growing taller potential studies
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Recent Height-Growth Breakthroughs (2024–2025)
1. Portable Mechanical Micro-Loading Device (February 2025)
Source
Zhang, Zhengpei (2025). Effects of mechanical load/stress on bone growth.
Karolinska Institutet — Doctoral Thesis.Overview
This Swedish research represents a paradigm shift in non-surgical limb lengthening, replacing surgical distraction with dynamic lateral mechanical loading.
Technology
- Portable, computer-controlled mechatronic device
- Applies low-frequency mechanical force (~0.4 N)
- Targeted to joint and growth-plate regions
Key Results
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Femur growth increase: ~+4.0 mm compared to controls (biological models)
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Site-specific response:
- Long bones (femur): accelerated growth
- Smaller bones (metatarsals): different remodeling response
Biological Mechanism
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Identified PTGS2 (COX-2) as the primary regulatory gene
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Mechanical loading activates:
- CD73⁺ skeletal stem cells
- PTHrP⁺ growth-plate stem niches
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Causal proof: Pharmacological PTGS2 inhibition eliminated the growth effect
Interpretation:
Mechanical micro-loading “tricks” dormant skeletal stem cells into accelerated endochondral bone formation.- The Machine
Reciprocating Linear Actuator Kit (~$70)
Search Amazon for:
“Reciprocating Linear Actuator 12V with Speed Controller and Power Adapter”Why this is no-engineering:
Comes fully assembled with a wall power plug and an attached speed knob. No wiring required.Target spec:
Rated around 50 RPM (≈ 0.77 Hz).- The Holder
USB Microscope Focus Stand (~$35)
Search Amazon for:
“Adjustable Microscope Stand Focus Bracket”Why this is no-engineering:
Ready-to-use metal stand with a large adjustment knob for slow vertical movement.
The motor slides into the microscope ring and is secured with a screw.- The Precision
Digital Jewelry Scale + Calibration Weights (~$25)
Search Amazon for:
“Digital Milligram Scale 50g”
“Chrome Calibration Weight Set”Why this is no-engineering:
Force is set physically, not electronically.
Taping a 40 g weight to the motor shaft caps the applied force at ~0.4 N (“gravity-locked”).Setup (≈ 5 Minutes)
Step 1: MountSlide the motor into the microscope stand.
Tighten the screw.
Step 2: Calibrate Frequency (Speed)
Plug the unit into the wall.
Open a metronome app or website.
Set it to 46 BPM.
Turn the speed knob until the actuator strokes match the metronome beats.
Step 3: Calibrate Force
Tape the 40 g calibration weight to the motor tip.
Place the jewelry scale under the tip.
Use the stand’s large knob to lower the motor slowly.
Adjust until the scale briefly reads ~40.00 g at the lowest point of contact.
Step 4: Run
Replace the scale with the bone sample (or position the subject under the stand).
Begin the experiment.
2. Probiotic Height-Velocity Breakthrough: B. lactis BL-11 (July 2025)
Source
Wang, Q., et al. (2025).
Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BL-11 promotes height growth in children.
Clinical NutritionStudy Design
- Participants: 124 children (ages 3–7)
- Baseline: 3rd–25th height percentiles
- Intervention: 30 billion CFU/day BL-11 probiotic
- Duration: 90 days
Quantitative Outcomes
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Height Velocity (HV):
- Baseline: <5 cm/year
- Observed: +2.23 cm in 3 months
- Annualized rate: 8.92 cm/year
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Percentile Improvement:
- 55.88% of children shifted from P3–P10 → P10–P25 within 90 days
Why the Effect Persists
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Modulates the gut–bone axis
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Increases:
- Systemic IGF-1
- Mineral and nutrient absorption
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Produces true linear bone deposition, not transient swelling or posture effects
Significance:
First controlled human trial showing direct height acceleration via microbiome modulation.
3. Non-Invasive PEMF Growth-Plate Stimulation (2021–2025 Validation)
Source
Sung, et al. Effect of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Stimulation on Growth Plates.
MDPI / Applied SciencesProtocol
- Frequency: 28 Hz
- Field strength: 20 Gauss
- Target: Proximal tibial growth plate
Results
- Growth-plate length: +25.6% vs control
- Serum IGF-1: +13.6%
- Chondrocyte mitosis: +192% relative to controls
Safety Profile
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No increase in:
- Cortisol
- Cellular mutations
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Supports home-based, non-invasive use
Mechanism
PEMF accelerates chondrocyte proliferation, thickening the growth plate and enabling greater longitudinal bone elongation.
