What Milk Should You Drink?
By Sara Butler
There are more choices facing you in the dairy case than ever before. You can find everything from oat milk to soy milk to good, old-fashioned cow milk -- but which one is the right one for you? Different people have different dietary requirements, so a good question to ask yourself is: Are you drinking the right milk for you?
For Toddlers
Little kids need the cholesterol and fat in whole dairy milk for brain development after their first birthday. From age 2 on, you can transition them to 1 or 2 percent milk. Skim milk isn't really a good idea for a toddler because they generally need the extra calories and fat due to their particular dietary choices. Of course, if you have other concerns about dairy milk, then it's a good discussion to have with your pediatrician to help find an alternative.
For Active Folks
If you're an active person and participate in regular, strenuous workouts, then you may want to think about ditching your sports drinks for recovery and having milk instead. It's been shown in studies that active folks who drink fat-free milk, such as chocolate milk, after running have better muscle recovery than the sports drink crowd. Flavored milk especially provides your body with the calories and carbohydrates that help your muscles to repair. Just be careful of the sugar content!
For the Lactose-Intolerant
For some folks, drinking dairy milk can lead to some very uncomfortable experiences. That's because they lack an enzyme that helps to break down the lactose in milk for digestion. If you're one of those people, then you can still enjoy milk -- if you choose the right type, that is.
You can find lactose-free milk to enjoy or try fortified non-dairy milk such as rice, oat, coconut, or almond milk.
For Seniors
If you're over the age of 50, then you need higher levels of Vitamin D and calcium to keep osteoporosis at bay. According to the National Institutes of Health, seniors should be drinking three to four glasses of milk each day to supply them with the 1,200 milligrams of calcium they require. They can also eat yogurt, eat cheese, or eat calcium-rich greens, but stick to low-fat or fat-free milk to help them get what they need.
If you have questions about the type of milk best for you, the chiropractors at The Joint Chiropractic may be able to help.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Bossier City, La.