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Thanks for the article! it really helped in my studies for my senior project
Artifical additives are safer because they’re under “Strict Control”(TM)? LOL! Don’t make my sandals laugh! Those producers care *jack shit* about what they release, as long as its cheap to make, sells well, and generates revenue. And all those checks… with the right money, can be easily (shhhhh… don’t tell anyone) bypassed. (*wink*, *wink*) with *right* people. The best food is what you see and make yourself (that is, if you can prepare it well, and your hands grow out of the right place instead out of your ass).
HundredPercentNaturalDung, your name fits you quite well. Why don’t you tell people that have had anapylactic reactions to natural bee pollen that natural is best? Or how about people that had severe adverse reactions to Ma Huang? Or how about the people who have allergies to Stevia?
“Natural” or “artificial” is irrelevant. What is relevant is the documented safety profile of a substance, based on evidence…not a preconceived bias that “natural” is somehow better.
Hi James, The the two ingredients lists for the same bar of soap is a great thought provoker. Thanks. Also, you are right to describe the difference between the two categories as being divided by a “fuzzy haze” rather than a line. Although I still feel it is very important to gravitate towards not only the word Natural, but also Whole Food. I think that when it comes to the area of Whole Food, surely these foods are always natural and always healthy… existing on a kind of pure list? Also, I have read somewhere that we don’t decompose as… Read more »
Just found this site. So not only do you have one of the best Weight Loss sites on the net but another great one dealing with health issues, it’s my lucky day! From your writing I can tell you probably follow/have followed the skeptic scene to some extent e.g.the writing of Carl Sagan, James Randi, Michael Shermer etc.? A great book on Alternative Medicine I would recommend is Trick or Treatment by Edzard Ernst and Simon Singh (who recently was the subject of a high profile libel case brought against him by the British Chiropractic Association) It summarises all the… Read more »
Mark,
Thanks for your comment! Yes, I have followed the skeptic scene for a while. I used to own some of Sagan and Shermer’s books, including “Why People Believe Weird Things.” Thanks for the suggestion on Trick or Treatment; I wasn’t familiar with that book.
Thanks for the BBC link as well. I’ll check it out!
Great post James. I think it is very important that folks understand that just because a product boasts “natural ingredients” doesn’t mean that it’s good for you. Isn’t cocaine an all natural? There are so many false assumptions that by eating some “all natural”, “diet”, “fat free” or “gluten free” crap you are eating something “healthy”. Leave it up to brilliant marketing to influence people to get fatter and sicker while spending money on stuff they think is making them healthy.
Ryan,
Thanks for the comment. Yeah, all those phrases are more rhetoric rather than indicative of whether something is healthy.
Great article.
Somehow this reminds me of the HFCS deal.
A subject I love to discuss. In fact, I just posted some links on Jp Fitness Forum
Organic Food: The Real Story
http://maxcondition.com/page.php?148
Organic Pesiticides: Friend or Foe?
http://maxcondition.com/news.php?item.71
Organic, Really Safer?
http://maxcondition.com/news.php?item.59
Environmentalists and Natural Foods
http://maxcondition.com/news.php?10.5
The idea that All-Natural is always safer than artificial is false, and is often used as a rhetorical device in an effort to sale products.
Hi James, great post by the way. I have a small question. What is your opinion on Ephedrine HCL ? You said there was evidence that ephedra could be a problem. Do you believe the same thing about Ephedrine HCL?
Thanks,
Patrick
Patrick, Ephedrine HCl is legal because it is essentially an OTC drug, whereas ephedra was a dietary supplement. Biologically, the effects are essentially the same as ephedra contains naturally occuring ephedrine. However, ephedrine HCl, given that it is a drug, must meet more strict standards as far as potency, labeling, etc. Thus, it is safer in the sense that you know exactly how much ephedrine you’re getting per dose, which wasn’t always the case with ephedra supplements. Still, ephedra or ephedrine can be problematic for people who have heart conditions, hypertension, or anxiety-related disorders. While both are going to be… Read more »
Thank you for your prompt and very informative reply.
Ha! I knew cake was natural.
Another great post. I was reading about MSG today and I learned that it is basically natural … it is simply the sodium salt of glatamic acid, which naturally occurs in many natural foods and is a neurotransmitter. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutamic_acid