Can you affect your height

Other studies have shown height heritability among whites to be even higher than 80 percent. Because different ethnic populations have different genetic backgrounds and live in different environments, however, height heritability can vary from one population to another, and even from men to women.

In Asian populations, the heritability of height is much lower than 80 percent. For example, in Miao-Xin Li of Hunan Normal University in China and his colleagues estimated a height heritability of 65 percent, based on a Chinese population of families.

In African populations, height heritability is also lower: 65 percent for the population of western Africa, according to a study by D. Roberts, then at Newcastle University in England, and colleagues. Such diversities in heritability are mainly due to the different genetic background of ethnic groups and the distinct environments climates, dietary habits and lifestyle they experience. Heritability allows us to examine how genetics directly impact an individual's height.

For example, a population of white men has a heritability of 80 percent and an average height of centimeters roughly five feet, 10 inches. If we meet a white man in the street who is cm six feet tall, the heritability tells us what fraction of his extra height is caused by genetic variants and what fraction is due to his environment dietary habit and lifestyle.

The man is five centimeters taller than the average. Thus, 80 percent of the extra five centimeters, or four centimeters, is due to genetic variants, whereas one centimeter is due to environmental effects, such as nutrition.

Heritability can also be used to predict an individual's height if the parents' heights are known. For example, say a man cm tall marries a woman cm tall, and both are from a Chinese population with a population mean of cm for men and cm for women.

We can predict the height of their children, assuming the heritability is 65 percent for men and 60 percent for women in this population. For a son, the expected height difference from the population mean is: 0. On the other hand, environmental effects can add 1. Of course, these predictions only reflect the mean expected height for each of the two siblings brothers and sisters ; the actual observed height may be different. From these calculations, we realize the environment mainly nutrients can only change about 2 centimeters for a given offspring's height in this Chinese population.

Does that mean that no matter what happens in the child's environment, the height can never change more than this? Can special treatment and nutrient supplements increase the height further? The answer is yes. The remainder of that is environmental, primarily nutrition [1]. If you're malnourished during your growing years you won't reach your full potential. If you get enough nutrition you'll likely reach your genetically predetermined height, possibly a little taller.

There is some indication that getting enough protein through your developmental years can add to your height positively. In Japan after the war, the population had access to more fish protein and the average height of the country increased three inches [2]. Denmark has become one of the tallest countries in the world, and its rise in height is strongly correlated to its wealth per capita [3]. The most likely takeaway here is that people who can afford to eat, and eat well, will be taller over generations.

Nutrition can slowly cause an increase in height between generations. It's no guarantee that you'll be taller through eating, but proper nutrition through your formative years can add a bit onto your genetics.

A good, balanced diet of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates eat food, not too much, mostly plants and you'll do fine. They've been doing some research on fraternal twins to try to determine what the specific gene is that determines height. The reason that they're looking at fraternal twins rather than identical twins is that their exact DNA is different but most of the environmental factors are the same what the mother ate while they were pregnant, probably how they were treated after they were born, etc.

They can then compare the genomes of the twins after they reach their height and see what is different between them.

They do this for thousands of fraternal twin pairs to determine which parts of their genomes are different. As of writing this they think it's partly in the X chromosome and chromosomes 7, 8, and Scientists haven't narrowed it down entirely, as genes are pretty complex and it's not as simple as it's explained in your general science classes with recessive genes and dominant genes [4].

As you grow up, your bones get longer. Everyone has Epiphyseal plates at the ends of their bones. As you grow, these plates are added onto. When you go through growth spurts, particularly puberty, they are added onto rather quickly. Some people experience growing pains in their bones as they expand. When you're done growing mostly by the time you're , your bones ossify , the epiphyseal plates seal themselves, and you stop growing taller and longer.

At that point you're done. No more growing. That's it. Here is a picture of the epiphyseal plates of the distal tibia and fibula in an ankle:. You can easily see the dark line above both "ankles" or malleoli. These are the epiphyseal plates you are looking for. Here is a picture when the "growth plates" are "sealed":. You can see the white line on both sides of the knee, known as an epiphyseal scar.

The white line means the area is more dense, whereas the dark line from before means it is the less dense, growing cartilaginous tissue. If the white line exists, it means the epiphyseal plate has "closed" and no additional bone will grow from the cartilage. Your height actually decreases slightly through the day. In between your spinal discs there are fluid sacs.

When you stand up, your head and shoulders put axial pressure on your spine and cause these sacs to compress. This isn't a big deal, though there are several sites out there than claim otherwise and claim that they can create extra space between your spinal bones.

Additionally, there are claims that stretching and hanging can increase your height. This is a quarter true. Hanging and stretching can reverse the compression, making you slightly taller until your spine compresses again.

In tall people this can be as much as a half inch. For this same reason, astronauts can be as much as 2" taller in space. There's not enough gravity putting axial pressure against their spine to compress it. When they come back to earth, they return to their normal height over the course of months [6]. Because of the growth plates, and the fact that your spine can compress, people got the idea that weightlifting and high impact sports could cause you to not grow as much.

They're not quite right. There has been no evidence that weightlifting can stop your growth [7]. The origins of weightlifting being a thing that stunted your growth came from a couple of places, most recently a s study of Japanese child laborers.

The children that did work all day ended up shorter than average [8]. The truth behind the stunted growth is, of course, malnutrition. Child laborers worked long hours and didn't make much money, not nearly enough to feed themselves well. Another reason people used to think weightlifting was bad for children was they didn't develop muscles like you do as an adult. Children don't have enough hormones yet for muscles to develop properly, but what weightlifting can do for them is put stress on the bones, encouraging them to grow as well as help them develop their central nervous system, allowing pathways to be created for them to do more work as they go into adulthood.

A lot of lifting weights is in the head. Recent studies have shown that weight lifting at any young age can help build bones and stave off obesity for children leading into their adulthood.

Weight lifting at a young age has also been shown to prevent injuries and osteoporosis into old age. Sports have a tendency to self select. I've seen so many questions: Can basketball make me taller? A balanced diet is essential when it comes to growth. Nutrients like calcium and vitamin D are very important, as research shows that both can significantly benefit bone health. Eating fruits and veggies to hit your vitamin and mineral quota is important for everyone — but especially for those who are still growing.

Research also shows that protein is essential for bone health and can benefit the bone density of the spine. A study of 45 sets of twins found that nutrition is especially important in infancy, and a lack of protein may be the biggest environmental factor that can influence height.

Research has shown that many of the functions affecting growth happen during sleep, which may mean proper sleep is necessary for proper growth. Since OSA can cause restless or interrupted sleep, these findings suggest poor sleep quality has a negative effect on growth.

A diet rich in calcium combined with a healthy amount of physical activity can maximize bone mass and reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Staying active is also important because it strengthens muscles and bones and likely promotes the release of the human growth hormone HGH. Unsurprisingly, HGH plays a big role in physical development.

It kick-starts growth in childhood and promotes cell repair ya know, the process that keeps us youthful and healthy. According to the CDC , smoking tobacco during pregnancy can hurt the development of the fetus. Research has shown that low bone mass and reduced bone density in childhood or adolescence may be linked to maternal smoking during pregnancy. Marijuana use may have an impact on height too.

While more research is needed, a study found that heavy marijuana use can cause boys to hit puberty earlier and may also stunt their growth. This is due to light compression of the discs in your spine caused by daily activities that impact the cartilage and fluid in your spine.

Plus, if you sit at a desk all day, it might not do your posture any favors. Your posture makes a huge difference in how tall you appear. So hold that head high! You may have heard the popular myth that yoga can make you taller.