Does Coffee Stunt Your Growth? Where the Myth Came From
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“Don’t drink that, it’ll stunt your growth.” If you grew up in the US or Europe, there is a good chance an adult said this when you reached for a coffee cup. So, does coffee stunt your growth? No. There is no credible scientific evidence that coffee or caffeine reduces how tall you grow. Height is driven mainly by genetics, with nutrition, sleep and overall health playing supporting roles.
The myth has a surprisingly commercial origin, and a small grain of truth about calcium got stretched far beyond the evidence. Here is the full story, plus the caffeine concerns for children and teens that are real.
Key takeaways
- No study has shown that coffee shortens adult height.
- The myth was amplified by early 20th-century advertising for Postum, a caffeine-free coffee substitute; a 1933 ad claimed coffee hampered children’s growth.
- Caffeine slightly reduces calcium absorption, but the effect is small and easily offset by a calcium-adequate diet.
- The real concerns for kids are sleep, anxiety, sugar and high-dose energy drinks, which is why pediatric groups discourage caffeine for children and teens.
In this article
- Does coffee stunt your growth? The short answer
- Where the myth came from
- The calcium connection
- What actually determines height
- The real caffeine concerns for kids and teens
- FAQ
Does coffee stunt your growth? The short answer
Bones grow in length at growth plates, areas of cartilage near the ends of long bones. Growth plates close after puberty, typically in the late teens, and after that you cannot get taller. For coffee to stunt growth, it would have to interfere with that process, and no study has demonstrated this.
One study often cited on this question followed 81 adolescents for six years and found no relationship between daily caffeine intake and bone gain or bone density. Large reviews of caffeine safety from agencies such as EFSA have not identified height or growth as a concern at moderate intakes.
Where the myth came from
Worries about coffee are old
Coffee has been accused of nearly everything since it first spread: it was restricted in Mecca in the 1500s, and England’s King Charles II tried to suppress coffeehouses in 1675. Medical writers in the 1800s blamed it for nervousness and assorted ills. Our article on when coffee was banned covers those episodes.
Postum’s advertising
The growth claim got its biggest boost from marketing. In the 1890s, cereal entrepreneur C. W. Post launched Postum, a roasted grain drink sold as a caffeine-free alternative to coffee. Its advertising warned that coffee caused nervousness and other ailments. After Post died in 1914, the company aimed ads at parents and children, and a 1933 advertisement claimed coffee “hampers proper development and growth.” Postum remained popular for decades, and so did the idea.
Why the myth stuck
- It sounded plausible. Coffee is a stimulant; children are small. It felt like common sense.
- It was useful. Parents had a simple reason to keep a hot, bitter, caffeinated drink away from kids.
- The calcium link. Later research on caffeine and bone gave the claim a scientific-sounding hook.
The calcium connection
Studies in adults found that higher caffeine intake was linked to slightly lower calcium absorption and slightly more calcium lost in urine. That is the grain of truth behind the myth. But the effect is small, and the US National Institutes of Health notes that, for people who get enough calcium, moderate caffeine does not appear to harm bone health. The Smithsonian estimates that a tablespoon or so of milk offsets the calcium effect of an 8-ounce cup of coffee.
The bigger issue, historically, was substitution: when coffee or soda replaces milk in a young person’s diet, total calcium intake can fall. That is a diet problem, not a coffee problem. For more on how coffee interacts with minerals, see our article on coffee and iron absorption.
What actually determines height
| Factor | Role in height | Coffee’s influence |
|---|---|---|
| Genetics | The main factor; height is highly heritable | None |
| Nutrition (protein, calories, calcium, vitamin D) | Supports reaching genetic potential, especially in childhood | Indirect only, if coffee replaces nutritious foods or milk |
| Sleep | Growth hormone is released largely during deep sleep | Caffeine late in the day can shorten or disrupt sleep |
| Overall health | Chronic illness and some hormone disorders can affect growth | None demonstrated |
| Puberty timing | Sets the window before growth plates close | None demonstrated |
The sleep row is the most interesting one. Coffee does not stop bones growing, but caffeine can delay sleep and reduce deep sleep, and sleep matters for growing bodies. Our guide to caffeine and sleep explains how long caffeine stays active.
The real caffeine concerns for kids and teens
Dropping the growth myth does not mean coffee is fine for children. Caffeine affects smaller bodies more per milligram, and the main concerns are:
- Sleep: later bedtimes and lighter sleep, with knock-on effects on mood, attention and school performance.
- Jitters and anxiety: restlessness, fast heartbeat and stomach upset at relatively low doses.
- Sugar and calories: many coffee-shop drinks and energy drinks are closer to desserts.
- High-dose products: energy drinks and caffeine powders can deliver large amounts quickly.
What the guidelines say
| Organization | Guidance for young people |
|---|---|
| American Academy of Pediatrics (as cited by the FDA) | Discourages caffeine and other stimulants for children and adolescents |
| EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) | Up to about 3 mg per kg of body weight per day raises no safety concern for children and adolescents |
| Health Canada | Maximum daily intakes of 45 mg (ages 4–6), 62.5 mg (7–9), 85 mg (10–12), and 2.5 mg per kg for teens |
For perspective, an 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee averages about 95 mg of caffeine, according to the USDA. Our article on whether kids can drink coffee gives practical, age-by-age advice. If you have questions about your child’s caffeine intake, sleep or growth, your pediatrician is the best person to ask.
For the grown-ups who were told the myth
If you are an adult who avoided coffee as a kid because of this story, you can enjoy it now within the 400 mg a day that the FDA and EFSA consider reasonable for most healthy adults. Like a smooth, low-acid cup? Try our Breakfast Blend, a mellow medium roast. Prefer the taste without the full kick? Half Caf has about half the caffeine, and Peru Decaf is a Swiss Water Process single origin with caramel notes. For a caffeine-free option the whole family can share, Hibiscus Berry herbal tea is naturally caffeine-free.
Coffee and growth FAQ
Can coffee make you shorter as an adult?
No. Adult height is set once growth plates close, and there is no evidence coffee shrinks you. Height loss in older age is related to spine and bone changes, not to coffee itself.
At what age can kids drink coffee?
There is no official minimum age in the US, but pediatric experts discourage caffeine for children and teens. Health Canada and EFSA give weight-based upper limits.
Does decaf stunt growth?
No. Decaf contains only a few milligrams of caffeine per cup, and caffeine itself has not been shown to stunt growth.
Is the coffee myth the same as the soda myth?
Similar. Concerns about soda and kids center on sugar, calories and replacing milk, rather than any proven effect on height.
Sources
- It’s a Myth: There’s No Evidence That Coffee Stunts Kids’ Growth, Smithsonian Magazine.
- Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much?, FDA.
- Scientific Opinion on the safety of caffeine, EFSA, 2015.
- Caffeine in foods, Health Canada.
- Does Coffee Stunt Your Growth?, GoodRx Health.
Facts checked in October 2026.
This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or take medication, ask your doctor before changing your caffeine intake.
Keep reading: Caffeine myths · How much caffeine is too much? · Tea