Debunking the Milk and Height Myth: What You Need to Know about Dairy and Growth

Myth: Milk Helps You Grow Taller

Truth: Milk Contributes to Height Growth

Milk is a vital source of nutrition for infants before they transition to solid foods. Many parents promote milk consumption among children by suggesting it promotes height growth.

A study published in the Journal of Nutrition explored the relationship between milk intake and children’s height. Researchers aimed to determine how beverages, particularly milk, could affect a child’s growth potential.

Study Methodology

In this longitudinal study, parents documented their children’s food and beverage intake every three to six months until the children reached eight and a half years old. Additionally, food frequency questionnaires were completed every two years. Researchers measured children’s heights at age five and subsequently every two years from ages nine to seventeen.

Key Findings

The results indicated that milk was the only beverage significantly linked to increased height, even after accounting for variables such as age, sex, socioeconomic status, and overall caloric intake. Children who consumed between 8 to 16 ounces of milk daily had a height increase of 0.39 cm to 0.78 cm above their expected growth trajectory.

For further details on this study, you can refer to the original research.

Reference

Marshall, T.A., Curtis, A.M., Cavanaugh, J.E., Warren, J.J., and Levy, S.M. (2018). Higher longitudinal milk intakes are associated with increased height in a birth cohort followed for 17 years. The Journal of Nutrition, 148(7), 1144-1149. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxy071