In the golden period of spring, three methods can help children grow taller

With the arrival of spring, the body's metabolism and blood circulation speed up, respiratory and digestive functions strengthen, and the secretion of growth hormone increases. It is the best time for children to grow taller. A study by the World Health Organization confirmed that children's growth and development have significant seasonality, and the growth rate is fastest in spring (March to May). How can parents seize the golden period of children's growth and help their children achieve a "reversal" in height?

Eat more seasonal vegetables and protein

First of all, we should eat more seasonal vegetables. In spring, children's bodies slowly recover from "winter storage". When the seasons change, the diet also needs to be adjusted. As the old saying goes, "eat in season", which means eating plants that grow according to the laws of nature, which are what we often call "seasonal vegetables". For example, bean sprouts, Chinese toon, spring leeks, spring bamboo shoots, etc. are all seasonal vegetables that are beneficial to children's growth and development. For example, spring bamboo shoots are rich in plant protein, vitamins, and essential nutrients for the human body such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron. They can enhance children's immunity, promote spleen and stomach digestion, and help bone development.

The second is to supplement high-quality protein. Children's height growth is inseparable from bone development, and bone development requires the support of high-quality protein. In the spring diet, parents should give priority to foods that can help children supplement high-quality protein, such as fish. For example, "crucian carp", one of the four major carps in my country, not only provides the body with high-quality protein, but is also rich in amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids, and has a certain protective effect on cardiovascular. Children who don't like to eat fish can choose a boiled egg every day, which has a protein content of 12%, and the amino acid composition is close to that of the human body, with a high absorption rate; or insist on a glass of milk (250 to 500ml) a day to supplement high-quality protein, which can also help supplement calcium, protein, amino acids, phosphorus and other important nutrients needed for growth. However, children who are prone to bloating, lactose intolerance, or children with digestive diseases such as peptic ulcers and cholecystitis should drink less milk.

Movement should be mainly vertical

Reasonable exercise can stimulate the secretion of human growth hormone, which is beneficial to balance bone growth and calcium and phosphorus metabolism throughout the body, and help grow taller. However, it should be noted that not all exercises can help children grow taller. For example, weightlifting is a weight-bearing and compressive exercise, and long-term exercise will affect height growth.

Among many sports, vertical exercise is recognized as a sport that can help grow taller. There are many types of vertical exercise: such as jumping, stride jumping, hopping on one leg, skipping rope, squat jump, swimming, high jump and wall touching, and playing basketball, etc. These exercises can play a role in mechanical stimulation of the lower limb bones, stretching muscles and ligaments, and stimulating the proliferation of epiphyseal cartilage, which is very beneficial to the growth of the spine and limb bones.

It should be noted that the children's movement speed should be controlled during skipping rope. It is best to skip at a constant speed, otherwise there is a risk of children's knee injuries.

High-quality sleep helps you grow taller

Children's growth and development are closely related to sleep. It can be said that if they don't sleep well, they may not grow well. Only high-quality sleep can help children secrete growth hormones necessary for their own growth, thereby helping children grow taller.

Good sleep is good for mental health, promotes children's intellectual development, and helps them achieve better academic results. So if you want your children to sleep well and grow taller in spring, parents need to pay attention to the following points.

First, avoid excessive food intake before going to bed. When sleeping, the gastrointestinal motility of the body will slow down and the digestion speed will decrease. If you eat too much food before going to bed, it will not only burden the child's stomach, but also affect the child's blood sugar level. High blood sugar will inhibit the secretion of growth hormone in children and affect their growth and development.

Second, ensure adequate sleep time. Human growth hormone is secreted in pulses, mainly during sleep. The amount of growth hormone secreted during sleep is about three times that of the awake state. The peak period of growth hormone secretion is generally between 10 pm and 3 am, especially in deep sleep. Therefore, it is extremely important to ensure that children get enough sleep.

Third, create a good environment for children to fall asleep. Parents should help their children create a sleeping environment with a suitable temperature, relaxation, and quietness, and turn off or dim the lights while the children are sleeping.

(The author is the chief physician of the Department of Endocrinology and Genetics and Metabolism at Jiangxi Children's Hospital)