Natural isn't equal to healthy

Natural isn't equal to healthy, is it a marketing scam?

 

Whenever I see the word ‘Natural’ promoted for a product, I always approach it with a highly skeptical nature. This type of marketing is put out there by the ‘organic’ types, promoting ‘health foods’ and how natural products are better then synthetic. Anything artificial in this respect is instantly deemed harmful. Digging deeper, you may think that the more natural a product, the healthier it is because it isn’t adulterated or made in a lab. The truth is, this makes absolutely no sense. Nature is full of toxins, which can, and will, kill you. Something being natural gives us absolutely no information about its health effects. The same applies to synthetics, it generally implies nothing.

What’s the problem? 

As we live in a world where empirical evidence is ignored over the sense of wellbeing. ‘If it sounds good, it must be good’ is the state of advertising in this day and age. Social media has made it impossibly easy to target such thinking people. I have been aware of a website called ‘The Natural News’. Which, quite frankly, reads as though it is satire. The website promotes pseudoscience, shockingly, of the natural variety. I mean, here are a few of their headlines:

• Why vaccinated people are so unhealthy: They're unknowingly sharing dirty syringes like drug users
• 
  Big Pharma published fraudulent study to sell deadly psych drugs to young children
• 
  
• True face of abortion: Wendy Davis supporter arrested after throwing bomb at pro-life activists; abortion advocates recorded praising Satan

So yeah, I’m sure you can sense the door I am knocking on here. Bull. Their science section has actual sections for searching cherry picked studies to support their claims. Amazing. This is absolutely astonishing.

Natural Nancy

Natural Nancy was brought to my attention by a reader a few days ago. There isn’t a whole lot of information, other than the name Natural Nancy, PhD. Her website link says:

Nancy S. Mure, PhD. is Board certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners as a Holistic Nutrition and Natural Healing Practitioner. Board Certified Holistic Nutrition & Natural Healing Practitioner, Motivational Eater, Trained Cook and overall healthy person.

This sounds to me like Gillian McKeith. Who paraded around British Television for many years with a questionable doctorate telling people what to eat acting as though she was a medical professional. Anyway, looking at Nancy’s operational skills, it quickly becomes apparent what ‘only you can help yourself’. Doctors can’t help you, medicine can’t help you and a good solid scientific education cannot help you.

This is classic of pretty much every alternative medicine slogans and MO. Reiki, homeopathy, acupuncture and pretty much any article on Natural News support the bodies self healing systems. Cancer? Acupuncture it out. Of course, the body just healing its self of all ailments because you have changed from tap water to more natural filtered water is complete nonsense. I have had countless arguments over the argument of natural = better. Where I am constantly bombarded with ‘Well, our ancestors lived without GMO and ate naturally occurring food and lived longer’. Did they? I haven’t seen any studies saying that. But I have read many that state that they have died from the problems that very simple treatments would cure.

Yes, of course, our bodies have a good immune system that possesses a magical ability to heal itself, however, this isn’t as unlimited as being sold by things like Natural News. With regards to natural Nancy, I am skeptical of her PhD. Anyone in the science and the skeptical community knows what ‘dihydrogen monoxide’ is. It’s a sciencey way of saying ‘water’. On her Facebook page, she put:

I mean…. come on. Why do they make it so easy? This is surely satire, right? Probably not. The Food Babe has the same concept: If the chemical is hard to pronounce, it can’t be good for you. I sincerely hope no one takes her seriously, she has very little scientific knowledge of even water. 

Natural Food

The second side of the health is obviously the food, it’s natural, it’s better. Again, this is amped up by the organics of the world and the food babes of the world. Every single day I read something about natural/organic food being healthier and better for you. Take something like Aloe Vera for example. Considered the be the staple for all disease, consumption is said to clear up acne, boost the immune system and even ‘cure diabetes’. All of which, especially the latter, have absolutely zero evidence. 

The systematic review states:

Despite its long history of use, there remains a lack of consistent scientific evidence to support many of the therapeutic claims for Aloe vera.

So why do people still drink the stuff? The medicine is food utterance follows the general guidelines of most herbalist and naturopath selling points: Nutrients, nutrients and more nutrients. These nutrients will help you with a highly acute, specific benefit to your health. In truth: You need nutrients, which you will get from vegetables. Even, believe it or not GMO. But eating a high amount of a specific thing, will give you nothing.

Conclusion

Natural – Doesn’t mean healthier. Don’t be stupid. It’s a marketing technique used to get people in on spending money on their products.