, strokes, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, liver disease, and several cancers, including liver cancer, gout, and Parkinson’s disease.

Additionally, caffeine can help you lose weight and temporarily improve your physical performance. (By the way, excessive caffeine consumption by sportsmen is forbidden in several competitive sports.) Some of these advantages might not be limited to caffeine. For instance, it’s possible that coffee drinkers lead healthier lives than non-drinkers.

If accurate, the lower risk of some diseases could be attributed to those lifestyle variations rather than coffee. These alleged health advantages may turn out to have no connection to coffee, just as the “link” between coffee and osteoporosis was later explained by another factor.

Conclusion

Coffee doesn’t stop you from growing, regardless of whether it turns out to have major health benefits. The quality of your nutrition and general health as you grow up, as well as the height of your parents, each have a significant impact on your final height. You’re more likely to reach the maximum height “allowed” by your genes if you maintain a healthy diet and take steps to prevent osteoporosis. Sorry: Avoiding coffee won’t make you any taller, and eating it won’t make you any shorter.