Drinking milk goes from being essential in our younger years to being forgotten as we grow old. However, older adults who consume milk regularly are often in better shape than those who don’t.
Many seniors continue drinking it to prevent osteoporosis and maintain bone strength. Milk is also a good source of Vitamin D, an essential vitamin that helps the body absorb calcium.
Let’s look at the health benefits older adults experience when they drink it. We’ll also look at some risk factors and foods that may provide the same benefits.
What Are the Best Kinds of Milk for the Elderly to Drink?
Older adults benefit greatly from cow’s milk. This is because of its high vitamin D content. It’s also known to fend off high blood pressure and increases a consumer’s potassium intake.
Professional in-home caregivers should thus seriously consider giving their wards low or nonfat milk instead of whole milk. Increasing yogurt and low-fat dairy consumption also helps adults stay strong as they age.
Reducing the amount of fat in the dairy they eat and drink is important to promote good health. This is to prevent any risk of heart attack from having too much salt or fat in their diet.
Drinking milk with lower fat content also allows consumers to digest it more easily and allows the body to process it more effectively.
Brands of Milk for Elderly
A good care manager knows what brands increase the dairy intake for seniors in their care. While plenty of these come in powder form, it’s still possible to drink regular milk if you can digest it.
Here are a few brands that care for senior women and men the way you do:
- Glucerna
- Ensure
- Maple Hill
- Stonyfield Organic
- Organic Valley
Milk is a good source of Vitamin D, an essential nutrient for calcium and potassium absorption. They also allow users to absorb other nutrients while boosting potassium intake.
It’s important to skip dairy products that lack nutrients like glutathione or contain too much sodium or added sugar.
It’s important to choose the right dairy product for you, as it is still the leading provider of calcium compared to other foods or drinks.
It should be easy to digest, affordable, and help you feel healthy.
Choosing the right brand with essential nutrients is best to maintain your mobility and joint strength. You will need to examine the clinical nutrition found on the packaging.
Geriatric vs. Normal Milk
Geriatric dairy products designed for the elderly have more stringent requirements than milk for kids and young adults. This is because they need to consider health complications and the needs of older adults.
Milk contains important minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus. It’s rich in Vitamin D and contains similar protein content to canned salmon.
While these are common benefits across age groups, elders who drank milk were found to need more bone-strengthening nutrients and additional help soothing upset stomachs.
Dairy products for elders also need to keep them in good health. This means that they must enhance immunity while being low in cholesterol.
Geriatric milk can help lower diabetes and are higher in fiber than normal versions.
Is Milk Good for Seniors?
Milk contains an antioxidant called glutathione, which can reduce oxidative stress. It can even help protect the mind against Alzheimer’s disease.
It is rich in vitamin D, which is important for adults who may not get as much sunlight as they need. Milk is a “neutral food” for those looking to prevent a heart attack and helps regulate the heartbeat.
However, older adults with chronic kidney disease should limit their dairy consumption. There are nut milk alternatives for lactose-intolerant adults or vegans looking for the benefits of it.
Health Benefits of Drinking Milk
Milk is jam-packed with health benefits that older adults can benefit from. It is an excellent source of vitamin D, “the sun vitamin,” that aids in increasing immunity and calcium absorption.
This impacts bone density and strength. It strengthens the bones, preventing osteoporosis from eating away at you. This allows elders to maintain their strength and mobility.
Milk also solves the problem of having too little potassium, an essential nutrient that regulates the heartbeat and muscle development.
It also contains glutathione, which fights off stress and increases cognitive abilities. It keeps adults sharp and allows them to remain active even in their later years.
How Much Milk Should an Elderly Person Drink?
Seniors who drank milk for around 3 servings a day were found to have a sufficient quantity of calcium and potassium to strengthen their bones and joints, fighting off osteoporosis and weakening bones.
Women may need 4 servings a day due to the higher risk they have of weak bones.
Humans produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. Adults lacking time in the sun or prone to sicknesses should also drink more milk to boost their immunity.
Best Time to Drink Milk for Seniors
Seniors should drink milk about an hour and a half after meals to give their bodies enough time to digest, especially if they can’t work with dairy the way they used to.
It’s better than drinking milk at night, as it may give them upset stomachs in the middle of the night, disrupting their sleep schedule.
If they forget to drink or can’t handle it, dairy foods are a good alternative to milk intake for seniors. It allows them to get their Vitamin D and lower high blood pressure.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some common questions most seniors have regarding more milk intake. These include how much you need and which kind of milk (fresh milk, nonfat, etc.) works best for you.
What Is the Best Milk for a 70-Year-Old?
Because of its primary benefits (Vitamin D, high blood pressure reduction, osteoporosis prevention, etc.), reduced fat milk or non-fat milk work wonders for the elderly.
Drinking low-fat milk instead of fresh milk reduces aging and makes it more digestible for older adults.
How Much Milk Should a 70-Year-Old Drink?
A 70-year-old should drink around 3-4 glasses daily (1300 mg), preventing osteoporosis and maintaining bone strength. After all, non-fat milk has 300 mg of calcium, more than enough to produce strong bones.
However, milk may cause indigestion or bloat in older adults. It’s, therefore, better to drink reduced-fat milk to absorb more vitamins and get more protein.
Should Seniors Stop Drinking Milk?
Seniors struggling with poor bone health need the benefits milk offers. However, it can often make them feel bloated or unwell. Drinking only 1-2 glasses daily is best if you are not used to it.
It is up to the senior care manager to ensure that they drink their milk.
Conclusion
Drinking milk should not just be done by children. Drinking at least a single cup of milk daily helps ensure healthy bones. Many seniors who consider boosting calcium intake will find managing everyday tasks easier.
As we age, it’s important to make healthier lifestyle choices, especially those we might’ve shunned when we were younger. For most seniors, it is best to consume milk regularly to live healthier lives.
