Height-increasing milk: Real or advertising gimmick?

Doctor Ngo Thi Xuan Bich (Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Danang Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital) - Photo: PT

Ms. T. (38 years old, Ho Chi Minh City) shared that because both husband and wife are short, seeing that her 9-year-old son is only 1.2m tall, although still within the average range, she still tries to invest in more milk hoping that her son will be taller. "I saw an advertisement for a type of milk that will increase 3-5cm after 3-6 months of use, so I bought it for my son to use for a whole year but still haven't seen much increase in height," Ms. T. said.

Don't believe the advertisement of milk that increases height

Similarly, Nguyen Quynh A. (8 years old), residing in Lien Chieu District, Da Nang City, was taken by her parents to the Da Nang Maternity and Pediatrics Hospital for a nutritional examination. Over the past year, her parents have spent a large amount of money to buy many types of milk advertised as having outstanding height-increasing effects. However, A.'s height has not increased significantly.

Doctor Ngo Thi Xuan Bich (Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Da Nang Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital) said that social networks are currently flooded with advertisements for milk and functional foods that support height growth, playing on parents' worries about their children's physical development.

However, a child's height does not only depend on milk but is also influenced by many factors such as nutrition, genetics, exercise, and living environment. Children have different growth rates at each important stage: pregnancy, the first 1,000 golden days of life (from pregnancy to 2 years old), pre-puberty and puberty.

"Milk is a familiar food that parents often supplement for their children, but it is only part of the daily nutritional regimen. To develop optimal height, children need to be provided with enough energy, vitamins and necessary minerals. You cannot just drink milk and ignore a reasonable diet and lifestyle and expect your child to grow tall.

Parents should not believe in exaggerated advertisements about milk that increases height. If they notice that their child is growing slower than the World Health Organization (WHO) standards, parents should take their child to see a pediatrician or nutritionist for appropriate advice," Dr. Bich advised.

Sharing the same opinion, Dr. Nguyen Trong Hung - National Institute of Nutrition - commented that the advertisements of some formula milk are being "deified" when they say they can help children grow tall and smart. It is worth mentioning that many parents who buy milk only listen to the advertisements and pay little attention to the ingredients in it. The ingredients in milk are very important, in terms of content and supplements.

Children are examined and have their height monitored to receive nutritional advice appropriate for each age - Photo: BVCC

Focus on nutrition and exercise

Meanwhile, according to WHO guidelines, children between the ages of 3 and 5 can grow 0.5 to 0.7 cm taller each month. "Therefore, even if children do not drink milk, they can still grow very well during this stage," Dr. Hung emphasized.

According to this expert, 23% of the factors that determine height are genetics, 25% are living environment, illness, sleep, 32% are diet, and 20% are exercise.

"Uncontrollable factors include genes and gender - genetic factors. Controllable factors include nutrition, exercise, movement, hormones, and medication status.

Nutrition plays a very important role in the growth process. Malnutrition will affect the development of children in general, including height in particular.

In nutritional interventions, children should be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months and continued until 24 months of age.

From the age of 6 months, children need to eat a balanced, varied diet appropriate to their age. The purpose is to provide enough energy, balance the energy-producing substances (protein, fat, carbohydrates), vitamins and minerals necessary for children to develop comprehensively.

Parents should pay attention to foods rich in protein and calcium such as meat, fish, shrimp, crab, eggs and egg products, milk and dairy products...

To supplement calcium-rich foods for young children, there is not only milk but also many other foods," Dr. Hung shared.

Besides, there are many micronutrients that have been proven by scientists to be related to height growth, such as vitamins A, D, lysine, calcium, iron, zinc, and iodine.

"A child who drinks a lot of milk but is locked indoors all day without sunbathing to synthesize vitamin D cannot absorb calcium, and calcium is an important factor for height development," said Dr. Hung.

In addition to providing adequate nutrition, children who want to grow tall must also get enough sleep, especially at night.

Growth hormone secreted by the pituitary gland is highest at night (11pm-12am when children are in deep sleep). Children who sleep too late or sleep a lot during the day secrete very little hormone, and children often grow slowly and have slow height development.

3 stages to pay attention to

Dr. Hung also said that early, timely and appropriate attention is needed in the following three periods: pregnancy, 0-2 years old and pre-puberty and puberty. This is when children have the strongest increase in height.

"In case the child's height growth is lower than the standard, parents should take the child to see a doctor. The examination will help the doctor determine the condition, cause, and rule out diseases. Parents should not believe in advertisements for milk supplements to increase height for their children.

For children under 5 years old, calcium, zinc, and protein supplementation should be consulted by a nutritionist. In case the child has a reasonable weight and height, parents can use nutritional drinks according to the child's preferences," Dr. Hung recommended.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/sua-tang-chieu-cao-co-thuc-hay-chieu-tro-quang-cao-20250403231314753.htm