Coffee consumption stunts human growth (reduces height growth).
NOT BSTOTAL BS
TOTAL BS — Verdict: False
Verified by Lenz ·
The Short Version
Available evidence does not support the idea that drinking coffee reduces human height growth. Clinical guidance from major pediatric and medical sources treats this as a debunked myth, and studies in adolescents have not shown lower height growth from caffeine intake. Caffeine can still be a problem for children and teens because it can disrupt sleep and cause other health effects, but that is different from stunting height.
Caveats
This does not mean caffeine is harmless for children or teens; it can worsen sleep, anxiety, palpitations, and energy-drink-related risks.
Studies about maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy are a different question and cannot be used to show that a child drinking coffee will grow shorter.
Indirect effects such as poor sleep or poor nutrition may affect development, but that is not evidence that coffee itself directly reduces final height.