No it doesn’t. Being one of the most popular beverages around the world since years, coffee does bring a lot of myths along with all the benefits it has. And the most common myth is that it has adverse growth impacts on adults and children.
So does coffee stunt your growth? It’s about time you get to the facts rather than being skeptical due to all that fiction or hearsay regarding this particular topic.
What the Fuss is All About?
According to experts, the reason why coffee is linked with growth is due to the presence of caffeine in it. Earlier studies suggested that caffeine reduces bone mass and results in osteoporosis – a medical condition in which bones lose calcium at a fast rate and eventually become too weak.
Those studies indirectly associated caffeine, and eventually coffee, with a person’s growth. Newer research suggested that those findings were based on trials conducted on elderly people with diets that were low on calcium.
Does Caffeine Stunt Growth?
Caffeine doesn’t have any negative impacts on your growth. This is due to the fact that by the time you became a regular coffee drinker, your body is already done with the growth part.
For females, body growth stops by the age of 14-15 and for males, it is a couple of years later. So how can your growth possibly be affected in the first place when you’re not growing anymore?
However, caffeine may have other negative effects.
Sleep-Deprivation or Insomnia
Caffeine is a stimulant that boosts your energy levels. Early caffeine consumption, for instance during your breakfast, has little or no negative effect on sleep.
However, if you are having your coffee during late hours or right before your bedtime, it may have adverse effects on sleep such as sleep-deprivation, which can further lead to lethargy, loss of focus, anxiety, stomach-related issues, weight-loss, etc.
Heart Problems
Caffeine stimulates heart muscles and may cause heart palpitations. Although it goes away in a few minutes and is usually not a sign of worry, however, it can be harmful to those with a heart-related medical history.
High Sugar
Caffeinated coffee flavors such as coffee syrup and whipped cream have high levels of sugar. This can be harmful, particularly for those with obesity or diabetes.
Additionally, this type of added sugar is more harmful as compared to sugar that is found in natural food such as fruits or vegetables. This is due to the fact that natural whole foods have fiber and other essential nutrients that balance off blood sugar.
Stomach-related Issues
Higher caffeine intake can affect your digestive system, or if you are already having a stomach indigestion or diarrhea, it is better that you hold on with your caffeine intake as it might worsen the rest of the day or night for you.
Moreover, drinking caffeinated coffee soon after a heavy meal can have negative impacts on your stomach.
Heartburn or Acidity
Caffeine can cause heartburn or acidity due to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) – a condition when your stomach acid flows back into the tube that connects your mouth and stomach.
Coffee and Its Effects on Children
Being a parent is never an easy job, especially when you’re surrounded by so many sources of misinformation and myths that make you more worried about the wellbeing of your kids.
Yes, it is true that your child might be consuming caffeine other than coffee, such as those energy drinks, soda pop, chocolates, etc. However, moderate coffee consumption won’t have any negative health impacts on your child.
If you are a kid or still a teenager, just keep a check on your caffeine consumption and try to maintain a good balance of your diet.
Choose the Right Time for Your Cup of Joe
During the first one-third of the night, slow-wave sleep takes place. This is when growth hormones release that play a vital role in an individual’s height development.
Whether you’re a kid, a teenager or an adult, it is best to have your favorite coffee at the right time of the day – usually mornings. If you are having more than one cups per day, make sure your last cup is well before the time you doze off.
Positive Impacts of Coffee
Enough with the myths already? Let us now give you an overview about the positive health impacts of coffee:
- Reduces Risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
- Reduces Risk of Cancer
- Increases Energy and Productivity
- Reduces Risk of Type-2 Diabetes
- Reduces Risk of Stroke
- Briefly Increases Athletic Performance
However, it is important to understand that these aforementioned benefits might not be directly or even indirectly related to coffee. If you have a healthy lifestyle, you might experience one or more of the above positive health elements with or without coffee consumption.
FAQs
Does coffee stunt your growth if you’re a kid?
Caffeine will not slow children’s growth or lead to them being shorter adults.
Can 12-year olds drink coffee?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that kids aged 12 to 18 consume no more than 100 mg of caffeine per day, which is about the amount in a single 8 oz. cup of brewed coffee.
Can coffee mess up your growth?
Despite what you’ve heard, caffeine has no effect on how tall you’ll be. That’s just an old wives’ tale, and science has even debunked it: A study that tracked 81 teenagers for six years found that there was no difference in “bone gain or bone density” between those who drank caffeine and those who didn’t.
What can stunt your growth?
Not getting adequate amounts of protein, calories, and other nutrients in your diet can also cause growth to slow, as well as a number of other chronic medical conditions such as kidney, heart, lung, and intestinal diseases. People with sickle cell anemia may also grow and develop more slowly.
Our Final Thoughts on Coffee and Growth
Thanks to the advancements in science and modern-day research for unveiling a lot of coffee-related misconceptions, including the negative relationship between coffee and a human body’s growth. Whether your body experiences any coffee-related benefits or not, your height will probably be defined by your genes, your parents’ height, a healthy lifestyle, physical activities, etc.
So does coffee stunt your growth? – After looking at the facts and studies in recent times, it has been proved that moderate consumption of coffee will not have any negative impacts on your growth whatsoever.
We hope now you can enjoy your cup of Joe without worrying about yours or your kids’ height 🙂