Can Ashwagandha Increase Height in Adults?
People often wonder “Can Ashwagandha increase height?”. The short answer is no.
Ashwagandha is unlikely to increase height in adults. Height is mainly determined by genetics and nutrition during childhood and teenage years. By adulthood, the growth plates in our bones have closed, which prevents further vertical growth.
Some people would argue that Ashwagandha does have benefits that could influence height indirectly, such as
- boosting hormone production,
- improving bone health,
- promoting muscle growth,
- reducing stress, and
- enhancing sleep quality.
While Ashwagandha is known to have these effects, they probably won’t lead to any increased height in adults. Let’s look at each one separately.
Growth Hormone Production
Studies suggest that Ashwagandha can enhance the secretion of growth hormone from the pituitary gland. Growth hormone is vital for the development of bones and muscles, which are directly related to height.
While ashwagandha may have some effect on growth hormone levels, any increase is likely to be minimal in adults. Moreover, growth hormone alone doesn't increase height in adults with closed growth plates.
Bone Health and Density
Some studies suggest that ashwagandha may have positive effects on bone health. It might help increase bone formation and decrease bone breakdown, potentially leading to improved bone density. Bone density refers to the mineral content in bones, particularly calcium and phosphorus. Higher bone density generally means stronger bones that are more resistant to fractures.
However, improving bone density doesn't equate to increasing height in adults. Once growth plates in bones close after puberty (typically between ages 18-25), bones can no longer grow longer, regardless of their density. While better bone health from ashwagandha might help maintain height by supporting good posture and potentially minimizing age-related disc compression, it cannot actually increase an adult's height beyond their maximum. The benefits of ashwagandha for bone health are more about strength and fracture resistance than height.
Promoting Muscle Growth
Ashwagandha might help increase muscle mass and strength, potentially by reducing inflammation, improving testosterone levels in men, and enhancing the body's ability to recover from exercise. However, increased muscle growth doesn't directly translate to increased height in adults. While larger, stronger muscles can improve posture and potentially make someone appear slightly taller, they don't actually increase a person's skeletal height. Muscle growth occurs around the existing bone structure and can't extend the length of bones once growth plates have closed. The benefits of ashwagandha for muscle growth are more about improving body composition, strength, and athletic performance rather than increasing height.
Reducing Stress
Chronic stress can negatively impact growth hormone levels due to elevated cortisol, which inhibits growth hormone production. Ashwagandha has adaptogenic properties, which means it may help the body manage stress more effectively by reducing cortisol levels, the “stress hormone”.
However, while chronic stress can potentially impact growth in children and adolescents, reducing stress in adults won't lead to height increases. Once a person has reached their full adult height, lowering stress levels cannot cause further vertical growth. The benefits of stress reduction from ashwagandha are more about improving overall health, mood, and quality of life rather than increasing height. It's worth noting that better stress management can contribute to better posture, which might make someone appear slightly taller, but this isn't an actual increase in skeletal height.
Enhancing Sleep Quality
Ashwagandha’s stress reducing properties can help you sleep better by influencing certain brain receptors that help regulate sleep. But again, enhancing sleep quality in adults won't lead to height increases because growth plates have most likely closed and a person has reached their full adult height.
To Conclude
Ashwagandha cannot increase height in adults because once growth plates in bones close after puberty, it's physically impossible for bones to grow longer. While ashwagandha may offer benefits like improved bone density, muscle growth, stress reduction, and better sleep quality, none of these effects can overcome the biological limitation of closed growth plates. Any perceived height increase from these benefits would be minimal and due to improved posture rather than actual skeletal growth.
But what about kids? Can ashwagandha help increase height in kids or adolescents?
While it may have some factors that contribute to height growth, it’s best for kids to just follow a healthy routine like regular exercise, balanced diet, enough sleep, etc. Also, it’s highly recommended to consult a pediatrician before giving any supplements to kids to make sure they don’t had any unintended consequences.
Also Read: Ashwagandha Benefits for Men: Improve Your Life Naturally
Reference:
An Overview on Ashwagandha: A Rasayana (Rejuvenator) of Ayurveda