Comparative Summary of Non-Surgical Approaches
Method Primary Driver Quantified Result Core Mechanism Mechanical Micro-Loading Mechatronic lateral force +4.0 mm (target bone) PTGS2 activation & skeletal stem cells B. lactis BL-11 30B CFU/day probiotic +8.92 cm/year HV Gut–bone axis & IGF-1 elevation PEMF Stimulation 28 Hz / 20 Gauss +25.6% plate length Chondrocyte mitosis acceleration
Astragalus extract has also been shown to help
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@lobotomize ok this Is actually fun to read
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Why is there such a fuss about getting taller, it actually hurts you cardiovascularly because the heart has to work harder to pump blood higher
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@engineer There are actually tons of studies showing that taller and more attractive people have more success in their careers. It’s a biological signal of health and dominance. That’s even where the saying "looking down on peopl" comes from (the idea that you're literally and figuratively above everyone else)
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@lobotomize well let me put it this way, career success might get you more money, but your health is priceless.
Same idea with expensive foods/supplements
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@engineer Saying that being tall isn’t worth it because it might increase cardiovascular risk, while ignoring that height can statistically, socially, and economically improve career outcomes and make dating easier, thereby reducing chronic stress.
is like saying T3 is bad because it might possibly, theoretically, under certain assumptions, in rare edge cases, according to some interpretations, allegedly reduce longevity
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Why would anyone do all that BS when they can just take aromatase inhibitors as a teenager?
If you're an adult and you're not tall, sucks to suck
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@engineer said in growing taller potential studies:
Why is there such a fuss about getting taller, it actually hurts you cardiovascularly because the heart has to work harder to pump blood higher
That definitely seems to be true for very tall people, but is it also true for "normal heights"? Does, let's say, a person who is 6'2" have a higher risk to suffer from cardiovascular problems than a person who is 5'10"? Some of the tallest NBA players of all time died early or had major health problems, but we're talking 7'4" and taller in that case.
From what I can tell, most people who are interested in growing taller are in the shorter side, shorter than average. I've never seen a 6'8" guy who wanted to grow taller. I doubt that someone who grows from 5'11" to 6'1" has a shorter life expectancy, but I could be wrong.
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Not a study, but here’s a quote by Ray Peat about growing taller in his forties:
"A friend and her two kids were living with us, and everyone marked their height on the door frame; I was about 40 at the time. About a year before we moved out of the house, I was experimenting with DHEA; I had previously been handling progesterone occasionally for several years. I probably took 10 or 15 mg per day, and after a few days there was a sudden change in a mole on my belly, and my horizontal, semi-impacted lower wisdom teeth suddenly began erupting; over a period of a few weeks, they moved into a fully erupted position. I was about 45 at that time. I noticed that my belt was looser, and I had a visible waste, so I checked my weight, and found that I hadn’t lost weight, though considerable fat had disappeared. We were moving out of the house, and before we left we checked our height on the door frame. My younger girl friend was about the same as before, I was considerably taller."
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@Jennifer Sadly, Peat has made some wild anecdotal claims that really blur the line between reality and fiction. Examples include:
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He claimed a infertile woman ovulated after wearing his cardigan.
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A dog allegedly regrew an eyeball.
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He claimed to eat 10,000+ calories per day without gaining weight.
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@lobotomize said in growing taller potential studies:
@Jennifer Sadly, Peat has made some wild anecdotal claims that really blur the line between reality and fiction. Examples include:
- He claimed a infertile woman ovulated after wearing his cardigan.
This doesnt sound farfetch or bluring the line, other people energy and physiognomy can influence yours drastically, including fertility.
- A dog allegedly regrew an eyeball.
This sound more extraordinary
- He claimed to eat 10,000+ calories per day without gaining weight.
This doesnt sound farfetch, i have already eaten 15/20 kilos of ripe fruits a day or at once with out gaining weight
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@lobotomize said in growing taller potential studies:
@Jennifer Sadly, Peat has made some wild anecdotal claims that really blur the line between reality and fiction. Examples include:
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He claimed a infertile woman ovulated after wearing his cardigan.
-
A dog allegedly regrew an eyeball.
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He claimed to eat 10,000+ calories per day without gaining weight.
I believe he grew. After switching from a plant-based diet to an ancestral one heavy in full-fat dairy and supplementing thyroid in my early 30s, my wisdom teeth erupted and I regained an inch of the almost four inches I lost when my spine collapsed in my 20s. I’ve grown another inch since. I just hope I don’t surpass my original height of just under 5’4”. I’ve always wanted to be short. My sibling is tall (6’4”) and I was one of the tallest kids in my class, until becoming vegetarian around 11/12 and I stopped growing.
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