Did Coffee Stunt Your Growth as a Kid?

If you’re on the shorter side of the height spectrum and consumed quite a bit of coffee in your youngster days, perhaps you’ve considered that the caffeine stunted your growth.

Turns out, though, your height probably has no correlation whatsoever with drinking coffee as a kid. The link between caffeine and stunted growth is actually a myth.

There is no scientific evidence that suggests coffee stunts growth. In fact, it’s estimated that 73% of kids and teens in the United States consume caffeine daily, so research would most likely reflect the idea that coffee stunts growth by now if it were true.

However, that doesn’t mean drinking coffee as a kid is totally healthy. Coffee can actually be unsafe for those under 12 years old and could lead to health issues, like insomnia, anxiety, headaches, diarrhea, dehydration, and high blood pressure. As for teens, it’s recommended they consume no more than 100mg of caffeine per day.

How tall a person stands is mainly linked to genetics, not the amount of caffeine or coffee you consume. So if you’ve loved coffee from a young age but have wondered if it stunted your growth, the answer is likely no. And hey, there’s nothing wrong with being on the shorter side anyway!

If you’re still a coffee lover and have consumed it your whole life, don’t forget that caffeine is addictive, so if you want to cut back, it might be time to try decaf.