Can Coffee Stunt Growth?

Debunking a Tall Tale

Can coffee stunt your growth? No. While you may have been told this myth when you were little, there is actually no scientific evidence to back this claim.

This myth was passed down throughout generations of families, told by adults to kids to prevent them from drinking their coffee. They believed coffee was bad for kids because of its high levels of caffeine, which can make drinkers jittery.

Additionally, some science used to support links between coffee and osteoporosis has since been disproven. Specifically, researchers thought caffeine could increase the body’s elimination of calcium. This would lead to osteoporosis.

However, more recently, Dr. Robert P. Heaney, a calcium expert evaluated studies linking caffeine consumption to reduced bone mass. He found that elderly people with low levels of calcium often drank a lot of coffee or caffeine-rich drinks instead of milk or other calcium-rich drinks.

Dr. Heaney then conducted a six-year study, which included 81 kids. This study evaluated the kids with high caffeine levels to see if they had different bone mass or density. The study suggested they did not.

Research has also linked coffee to a reduced of risk of diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Additionally, studies show that the caffeine can briefly enhance athletic actions and increase weight loss.

So next time you hear that coffee can stunt your growth, know it’s not true. In fact, coffee even has some health benefits.

[Sources: Harvard Health Publication; The New York Times]

Wow, I totally believed the myth that coffee does indeed stunt drinker's growth until reading this! Nice work, Poetry. – MckennaMadison, WI (2017-06-01 18:28)