Full cream milk may also be the best choice for adults over 70 years, especially if they are underweight, frail or recovering from surgery or a fall. High energy, high protein diets for the elderly often recommend custards, rice pudding and hot chocolate drinks made with full cream milk.
Drinking milk is beneficial for health regardless of your age. Milk is an excellent vitamin D and calcium source to keep up muscle strength, maintain healthy bones, and prevent osteoporosis. Still, low or non-fat milk is the best choice for the elderly.
Age 60 and older
Drinking 1 cup of milk per day of either whole, 2%, 1%, or nonfat dairy milk, provides 8 grams of protein in your day. Therefore, milk is an easy way to get close to the recommended daily amount of protein for an adult 60 and older.
Drinking at least three servings of milk or eating dairy foods each day is a good way for seniors, like Doris, to get vitamin D and calcium, and protein.
Older adults who drink three cups of dairy milk a day can increase their brain's level of a powerful antioxidant that helps protect the brain from the damage that accompanies aging and aging-related diseases.
Fat content: Seniors may be more susceptible to heart disease and other health conditions, so choosing milk with low-fat content is vital. Skim or 1% milk is a good choice because it is lower in saturated fat and calories than whole or 2% milk.
General guidelines for how much milk a child each should drink are: 2 – 3 cups per day for children 12-24 months; and 2 – 2½ cups per day for children 2–5 years old. For children over 5 years old, the daily recommendations are 2½ cups to age 8, and then 3 cups for ages 9-18.
Unfortunately many adults gradually lose the necessary digestive enzymes from their gastrointestinal tract, and they become intolerant of milk. However, if it can be tolerated then milk is a very good food from infancy through old age.
The rich mix of nutrients in milk and dairy foods make them a valuable part of the diets of older people, including providing calcium, protein, phosphorus and vitamin B12.
Soft Cheeses
Options like blue cheese, Camembert, and Brie are made from unpasteurized milk, so seniors with weak immune systems run the risk of getting dangerous infections. However, seniors don't have to avoid all kinds of cheese. Hard cheeses like cheddar and Swiss are perfectly safe.
Which type of milk is best for the elderly? Low-fat or non-fat milk is a good source of vitamin D and other nutrients. The elderly may drink fresh milk, but those who have lactose-related intolerance may choose lactose-free versions.
The Bottom Line. If you aren't lactose-intolerant or allergic to dairy, it's totally OK to enjoy a regular glass of milk each day. From improving bone health to helping mitigate cognitive decline, drinking milk and incorporating other dairy items into your diet can come with some health benefits.
One of the main reasons dairy is often recommended for seniors is its high calcium content. A typical serving of dairy has 276 milligrams of calcium, and seniors need 1,200 milligrams of calcium per day. Seniors need this much calcium because it's important for keeping the bones healthy.
Plain Greek yogurt
It contains probiotics, which help us maintain gut health. Probiotics have been shown to aid in digestion, boost immune function, and even prevent infection. Plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt is highly versatile.
Causes of refusal to eat and drink may include physiologic changes associated with aging, mental disorders including dementia and depression, medical, social, and environmental factors.
According to a study, babies that feed on breast milk have the highest level of DHA in their brains. The longer the baby feeds on breast milk, the higher the DHA level. According to World Health Organization (WHO), the ideal age of weaning is when the child is 2 years old.
Once it hits the colon, bacteria break down the lactose and create excess gas and fluid. Even though all adults experience a decline in lactase enzymes as they age, genetic makeup has a lot to do with how quickly the decline proceeds. Some ethnic groups are more prone than others.
However, whole milk was shown to increase the level of HDL cholesterol which reflects a healthier effect on cholesterol levels. The findings provide more evidence that low fat foods are not advantageous and that full fat dairy is likely to be the healthier choice.
“Some people are able to tolerate lactose throughout their lives, but others become more lactose intolerant as they age,” usually caused by your genes, she says. “Some people stop producing lactase, or produce less of it, as they reach adulthood and beyond.”
Research shows the ideal balance between these issues is 500ml (16oz) milk per day. This is the spot that gives them enough calcium and vitamin D to stay healthy but won't have a negative impact on their appetite or iron levels.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recommends drinking one to two glasses of milk daily. For the six billion people around the world who regularly consume milk, that adds up to 2.4 billion liters every day – or the capacity of 960 Olympic swimming pools.
Milk: Not Just for Kids
As you can see, unless you are unable to drink milk because of an allergy or lactose intolerance, milk isn't just for kids. There are bountiful health benefits for adults who drink three servings a day too.