Your body relies on vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein and fat for many functions, including growth and development. While healthy eating habits are particularly important for infants and children, whose bodies are still growing, adults rely on nutrients for cell growth, lean tissue development and overall good health. Your nutritional needs should be met through foods, according to the Mayo Clinic. In cases of deficiency, your doctor or dietitian may recommend supplements.
Does B-12 Help You Grow?
Vitamin B-12 promotes healthy red blood cell production and brain function. It also helps your body metabolize fat and protein, which is essential for growth and development. Vitamin B-12 deficiency can cause stunted growth and development in children, who require 0.9 to 2.4 micrograms per day, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Adults need 2.4 micrograms per day. Consuming too little can also cause fatigue and physical weakness, which can keep you from developing or maintaining muscle mass. Top sources of vitamin B-12 include seafood, meat, eggs, dairy products and fortified cereals.
Can Protein Powder Grow Glutes?
Building your gluteal muscles, or glutes, requires regular strength training and a healthy diet. While squats and lunges help build gluteal muscle, foods and supplements cannot add muscle to one chosen area. Protein does, however, provide the amino acids your muscles require for growth. To build muscle mass, your protein needs increase to 1.4 to 1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, says the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. To determine your weight in kilograms, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2. You also need a plentiful amount of carbohydrates, which energize your muscles and keep your body from burning lean tissue as fuel during workouts. Protein powders can help you increase your protein intake and muscle mass as part of a balanced diet, but a weightlifter's ideal protein sources are whole-food sources such as lean meats, fish and beans.
Does Vitamin D Help Toddlers Grow?
Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption, allowing for strong, healthy bones. Vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets in children, a disease that prevents bone tissue to develop properly, leading to skeletal deformities and soft bones. Toddlers, and all children ages 1 to 13, require 600 international units of vitamin D per day, which can be met through foods and sun exposure. Valuable food sources include fortified dairy products and orange juice, and seafood, such as salmon and tuna.
Does Lysine Help the Hair to Grow?
Lysine in an amino acid your body needs, but doesn't produce. Foods and supplements provide lysine, which helps ensure proper physical growth, calcium absorption, energy production and hair health. One cause of hair loss, according to Jack Norris, a registered dietitian and co-author of "Vegans for Life," is lysine deficiency. If you develop hair loss as a result of lysine deficiency, improving your intake can help stimulate hair growth. While most people reap enough lysine from foods, vegans who do not eat legumes and athletes are at heightened risk for deficiency. Top food sources include meat, cheese, cod, sardines, nuts, eggs and soybeans. Adults should aim for 12 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day.
Does Cinnamon Help Hair Grow or Thicken?
Cinnamon may taste good, but it does not promote thicker or longer hair. Because your hair consists primarily of protein, eating a protein-rich diet is important, says registered dietitian and nutrition blogger Wendy Wu. Cinnamon does not provide protein or other factors important for hair, such as sufficient omega-3 fatty acid intake. Most Americans eat plenty of protein, says Wu. Particularly nutritious sources include fish, beans, lentils, lean meats and low-fat dairy products. Cold-water fish, such as salmon, and flaxseeds are top sources of omega-3s.
Does It Take a Lot of Protein for Triceps to Grow?
Protein supplies amino acids, the building blocks of muscle. For increased muscle mass in your triceps and elsewhere, your protein needs increase to 1.4 to 1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, or 15 to 20 percent of your total daily calories. Eating more than this amount does not provide muscle-building benefits, and can damage your fitness goals if it leads to deficient carbohydrate intake or excess body fat. Calories from protein you consume but don't use are stored as fat.
Does Whey Protein Help Children Grow Taller?
While particular foods and supplements, including whey protein sources, cannot increase children's eventual height, a nutritious diet is vital. Genetics account for up to 80 percent of children's height, according to Chao-Qiang Lai, a molecular biologist at Tufts University. Environmental factors, including nutrition, also contribute -- particularly protein-rich foods. Children ages 4 to 8 need 19 grams of protein per day, and from age 9 to 13, they require 34 daily grams. Protein needs can be met through foods such as dairy products, which contain whey protein, fish and beans. If your child struggles to eat enough protein, discuss supplements with your doctor.
Does Protein Help Grow Leg Hair in Men?
Genetics are largely responsible for how much hair men have on their legs. If you've recently experienced leg hair loss due to acute stress, a skin condition, a hormonal disorder or cancer, managing the underlying cause will likely stimulate hair regrowth. If your legs have never been hairy, dietary factors will not trigger hair growth. Eating a diet rich in protein is important for healthy hair, however, according to dietitian Wendy Wu, because protein provides the material hair consists of. Men require 56 grams of protein per day -- an amount most American men meet or exceed.
Does Taking Whey Protein Grow Hair Faster?
Whey protein is a highly digestible protein derived from cow's milk. Foods and supplements, including those containing whey protein, cannot directly make your hair grow faster. Eating an overall protein and nutrient-rich diet, however, can help ensure the normal growth and health of your hair, says dietitian Wendy Wu. Nutritious protein sources include lean meats, such as skinless chicken breasts and extra-lean beef; legumes, such as beans and lentils; fish; and low-fat milk and yogurt. Adding whey protein powder to smoothies, cereals and other foods can help you meet your protein needs.
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin B-12
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Strength Building and Muscle Mass
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin D
- VeganHealth.org: Hair Loss
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Lysine
- The Happy Dietitian: Hair Loss and Food: What You Should Know
- Scientific American: How Much of Human Height is Genetic and How Much is Due to Nutrition?
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Nutrition for Everyone: Protein
- Hair Loss Expert: Causes of Losing Body Hair
- MayoClinic.com: Whey Protein