If you’re a fan of chocolate milk, you may have heard rumors that it can make you taller. But is there any truth to this claim? Let’s explore the topic!
Firstly, if you are an adult, chocolate milk or any other food/beverage is not going to make you taller. Your growing days are over once puberty has passed. For boys, their maximum height is reached by around age 16 whereas girls achieve full height around 14-15 years old. There are certainly outliers but these ages are the norm.
Many factors can influence a person’s height, including genetics, hormones, nutrition, and medical conditions. While a person’s DNA is responsible for about 80% of their height, there are some things people can do during development to maximize their height potential.
One way to promote growth during childhood and puberty is by ensuring good nutrition. Protein and calcium, in particular, are essential for bone health and growth. Foods like meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, legumes, nuts, seeds, yogurt, milk, cheese, broccoli, kale, soybeans, sardines, and salmon can help ensure that growing children and teenagers get the nutrients they need without experiencing growth and development issues.
Although chocolate milk is a nutrient-dense beverage that can assist you in reaching your maximum height potential, excessive consumption during childhood isn’t magically going to help you turn into a towering NBA player if your height genetics to achieve that size aren’t there. Moreover, it is crucial to note that chocolate milk contains up to twice the amount of sugar and more calories compared to what is found in regular milk, making it a potentially unhealthy choice if consumed in excess (see chocolate milk nutrition facts).
However, additional research certainly needs to be completed on how drinking milk impacts height. Some studies suggest that drinking milk has the ability to minimally increase height in children, however, other show no correlation.
The problem with these studies is that there are so many factors involved that impact how a person develops that it is extremely difficult to measure to develop accurate conclusions. We’d suggest following what your child’s doctor recommends for nutrition to ensure they have the best chance at reaching their growth potential.
References:
Villines, Zawn. “How to Increase Height: Factors That Influence Growth.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327514.
Baum, Isadora. “Can Milk Make You Taller? Here’s What the Science Says.” Men’s Health, 2 Nov. 2021, https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a34381611/does-milk-make-you-grow-taller/.
