Should Seniors and Persons Over 60 Drink Milk?

Milk is an excellent source of Vitamin D and calcium, which may help lower the risk of osteoporosis among older adults. Furthermore, its health-giving properties can enhance quality-of-life for seniors.

However, some seniors can have difficulty digesting lactose and may experience symptoms like bloating, gas, stomach cramps, belching, and flatulence.

Health and Wellness

Although some consider milk an unhealthy choice, it can provide your elderly loved one with several essential nutrients that they require for good health. Milk contains calcium, protein, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and iodine while its high potassium content helps lower blood pressure.

Regular milk consumption can also assist aging adults in maintaining bone strength and warding off osteoporosis, while slowing the natural aging process by decreasing fine lines and wrinkles on skin surface. Milk contains both riboflavin and vitamin B12 which stimulate collagen production resulting in vibrant, more youthful-looking skin.

Seniors should consume three cups of dairy every day to meet their calcium requirements and keep bones strong. Non-fat milk and calcium-fortified soy drinks are alternative choices that may provide similar calcium benefits.

Note that whole milk contains high concentrations of saturated fat. As such, diet guidelines recommend that adults and older persons choose low-fat milk to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Overdrink of dairy products can be detrimental to senior’s health, particularly those suffering from cardiovascular issues. Too much dairy consumption increases LDL cholesterol levels in the body which could potentially lead to stroke or heart disease.

Consuming too much milk can also lead to digestive issues. Too much milk consumption may irritate the esophageal lining and result in heartburn; for this reason, seniors with sensitive tummies are encouraged to switch over to low-fat or lactose-free milk products for best results.

While certain health conditions may prevent seniors from drinking milk, most can enjoy its many advantages. If in doubt about adding milk to their diet, it is advisable to speak to their physician first; home care services also offer advice about nutrition and diet which will ensure your loved ones remain healthy and happy. For more information about senior home care contact Daily Beacon.

Nutritional Needs

Age can alter people’s nutritional requirements as their bodies become less capable of processing certain essential elements such as iron, vitamin D, and calcium.

Diets rich in fruits, vegetables and whole foods such as milk are especially essential to senior health; to ensure that our bodies receive enough vital vitamins and minerals.

Milk is packed full of protein and offers many other essential vitamins and nutrients, such as Vitamin D, B12, and Iodine. Furthermore, it’s an excellent source of energy (kilojoules) making it the ideal food to add to their self care routine for elderly individuals.

Due to age-related lactose intolerance, many older adults often require low-fat dairy alternatives like soy or almond milk as safe solutions – these beverages also contain essential vitamin D benefits which is crucial for seniors.

Milk is an excellent source of proteins and calcium, both essential components to maintaining bone strength and avoiding osteoporosis. Furthermore, its potassium content helps control blood pressure while also helping prevent kidney stones.

Milk and dairy products are vital sources of protein, calcium, vitamin D, and energy for older Australians, providing essential protein, calcium, and energy benefits. It is recommended that those aged 70 years or over-consume at least 3.5 servings of dairy products including milk and fortified soy or rice drinks each day.

Almond milk, soy milk, and flax milk are other dairy alternatives suitable for seniors with lactose intolerance or difficulty digesting animal products that provide all of the same vitamins and minerals found in cow’s milk without lactose and other fats. If lactose intolerance is an issue for you, look for non-dairy alternatives; these contain less saturated fat while providing more monounsaturated fatty acids and lower sodium content.

Lactose Intolerance

Milk is an excellent source of calcium and potassium – both are vitally important in helping prevent osteoporosis in elderly populations. Too often, however, elderly individuals don’t consume enough potassium in their daily diet – just three cups of low-fat milk daily can provide them with 380 milligrams. Other sources of potassium can include bananas and avocados.

Milk provides protein, an essential nutrient for maintaining muscle mass in seniors. Furthermore, its rich supply of leucine serves to facilitate muscle synthesis. By eating enough protein-rich foods such as milk regularly and in adequate amounts, seniors are less likely to suffer from sarcopenia – a condition in which muscle mass declines and falls increase the risk of hospital visits or visits from emergency responders.

Most dairy products contain vitamin D, an essential nutrient for seniors. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium more effectively, thus decreasing osteoporosis risk.

Dietary guidelines recommend that seniors over 70 consume three to four servings of milk or fortified soy or rice drinks daily. A cup of whole, 2%, or 1% dairy milk contains 8 grams of protein; other sources, such as meats, eggs, beans, or nuts may help seniors to meet this daily protein goal.

Senior citizens should avoid drinking milk that contains high levels of saturated fat, according to several studies that have demonstrated a link between high consumption of saturated fat and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and too much saturated fat consumption. Therefore, non-fat or low-fat milk options may be more suitable.

Furthermore, seniors should avoid skim milk because it offers lower nutritional value than full-fat varieties and is an excessive source of sodium, putting senior citizens at greater risk of high blood pressure, kidney stones, and increased heart disease risks. Therefore, senior citizens should always read labels prior to purchasing milk; drinking fortified varieties that include vitamin D as well as eating foods rich in proteins is advised.

Protein Intake

Many elderly individuals are at risk of not consuming enough protein in their diets, which becomes even more problematic when they become ill and cannot consume as much food as usual. Malnourished older individuals recover more slowly from illness, have more complications, and are admitted to hospitals more frequently than healthier individuals who consume sufficient proteins in their daily meals.

General guidelines for adults recommend that protein consumption should range between 0.8-1 grams per kilogram of body weight daily; that translates to roughly 68 to 83 grams for someone weighing 150 pounds. Recent research supports increasing that recommendation to at least 1.2 g/kg BW/d in older adults.

An increased protein intake is necessary to maintain and rebuild muscle mass, improving bone health, facilitating wound healing and increasing cardiovascular fitness, which in turn supports physical activity among older adults. Studies also demonstrate that increasing protein consumption reduces death risks among this age group regardless of nutritional status.

Protein requirements in frail elderly individuals tend to be greater due to aging and chronic illnesses such as osteoporosis which reduce endogenous protein production and increase dietary protein needs, leading to greater protein demands among older adults than in younger individuals in order to preserve or restore lean muscle mass, which is crucial for mobility and physical function. Thus older adults require additional protein than young adults in order to sustain and regain lean muscle mass, thus helping preserve physical ability and mobility.

Multiple strategies have been studied in order to increase protein synthesis among older people, including specific feeding regimens and adding in additional nutrients such as fatty acids and amino acids; as well as specifying per meal protein quantities and timing. Yet more research needs to be completed in order to identify optimal protein intake among frail older individuals as well as its effects on functional outcomes.

An eating plan consisting of diverse protein sources, such as dairy and fortified soy milk, seafood, meat and eggs can provide sufficient amounts of protein. If an individual struggles to consume sufficient amounts of this nutrient from their meals alone, protein drinks and powders (whey, casein or soy) may supplement these meals, though prior consultation with a dietitian should always be sought as these supplements may not meet all their individual requirements.