Do elderly people still need to drink milk? How many?

The habit of drinking milk is synonymous with children because they are considered to need a lot of nutrition to support their growth and development. Then what about the elderly whose growth has stopped, do they still have to drink milk? How much milk should the elderly consume per day?

How important is drinking milk for the elderly?

Maybe you already know that milk is one of the biggest sources of calcium and vitamin D. Both types of nutrients are needed by the body to make bones stronger and prevent brittleness.

In children, milk is thought to help accelerate growth. Then what about the parents who have stopped growing? Milk has several benefits for elderly people, namely:

• Drinking milk can slow bone loss. Calcium and vitamin D in milk, can make bones become denser, thus preventing brittle bones. In just one glass of low-fat milk, contains 306 mg of calcium, which can help meet your daily calcium needs.
• Good for heart health. Milk also contains potassium, which is a nutrient that plays a role in blood pressure. Various studies have shown that increasing potassium intake is effective in reducing the risk of heart disease.
• Prevent osteoarthritis. A study published in Arthitis Care & Research states that drinking milk regularly can prevent calcification of joints.
• Maintain muscle mass. The problem that is often faced by the elderly is the loss of muscle mass. This can be overcome by regularly consuming milk because milk is a good source of protein. However, this must be accompanied by physical activity.

How much milk should the elderly drink?

Actually, there is no rule on how much milk the elderly should consume. So far, milk provides the needs of calcium, vitamin D, protein, and potassium that can be obtained from other food sources.

As long as your calcium needs can be met, you don't need to consume milk too often. According to the Indonesian Ministry of Health, the calcium requirement for people over 50 years old is 1000 mg of calcium per day.

So, if you don't like milk, you don't need to worry. You can get all of the calcium, vitamin D, and protein by eating other foods. Most animal foods have these nutrients. In addition, you can also find calcium in green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, and spinach.

Watch out, milk also contains high sugar and fat

However, elderly people cannot drink carelessly or just drink any type of milk. Because, in milk there is also a high sugar and fat content. Too much sugar can make elderly blood sugar levels high and at risk of diabetes.

Milk that contains high sugar is not recommended for drinking by people who have diabetes. These foods will only make the condition worse. In addition, some milk contains fat which is also not good for your heart and blood pressure.

You can choose milk that is low in sugar and also low in fat. The actual need for milk is adjusted to your health condition. Currently there are several special milks intended for the elderly who have certain diseases. For example, special diabetes milk or milk with high calcium to prevent osteoporosis.

However, to find out which type of milk is most appropriate, you should consult a nutritionist, so you can also find out what your daily milk needs are.

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