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. Doris uses milk in her cereal and cooks with it, too. Her staples are macaroni and cheese, scalloped potatoes, and soups.
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.
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.
Since too much fat can cause health problems like obesity and heart disease, choose non-fat or low-fat (1%) milk since it also includes Vitamin D and other nutrients.
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 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 tend to need more vitamin D and calcium, so an 80-year-old's Diet should include two to three glasses of low or non-fat milk.
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.
Low-fat milk, almond milk and soymilk offer substantial amounts of calcium, protein and other nutrients good for bone and muscle health, which is extremely important for older adults. If you're looking for a lower-calorie drink, unsweetened almond milk can have as few as 30 calories in eight ounces.
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.
Provides Calcium
One of the primary benefits of milk is the high level of calcium, an essential nutrient for building and maintaining bone strength in seniors. Calcium is extremely important for preventing osteoporosis, especially in senior women.
One of the top reasons bananas are good for the elderly is because they're rich sources of potassium, an essential nutrient. Potassium is thought to play an important role in regulating blood pressure, and it may be helpful to those diagnosed with hypertension.
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.
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 consumption is recommended by many nutritional guidelines for meeting daily requirements for calcium, animal proteins and vitamin B12 intake. In the United-States, the national dietary guidelines recommend that adults should drink three cups or 732 mL/d of milk [1].
Again, the recommendation for older adults is to consume at least 1.7 liters/day, which corresponds to at least 57.5 fluid ounces. In the US, where a measuring cup = 8 ounces, this is equivalent to 7.1 cups/day. Keep a journal to record how much fluid your older parent is drinking.
If the person you are caring for is showing early signs of dehydration, offer them a bottle of water, Gatorade, Powerade or coconut water to replenish their electrolytes quickly. Know their medications. Some medications (like diuretics) can cause an elderly person to become dehydrated even faster than normal.
Milk has been shown to help improve cognitive function and memory. It is a great source of protein, vitamin D, potassium, and calcium – all important nutrients for optimal brain health. If you're looking for an easy way to give your brain a little boost, consider adding milk to your diet.
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.
While the milk recommendations in some countries are at least one serving of milk daily, the milk recommendations in other countries are up to three servings per day. And you should predominantly eat low-fat dairy products on a daily basis. Yes, you can drink too much milk.
As per Ayurveda, the best time to consume milk for adults is before bedtime. As for kids, Ayurveda recommends an early morning dose of milk. Drinking milk at night promotes 'Ojas'. Ojas is referred to as a state in Ayurveda when you achieve proper digestion.