Contents:
- Medical Video: How much and how often should a 4 month old eat and sleep?
- How important is drinking milk for the elderly?
- How much milk should the elderly drink?
- Beware, milk also contains high sugar and fat
Medical Video: How much and how often should a 4 month old eat and sleep?
The habit of drinking milk is identical to children because they are considered to need a lot of nutrients 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 if milk is one of the biggest sources of calcium and vitamin D. These two types of nutrients are needed by the body to make bones stronger and prevent fragility.
In children, milk is thought to help accelerate growth. Then what about parents who have stopped growing? Milk has several benefits for elderly people, namely:
- Drinking milk can slow bone loss. Calcium and vitamin D that are in milk can make bones become denser, thus preventing brittle bones. In just one glass of low-fat milk, it contains 306 mg of calcium, which can help meet your calcium needs a day.
- Good for heart health. Milk also contains potassium, which is a nutrient that plays a role in blood pressure. Various studies suggest that increasing potassium intake effectively reduces 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 consuming milk regularly because milk is a good source of protein. But this must be accompanied by physical activity.
How much milk should the elderly drink?
Actually, there is no provision for how much milk should be consumed by the elderly. So far, milk provides the need for calcium, vitamin D, protein, and potassium which can actually be obtained from other food sources.
Provided that your calcium needs can be met, you don't need to consume milk too often. According to the Republic of Indonesia Ministry of Health, calcium needs of people over 50 years old are as much as 1000 mg of calcium per day.
So, if you don't like milk, you don't need to worry. You can get all 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.
Beware, milk also contains high sugar and fat
However, elderly people cannot be careless or just drink any kind 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. This food will only worsen the condition. 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 milk needs are adjusted to your individual health conditions. At present there are some special milk intended for the elderly who have certain diseases. For example, diabetes-specific milk or high calcium milk to prevent osteoporosis.
But to find out which type of milk is the most appropriate, you should consult a nutritionist, so you can also know your milk needs a day.
