How much milk is enough to grow?

One Comment

1. Ethan says:

   July 31, 2009 at 11:10 am

   I hate to break it to you but its highly unlikely that drinking lots of milk, especially at 11 years of age, is going to help her grow any faster or taller than she would have otherwise.

   Like all physical and mental assets, the height that we’ll be when we’re grown up falls within a range defined by our genetic makeup. We’ll be on the upper end of that range if we get good nutrition, exercise, and are free of any serious, long-term illnesses. On the other hand if we eat poorly, fail to exercise, or have some serious illness that effects our body’s overall health we’re much more likely to be short.

   Milk is just one component of the equation: nutrition, and not always the best source for the nutrients we need to grow big and strong. The main nutrients in milk needed to grow tall are calcium and protein, both of which can be found in many other foods such as fish, green vegetables, soy, nuts and grains, etc. In fact, for some people (myself included), dairy can actually be detrimental to their health. Keep in mind that cow’s milk is intended for calves, not humans, and therefore isn’t always well tolerated and doesn’t include all of the essential proteins our bodies need to grow.

   A better strategy than drinking lots of milk (this can actually increase the risk of dairy allergies and/or lactose intolerance – if she’s not already) would be to get lots of exercise and eat a well-balanced diet containing lean, high-protein foods and lots of fruits and vegetables.

   Follow the above recommendations, and let nature take its course. In the end though she needs to learn to be comfortable with who she is rather than trying to become who she wants to be.