When was this understanding updated?

The evidence had largely shifted by around 2010. Schools don't flip overnight, though — plenty of classrooms kept teaching the older version for years after researchers had already moved on.

Is "Drinking coffee or caffeinated beverages will stunt your growth" true?

Reach for a coffee as a kid and someone was guaranteed to warn that caffeine stunts your growth, so stick to milk if you wanted to end up tall. Generations of parents repeated it with total confidence and essentially no data behind it whatsoever. Final adult height is mostly locked in by genetics and nutrition well before most people even start drinking coffee regularly. Caffeine never had the power the warning gave it credit for.

What you were taught

Drinking coffee or caffeinated beverages will stunt your growth

What we know now

Reviews of the evidence have not found a credible link between moderate caffeine intake and reduced adult height. Most final height is determined before teens commonly start drinking coffee regularly.

Updated understanding emerged around 2010

Source Comment

Health

Common questions

Was "Drinking coffee or caffeinated beverages will stunt your growth" taught in school?: Yes — and not as a joke question on a quiz. This health claim showed up in textbooks, worksheets, and classroom posters through the 1980s, which is why so many people still remember it as settled fact long after the science moved on.
Is "Drinking coffee or caffeinated beverages will stunt your growth" true?: No. Reviews of the evidence have not found a credible link between moderate caffeine intake and reduced adult height. Most final height is determined before teens commonly start drinking coffee regularly. If you want the primary citation, start with Harvard Health - Can Coffee Really Stunt Your Growth?
When was this understanding updated?: The evidence had largely shifted by around 2010. Schools don't flip overnight, though — plenty of classrooms kept teaching the older version for years after researchers had already moved on.

Is "Drinking coffee or caffeinated beverages will stunt your growth" true?

Common questions

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