Forever young might be the dream of many. But who can be eternally young?

OK, we have to be realistic and should not be afraid to grow old. What's more, we often hear people say that life begins at 40.

That is the age when one is expected to start a new life with wisdom, a broader horizon and deep insight while remaining productive. As they get older, however, people gradually lose their physical strength, the hair turns gray or white, their skin gets wrinkles and their bones might become fragile and porous.

Osteoporosis, a disease in which bones become extremely porous, are subject to fracture and heal slowly, is common among older adults of both sexes, especially postmenopausal women.

People with the early stages of bone loss usually do not feel any pain or have other symptoms. When the bones become very porous, they might have back pain and experience loss of height, and fractures of the vertebrae, wrists, hips or other bones. The back pain can get worse if they have a fractured or collapsed vertebra.

According to WHO, the incidence of vertebral and hip fractures increases exponentially with advancing age. Osteoporosis fractures are a major cause of morbidity and disability in older people and, in the case of hip fractures, can lead to premature death. Such fractures impose a considerable economic burden on health services worldwide

Fracture incidence rates are greater among women three- to four-fold.

It is hard to cure the disease but it is easy to prevent it. Calcium is important to build and maintain bone structure. It also reduces the speed of the loss of bone mass and density.

Milk is a good source of calcium. Drinking one or two glasses of low-fat milk with high calcium every day will help keep your bones healthy.

In observance of World Osteoporosis Day, which falls on Oct. 20, the UK Dairy Council highlighted the importance of building and maintaining strong and healthy bones.

"Calcium is vital for bones and, as our bodies cannot produce it, a calcium-rich diet is very important. Milk and dairy foods are some of the best sources of calcium in our diets, while also providing a whole host of other bone-friendly nutrients including protein, phosphorus and magnesium," Dr. Judith Bryans, Director of the Dairy Council and Registered Nutritionist says.

The reference nutrient intake of calcium in the country is 700mg for adults.

You might wonder why countries like the U.S. and Britain have high prevalence of osteoporosis despite the high consumption of milk and milk products.

Milk is not a magic formula. Insufficiency intake of food with vitamin D can also lead to osteoporosis as the vitamin is required for the absorption of calcium. Morning sunlight is good to stimulate the skin for the production of vitamin D while countries in the West do not have the luxury of enjoying abundant sunlight all year round.

Besides dairy products, other calcium sources include green vegetables, nuts, meat and anchovies. Those who prefer a dairy-free diet should take a large portion of calcium-rich vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds (such as peas and beans) regularly.

Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can weaken the bones. On the other hand, regular exercises will boost bone health.

Milk gives more calcium than other sources and is easier to absorb. Calcium reserves are stored in the skeleton during teenage years and early adulthood. Therefore, not only adults, but younger people are encouraged to drink milk so that later in life they will have high bone density.

In Indonesia, the three types of dairy products that dominate the market are powered milk, condensed milk and fresh milk.

Milk consumption in Indonesia is the lowest in the world but there is a positive increase in numbers. In 2005, it was 6.8 liters per capita, increasing to 7.7 liters in 2006 and nine liters in 2007.

It is much lower than Malaysia, where a person drinks more than 25 liters per year.

The production of fresh milk in Indonesia is about 1.2 million liters per day, obtained from about 400,000 cows. This is only one-third of the national need while the rest is imported from Australia.

Raw milk of a high standard is required for the production of high standard products. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the animals' health, the feed and the hygiene of the dairy barns as well as the process.

Milk processing is commonly associated with pasteurization, named after the creator, Louis Pasteur. It is the process of heating the liquid to destroy bacteria, protozoa, mold and yeast without killing all pathogenic micro-organisms.

The main types of pasteurization are high temperature/short time (HTST), extended shelf life treatment (ESL) and ultra-high temperature (UHT or ultra-heat treated). In the HTST process, milk is heated to about 70 degrees Celsius for 15-20 seconds while in ESL the temperature is lower. UHT holds the milk at about 138 degrees Celsius for a fraction of a second.

Milk treated with the HTST method has a refrigerated shelf life of two or three weeks, while ultra pasteurized milk can last two to three months if refrigerated. UHT treatment that is combined with sterile handling and container technology can be stored unrefrigerated for three to four months.

High standard treatment is a must to ensure the safety of milk so that people have no fear about contaminated products, as happened recently regarding melamine content in China-produced milk formula.

This is good for both producers and consumers. Producers enjoy a better market and consumers have better health. Basically milk is good for babies, children and adults. Of course, different ages need different kinds of dairy products. Needless to say, non-fat or low-fat, sugar free, high calcium milk is the best for most adults.

None of us look forward to growing old, but at least when the time comes, one may walk with their chin up as the various brands of good dairy products widely available on the market can be good company during the journey.

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