Milk – Only for Children or Also Valuable for Seniors?

Even as an older person, you benefit from the ingredients of milk and especially yoghurt.

The essentials in brief:

• Milk is a valuable food not only for children. Even in old age, milk and especially yoghurt are a good source of high-quality protein, plenty of calcium and B vitamins.
• If your stomach hurts after a milk drink, that doesn’t mean that you have to give up all milk products.
• But an adequate supply of nutrients is also possible without milk and milk products.

What makes milk so valuable, even in old age?

Milk and milk products are an important source of nutrients in old age, even when the growth age is long past and bone density is declining. Especially when the utilization of food components decreases in old age, it is important to select foods in a targeted manner. These should provide as many and easily usable nutrients as possible. Milk and milk products can score here in several respects.

• They are considered good suppliers of high-quality and easily digestible protein. This means that the body can convert the milk white very well into the body’s own protein. In this context one also speaks of a high biological value. Additional protein enrichments are usually unnecessary.
• In addition, milk provides readily available calcium in comparatively large quantities. 100 ml of milk, yoghurt or kefir already provide 120 milligrams of calcium and thus more than 10 percent of the recommended daily intake. Sufficient calcium intake in old age is important to slow down bone loss. Calcium also plays an important role in blood clotting, muscle and nerve function.
• Milk and milk products provide plenty of B vitamins, especially vitamins B2 and B12. B vitamins are required, for example, for breakdown and conversion processes in the body, energy supply and blood formation.

The DGE recommends that adults eat about 250 ml of milk, yoghurt, kefir or buttermilk and 50 – 60 g of cheese (corresponding to 1 – 2 slices) every day. Seniors should prefer low-fat varieties.

Would you like to know what is important when purchasing milk and yoghurt? You can find out more under ” All about milk and milk products “.

What to do if I can’t tolerate milk?

It is more common that milk is no longer well tolerated with advancing age. The body produces less lactase, an enzyme that breaks down milk sugar. As a result, more lactose reaches the lower parts of the intestine and causes symptoms such as intestinal cramps, flatulence or diarrhea. Sometimes it’s just the “pure” milk (here a few melted flakes might help) or too large a portion that leads to symptoms. It is not said whether you therefore have to reach for lactose-free foods straight away.

Can I replace milk with other foods?

Anyone who completely rejects or does not tolerate milk and dairy products should pay attention to calcium-rich mineral water, for example. The body absorbs the calcium it contains well. A mineral water with 500 milligrams of calcium per liter already covers half of the daily calcium requirement. Individual vegetables such as leeks, broccoli, spinach and kale are also good sources of calcium.

Vitamin B2 is found in many animal and plant foods. Incidentally, the vegetables mentioned are also good suppliers of vitamin B2, especially if they are prepared with little cooking water. When it comes to grain products, whole grain products should be preferred. Two slices of wholemeal bread or 100 grams of rolled oats cover more than ten percent of the recommendation.

In addition, the supply of high-quality protein and vitamin B12 can be very well covered by fish and meat.