Is milk bad for you?

In a New York Times column, "Got Milk? You Don't Need It" Mark Bittman recently attacked the premise that drinking milk is healthy. After suffering a lifetime of acid reflux and heartburn, Bittman cured his problem in just 24 hours by going off dairy products.

But Bittman doesn't just argue against dairy consumption by those who have heartburn. He goes on to attack the image of the bucolic milk cow and farmer, "Then, of course, there are our 9 million dairy cows, most of whom live tortured, miserable lives while making a significant contribution to greenhouse gases." He argues against the idea that milk helps build strong bones, "In fact, the rate of fractures is highest in milk-drinking countries, and it turns out that the keys to bone strength are lifelong exercise and vitamin D, which you can get from sunshine." He also throws in a few grenades against big dairy and government subsidies.

The counter arguments have been flying and seem to concentrate on two areas -- Bittman's personal experience is hardly a legitimate medical test and his science is faulty. In The Huffington Post, Will Fertman has written a column titled "A Reply to Mark Bittman's Milk Freak-Out, Part 1: Don't Be a Weasel." He leads off with the argument that "his [Bittman's] column is filled with bad arguments about dairy, and milk in particular, propped up with some highly dubious 'experts'."

And, interestingly, today's Wall Street Journal,  The New Science Behind Today's Deadliest Diseases (subscription required), notes that research indicates, "Dairy foods may help ease inflammation in patients with a combination of risk factors."

As with most things when it comes to food and science, particularly in the health sphere, it seems the final word has yet to be spoken. We're pleased that Mr. Bittman has cured his acid reflux, but we remain skeptical that he should be advocating a wholesale stand against a primary food group based solely on his personal experience, his personal physician's advice, and one scientific quote. As always, we feel that good food should be celebrated, not feared.