Does coffee doesn't stunt growth

Question

The claim that coffee stunts your growth is a common myth, especially told to children or teens. However, according to several medical and scientific sources, there’s no solid evidence that coffee consumption affects height or growth in adolescents or adults. One reliable source is John Hopkins Medicine, which explains that while caffeine can temporarily interfere with calcium absorption, the effect is minimal and does not lead to stunted growth if you have a balanced diet. Here's a direct quote from them: “There’s no evidence that coffee or caffeine stunts a person’s growth. This myth probably began because caffeine can slightly reduce calcium absorption, but not nearly enough to affect growth.”

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-caffeine-question-myths-and-facts

Answer 1

You make a solid case, and the medical consensus definitely agrees that coffee doesn’t stunt growth. But I think it’s worth questioning how this myth became so entrenched in the first place—was it only about calcium absorption? Some researchers argue that the myth may have been fueled by concerns over sleep disruption in kids and teens, which can indirectly affect development. According to the Sleep Foundation, caffeine can delay sleep onset and reduce deep sleep—both of which are crucial for growth hormone release during adolescence. So while coffee might not directly shrink anyone, the timing and amount of caffeine in a teen’s routine still matters for healthy development. It might be more accurate to say “Coffee doesn’t stunt growth—but poor sleep from too much caffeine might.”

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/can-coffee-really-stunt-your-growth

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/nutrition/caffeine-and-sleep

Comments

I agree with your disagreement. You are right to mention that coffee consumption includes other side effects that could possibly be the cause of that myth. I checked the sources of your last article and they lead me to another science document which included clinical trials that supported your argument.

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hi EVD16, I agree with your disagreement, as although caffeine may not directly stunt growth, there are other factors that play into it as well. As you mentioned, sleep in important for an adolescences health and development which then pertains to ones growth, and while caffeine is meant to keep one energized, with the lack of sleep a child can get with drinking too much coffee or caffeinated drinks, that's what plays into effect with it stunting growth. I also like the sources you used in your fact check, as it opens up more sources giving more information on the lack of sleep and caffein delaying sleep

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Your fact-check is solid, debunking the coffee-growth myth effectively. I agree, the Sleep Foundation highlights caffeine’s sleep disruption, potentially affecting adolescent growth indirectly. Great points overall though. Have you considered exploring how cultural factors amplified this misconception beyond calcium concerns?

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I agree with your disagreement. Although coffee or caffeine may not be what is causing stunted growth, it is very smart to consider a third variable that may be effected by caffeine consumption. The sources you used are also very helpful and supportive of your argument.

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I completely agree with you that coffee itself doesn't directly stunt growth, but I do believe coffee has many cons and these cons could contribute to lack of development for young children. As you mentioned, the real issue is caffeine's effect on sleep. Obviously coffee affects sleep because it has caffeine in it causing bad sleep patterns, holding back sleep and reducing deep sleep, which is so important for growth for a child during a young age. excessive caffeine consumption, even if not from coffee directly, can indirectly affect growth by messing with sleep. It's more reasonable to say that coffee doesn't stunt growth, but the potential for caffeine to disrupt sleep and, because of that, affect growth, is a legitimate concern.

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The claim that coffee stunts your growth is a common myth, especially told to children or teens. However, according to several medical and scientific sources, there’s no solid evidence that coffee consumption affects height or growth in adolescents or adults. One reliable source is John Hopkins Medicine, which explains that while caffeine can temporarily interfere with calcium absorption, the effect is minimal and does not lead to stunted growth if you have a balanced diet. Here's a direct quote from them: “There’s no evidence that coffee or caffeine stunts a person’s growth. This myth probably began because caffeine can slightly reduce calcium absorption, but not nearly enough to affect growth.”

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I think you make a very interesting point about how coffee does effect ones growth. You look at the side effects of how coffee effects sleep which is very important in the development of younger individuals which is a very important factor. Overall, this is a very important and interesting take on how coffee effects younger individuals growth

Answer 2

It is true that coffee doesn't stunt your growth, and it comes from a misleading myth that coffee causes osteoporosis (which is also not true), but coffee doesn't necessarily have great health benefits. Based off of WebMD, there is no concrete evidence that shows that coffee leads to stunted growth. However, coffee can impact someone's sleep, alertness, focus, and heart rate.

https://www.webmd.com/diet/does-coffee-stunt-your-growth

Comments

Great job! You debunked the myth about coffee stunting growth using WebMD. However, maybe consider cross-referencing with sources like the NIH or WHO for some stronger evidence. Also, I think it would be helpful to mention how coffee's effects on sleep and heart rate can vary based on individual factors like caffeine tolerance and genetics.

