Are All-Natural Foods Really All-Natural?

Do you noticed lots of foods and supplements read "all-natural" on the label? Do you ever buy a product because of this? Most people do because they believe all-natural means healthy. But what does it really mean? Honestly, not much. Too many time I go to the store and read this on the label, but then check the nutrition facts panel only to find a bunch of items I wouldn't necessarily call natural... Same goes for some of my supplements.

But even if it is natural, does that mean healthy? This phrase is hype, so don't be fooled by this. There are many things that are “natural” and not synthesized that we would benefit health wise from moderating or consuming less of. For example, salt and sugar. They are are natural and native to the earth shouldn't we moderate our consumption of these? Of course! Or, what about recreational drugs? Some of these are technically natural but that doesn’t mean we should start using them! And one of the worst types of fat, saturated fat, comes to us naturally from animal foods and naturally from the palm and coconut plants.

The FDA has not established a definition of this term. And, the FDA hasn't objected to the use of the term on food labels provided that the product does not contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances.

So what should you do? Don't buy products simply because they state natural, but also, don't disregard the products that don't state it. Just be sure to check the ingredient label to see what the main ingredients are. Find out how many calories, fat, sugar and sodium the product contains. This is the only way to decide if a product fits your nutrition goals. 

What do you look for on your labels before making the choice to buy?