The Claim

A higher ratio of high-quality animal protein (dairy and pork) to cereal protein is strongly correlated with greater national average male height across 136 populations.

Source: Back to the pre-industrial age? FAOSTAT statistics of food supply reveal radical dietary changes accompanied by declining body height, rising obesity rates, and declining phenotypic IQ in affluent Western countries

What the research says

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Supports
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Challenges
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These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

Correlation
1 study reviewed
In plain English

In countries where people consume more animal protein from dairy and pork relative to cereal proteins, average male height tends to be taller. This pattern is observed across 136 populations.

See the scientific wording

The ratio of high-quality animal protein (dairy and pork) to cereal protein is strongly correlated with national average male height across 136 populations, with higher ratios predicting greater stature, suggesting protein quality is a key determinant of physical growth.

What the research says

1 study
  1. Study: Back to the pre-industrial age? FAOSTAT statistics of food supply reveal radical dietary changes accompanied by declining body height, rising obesity rates, and declining phenotypic IQ in affluent Western countries

    When people eat more meat and dairy and less bread and cereal, they tend to grow taller. The study found that as Western countries started eating more cereal and less meat, their people stopped getting taller, suggesting the type of protein matters for growth.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

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