In Time magazine’s December 3 cover story, Dr. Mehmet Oz has endorsed “supermarket” (or conventional milk) over organic. You remember Dr. Oz—he’s the doctor Oprah made famous.
Says Oz: “[Supermarket milk] is an easy source of calcium and vitamin D, low-fat milk has 100 calories and 8 grams of protein per cup.” Price: $2.89/gallon.
Regarding ‘gourmet market’ or organic milk, Oz says: “The absence of hormones and antibiotics can be important, but organic, family-farm milk is not nutritionally better.” Price: $4.99/gallon.
On the latter, he did get a few facts wrong, according to nutritionists. All milk has hormones. And no milk can be marketed if it contains antibiotics. But he did get the nutrition part right: milk is milk.
Another surprise: “Ice cream should be in your life too. What’s more, it’s not even a bad or unhealthy food,” says Oz.
Conventional beef producers will likely take issue with some of Oz’s statements, such as grass-fed cattle “lead happier—if not appreciably longer—lives.” Even here, Oz says: “But for the most part, it’s OK to skip the meat boutiques and high-end butchers. Nutritionally, there’s not much difference between, say, grass-fed beef and the feedlot variety.”
Probably the most stunning statement in the seven-page article: “The American food supply is abundant, nutritionally sound, affordable and, with a few simple considerations, comparable to the most elite organic diets. Save the cash; the 99% diet can be good for you.”
What would Oprah say now?
