Milk and milk products support healthy diets at all ages
We all know the importance of milk and milk products for babies and young children, but what about teenagers, adults and the elderly?
The Dairy Council has published several factsheets to mark the start of 2015, and in one of them it takes a look at the contribution of milk and milk products to a healthy diet at several different life stages.
For teenagers, calcium demand is higher than at any other age, in order to support the developing length and density of their bones.
By the age of 18, 80% of their skeleton will have developed - making a diet rich in calcium an important way to ensure bone health in later life.
Above this age, bones continue to develop until the mid-30s, and milk provides around a fifth of all dietary calcium in individuals aged 19-64.
For those aged 65+, milk continues to supply important calcium to maintain bone health and avoid mobility issues.
And the recommended dietary intake is the same for anyone aged 19 and over - a glass of semi-skimmed milk, a 150g pot of plain yoghurt, and a piece of cheese the size of a matchbox per day - making it easy to ensure you get enough dairy in your diet.