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You did a really good job of stating your claim and using another source to debunk this myth. However, I think it would be really helpful if you referenced WebMD by pulling out some quotes that support your claim. Also, I think it would be beneficial if you went into more detail about how you came to the conclusion of your claim that coffee stunts your growth.

Answer 3

According to the research article I found, Coffee does not stunt growth and is seen to be a myth. There is no scientifically valid data that shows that there is a connection between stunted growth amongst coffee drinkers.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/can-coffee-really-stunt-your-growth#:~:text=There%20is%20no%20scientifically%20valid,associated%20with%20loss%20of%20height).

Comments

While this is a valid answer, having another source to back up your claim would be helpful so that way its multidimensional and irrefutable. However, being a Harvard article it already certifies itself. Good job!

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Very good comment, It's interesting how these kinds of beliefs can persist for so long without solid scientific backing. While the broad conclusion might be that coffee doesn't directly stunt growth, it might be worth considering if very high caffeine intake could indirectly impact growth? Just a thought. Very good find!

Answer 4

The myth that coffee stunts your growth is not true. According to Harvard Health Publishing, although many people believe the misconception that coffee causes osteoporosis, no scientific evidence actually proves that coffee stunts a person's growth. A pediatric endocrinologist, Roy Kim, MD, also claims that caffeine doesn't impact growth. However, they also say caffeine affects sleep and attention. Therefore, although caffeine itself is not harmful to growth, in broad terms, it may be a growth-inhibiting factor in terms of its involvement in sleep and attention problems that are crucial to children's growth.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/can-coffee-really-stunt-your-growth

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/does-coffee-stunt-growth

Comments

I think your comment on mentioning that caffein can impact sleep and attention therefor impacting growth in children is important. I think your claim is well stated and supported by your evidence, although I think it would be interesting and a way to strengthen your argument to note how the science behind the sleep impacts growth but overall, I think you did a good job.

Answer 5

The myth that coffee stunts a child's growth is false, there is no concrete evidence that shows this fully, yet it has been shown to negatively affect other health areas such as disturbed sleep and appetite. A person's growth is reliant on a couple different things, genetics and lifestyle factors such as nutrition, height and weight. Cleavland health clinic states that “Caffeine is an appetite suppressant, and stimulants have the effect of lowering appetite a little bit, but that doesn’t translate into a meaningful impact on child growth.” As well as WebMD states “caffeine in coffee drinks has a stimulating effect on your body and mind. This means it increases your alertness, focus, and heart rate. When young people consume too much caffeine before bedtime, their sleep is affected. The effects of sleep deprivation have more to do with stunted growth than coffee itself.” Overall, a more inclusive statement could be although caffeine and coffee in particular isn’t a key factor in stunting growth it can have some negative side effects that parallel to growth such as sleep and appetite.

"Fact or Fiction: Can Caffeine Really Stunt Your Growth?" Healthline, 23 Mar. 2020, www.healthline.com/nutrition/caffeine-growth.

Kim, Roy. "Does Coffee Stunt Your Growth?" Cleveland Clinic, 9 May 2022, https://health.clevelandclinic.org/does-coffee-stunt-growth. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

Answer 6

It's a common misconception that drinking coffee at a young age will stunt your growth. Drinking coffee doesn't affect your overall hight. Lots of research has been done on coffee in regards to cancer, heart disease, infertility, and many other issues. Additionally, due to the high amount of research done there is nothing that suggest that coffee stunts ones growth. Many believe that coffee causes osteoporosis which leads to stunted growth, however, this is further from the truth for two reasons. One, coffee doesn't cause osteoporosis and two, osteoporosis does not routinely make you short. Finally people stop growing in their teens around 15-17 for girls and a little bit later for boys, normally people don't start drinking coffee routinely tell after these ages, and bone growth can't be undone either. Overall, coffee doesn't affect ones growth.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/can-coffee-really-stunt-your-growth