Can calcium supplementation help children grow taller? Is there a direct relationship between height and calcium supplementation?

All mothers hope that their children will grow tall and healthy. Many mothers believe that calcium supplementation will definitely make their babies grow taller. Is this really the case? Can taking calcium supplements make them grow taller? The following will explain the relationship between height and calcium supplements.

Will calcium supplementation definitely help you grow taller?

Calcium supplementation ≠ height growth, protein is more important

When it comes to growing taller, calcium supplementation is naturally indispensable. However, in fact, there is no necessary connection between calcium supplementation and growing taller. In addition to genetic factors, a child's height is also related to factors such as nutrition, sleep and exercise. Calcium has no direct relationship with growing taller.

The main function of calcium is to strengthen bones and increase bone density. In the usual sense, calcium supplementation is to replenish the calcium lost in the body in time to maintain bone density. Calcium supplementation cannot make bones longer or even thicker. In addition, excessive calcium intake can easily lead to adverse reactions such as urinary stones and constipation, which not only cause pain to children, but also affect their height. If we have to talk about the relationship between diet and height growth, I am afraid that protein has a greater impact. If you can take in enough protein and ensure adequate sleep, it is very beneficial for children to grow taller.

How important is calcium to children's development?

Calcium is the "building material" of the human body. Just as building a house requires steel, cement, bricks and tiles, children's growth and development also cannot do without calcium. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) of the United States pointed out that adequate calcium intake during childhood and adolescence to achieve peak bone mass can reduce the risk of osteoporosis and fractures in adulthood.

What is peak bone mass? To put it in an analogy, the body's calcium storage is like a bone bank: after a baby is born, it has been saving calcium, especially during adolescence when bone mass grows rapidly. In just 3-4 years, 40% of a person's lifetime bone mass will be accumulated, and bone mass reaches its peak at around 30 years old. After the age of 30, the body's bone mass consumption begins to increase and storage decreases, so if the bone mass stored before is not enough, it will be insufficient, leading to osteoporosis; on the contrary, if the peak bone mass stored when you are young is higher, it is less likely to have osteoporosis.

Can calcium supplementation help children grow taller?

Without growth hormone, it is difficult to grow taller even with calcium supplementation

The main reason for a person to grow taller is to increase the length of their bones. Bone growth requires calcium, and the amount of calcium also determines the hardness of the bones. If there is not enough calcium, the bones will become soft.

However, calcium is definitely not the main driving force for bone growth. Bone growth depends on growth hormone and protein and nutrients obtained from food. Children who lack growth hormone will not grow tall even if they have enough calcium, and those who have insufficient total energy and protein intake will not grow taller even if they only take calcium.

Therefore, growing taller is not only related to calcium supplementation. Whether growth-related factors such as growth hormone are normal requires a comprehensive assessment. If a child has growth retardation, do not supplement calcium indiscriminately. You should consult a pediatric endocrinologist in time to find out the exact cause.