Is it healthy for a 77 year old to drink approx. half a litre of full cream milk a day?

The Australian Dietary Guidelines, developed by the National Health and Medical Research Council, provide recommendations about the amount and kinds of foods that we need to eat for health and wellbeing, including dairy foods.

Recommendations for the dairy food group vary according to age and gender. Those aged 70+ should consume between 3.5 and 4 serves of milk, cheese, yoghurt and/or alternatives for good health, including helping to maintain bone and muscle strength.

A serve of milk is 250mL (1 cup), so half a litre of milk is equal to two serves of dairy, which is less than the recommendations for this age group.

In addition to milk, dairy serves can be met with cheese and yoghurt. A serve of cheese is 40g (or two slices) of hard cheese, or half a cup of ricotta cheese, and a serve of yoghurt is 200g (3/4 cup).

Dairy serves can also include any type of milk, cheese or yoghurt, including both regular fat or reduced fat varieties.

If you’re unsure which milk or dairy foods you or your family should have, chat to your GP or an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD). They can provide personalised advice to help you make the right choice. 

Resources

National Health and Medical Research Council. Australian Dietary Guidelines Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia; 2013.