Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world. In fact, the coffee market is worth over $80 billion in the U.S. alone. Given its impact, it makes sense why there are so many studies investigating the possible health concerns that come with drinking coffee.
One of the health concerns you might have heard about is that drinking coffee can stunt your growth. But as alarming as this sounds, is it actually true? Here’s what you should know.
Does Coffee Really Stunt Your Growth?
The main ingredient in coffee is caffeine, a stimulant that’s known for waking people up and feeling alert. A longtime belief among the general population is that caffeine can stunt a person’s growth. The truth is, there’s no evidence to prove this claim.
Harvard Medical School says this idea comes from the misconception that coffee causes osteoporosis, a condition commonly associated with loss of height. But this has been debunked for two reasons: coffee does not cause osteoporosis, and osteoporosis does not routinely make you short.
Another problem with this myth is that most people are already fully grown by the time coffee becomes a regular part of their routine. Once bone growth is complete in our late teens and early 20s, it doesn’t just go away. Overall, there is no evidence to support that caffeine stunts growth.
