Will children grow taller if they are hungry at night? It’s not that simple…

Rumor: "If you go hungry at night, your child will secrete more growth hormone and grow taller."

Recently, there is a parenting saying that has become very popular online: "Children should be allowed to starve at night, especially after 8 o'clock. They should not eat any food, because when they go to bed, the stomach needs to digest the food, and the body cannot have a deep sleep, which affects the secretion of growth hormone and is not conducive to the growth of children."

Rumor analysis: The view is one-sided and lacks clinical evidence to support it.

The factors that influence height growth are complex. Endocrine regulation of growth hormone is one aspect, but its foundation lies in the digestion and absorption of nutrients. Looking at the growth of the average height of Chinese teenagers in recent decades, it is not due to being "hungry" more, but to more comprehensive nutrition. Therefore, the theoretical aspect cannot be used as clinical guidance. If parents blindly implement the "hunger theory", it may delay the development of their children and affect their height growth.

The height of children has always been a concern for parents. Recently, a parenting saying has become very popular online: "Let your child go hungry at night, especially after 8 o'clock, and don't eat anything, because eating these foods will make the stomach need to digest food when going to bed, and the body will not be able to have a deep sleep, which will affect the secretion of growth hormone and is not conducive to the child's growth."

Image source: Screenshot from a certain platform Does this statement make sense? Let's talk about the factors that affect height growth~

Growth hormone produced by "starvation" does not promote "growth"

Physiologically, when hunger, exercise, hypoglycemia, stress, etc. cause a lack of energy supply or increased consumption, the secretion of growth hormone (GH) increases, especially acute hypoglycemia, which has the most significant stimulating effect on growth hormone secretion. Conversely, increased blood sugar can reduce growth hormone levels. It is undeniable that "starving" will always get more growth hormone. However, growth hormone plays multiple roles in the human body, and its physiological functions can be divided into immediate effects and long-term effects, which participate in metabolic regulation and growth promotion respectively. The immediate effect is a physiological reaction that is directly realized within minutes to hours after the secretion of growth hormone (obtained by "starvation"), and its function is to regulate metabolism:

In a state of hunger, growth hormone maintains stable blood sugar levels through its glycemic effect.

Under stress conditions (such as hypoglycemia, strenuous exercise), growth hormone is rapidly secreted to regulate metabolic balance and provide energy support for the body.

The immediate effect is usually independent of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and is mainly achieved through the direct action of growth hormone on the target tissue (see figure below), and is basically not involved in promoting growth.

Image source: Physiology, 10th edition

Where does the growth hormone that promotes height come from?

Growth promotion is mainly achieved through long-term effects of growth hormone, which is mostly dependent on insulin-like growth factor-1 and achieves chronic and sustained physiological effects by regulating gene expression.

This part of growth hormone is secreted in a pulsed manner (see the figure below) and is not affected by hunger, exercise, hypoglycemia, stress, and steroid hormones. Its secretion peaks during sleep at night, and is most active during deep sleep, especially about 1 hour after falling asleep.

Image source: Physiology, 10th edition

That is, the peak of growth hormone secretion has little to do with hunger. On the contrary, nighttime hunger may affect the depth and quality of sleep, thereby interfering with the secretion of growth hormone. In addition, the growth hormone obtained in a hungry state is an immediate effect mechanism, and its effect on promoting growth is limited. If excessive hunger leads to hypoglycemia or metabolic disorders, it will be detrimental to the health and growth of children.

What is the key to making children grow taller?

1. Eat a balanced diet with plenty of variety

Growth requires adequate support from nutrients such as protein, minerals, vitamin D, etc., which is the foundation of the building.

2. Eat three meals regularly and distribute them reasonably

It is usually recommended that the total energy be distributed roughly in the proportions of 25%-30% for breakfast, 35%-40% for lunch, and 30%-35% for dinner, which is more conducive to digestion and absorption.

Emphasize the importance of breakfast and recommend that breakfast should include cereals, protein, vegetables and fruits, with diversified energy sources.

Snacks, lunch, and dinner should be adjusted according to activity level and schedule.

The energy level of dinner should not be too high, especially reducing the intake of high-fat and high-sugar foods to prevent excessive energy storage at night and prevent obesity. You can increase the proportion of coarse grains to increase satiety and lower blood sugar levels at night, taking into account nutrition while making the body relatively "hungry".

3. Maintain a regular work and rest schedule to ensure sleep quality

Arrange your child's sleeping time reasonably, reduce disturbances to the sleeping environment, and actively intervene in disease factors that affect sleep (eczema, rhinitis, snoring, asthma, etc.).

4. Exercise moderately to help bone growth

Engage in moderate outdoor activities or exercise during the day. It is recommended that you engage in moderate to high intensity exercise for an average of more than 60 minutes a day. This can stimulate bone growth and improve overall health.

5. Mental Health

A child's physical and mental health is the basis of his or her comprehensive growth, and maintaining a happy mental state is equally important.

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In general, not eating and "starving" at night to make children grow taller has not been verified by scientific evidence, and it also deviates from the material basis of growth and development: balanced diet and reasonable nutrition. Blindly starving children not only fails to increase the secretion of growth hormone, but may affect healthy growth. Therefore, parents should look at such statements rationally, and scientific parenting is a wise move. It is recommended that parents not only manage their children's diet, sleep and exercise, but also need regular physical examinations and monitor growth curves. If the child's height growth lags significantly behind his peers, it is recommended to consult a pediatrician in time to assess whether further intervention is needed.

Looking in the mirror of rumors

You need to be wary of information that exploits parents' concerns and anxieties about their children's growth. These rumors often spread quickly through social media, non-professional forums, or word of mouth. You can also try to logically distinguish the information you see, such as the statement that "if you go hungry at night, your child will grow taller." For children's growth, a balanced diet is very important, not promoting growth through hunger. Going hungry is unlikely to help their healthy development.

References

[1] Luo Ziqiang, Guan Youfei. Physiology[M]. 10th edition. Beijing: People's Medical Publishing House, 2024.

[2] Shlomo Melmed. Physiology of growth hormone. UpToDate. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/zh-Hans/physiology-of-growth-hormone. (Accessed on Jun 10, 2024). [3] Chinese Nutrition Society. Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents. 2022 edition. Beijing: People's Medical Publishing House, 2022.

Author: Fan Yuzhu Hangzhou Ho Yun Chia Hospital Nha Trang Clinic

Reviewer: Tang Qin, Director of the Science Popularization Department of the Chinese Medical Association, National Health Science Popularization Expert