- You are here:
- Home »
- Blog »
- Natural Nutrition »
- Levels of Quality in Natural Nutrition- Intro Part 2
Levels of Quality in Natural Nutrition- Intro Part 2
Natural is a word that carries a lot of meanings. I sometimes I see it used on products containing sugar or “organic” sugar. Sugar is anything but natural. It is a highly processed food and far from a natural state. To make my point, one useful definition of a drug that I used when teaching a course on Drugs and Society at the University level was that a drug was- any concentrated chemical substance that by its chemical nature when ingested produces a change in the structure or function of the body’s physiology. Sound anything like sugar? Think about it.
Definition of Organic – Not Always Really Organic
To carry an organic label in the U.S., foods must be grown without synthetic pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics, genetic engineering or chemical fertilizers. However, that does make mention of the quality of the soil in which the plant grows. The truth is the key factor on what nutritional qualities a food reflects is determined by the soil it is grown in.
Even if a food is grown without synthetic pesticides, genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) or synthetic NPK (Nitrogen-Phosphorus and Potassium) fertilizers, if it is grown in depleted soil it will produce depleted crops.
Vegetables do not produce nutrients, especially important trace minerals, they have to be drawn from the soil. A simple axiom– If it isn’t in the soil, it sure isn’t gonna be in the plant. Soils depleted from long term usage of NPK synthetic fertilizers strip important minerals out of the soil over time because plants need those minerals for healthy growth and pull them out of the soil as they grow?
Pesticide Residues
Additionally, some of the larger producers of organic produce grow their “organic” crops adjacent to conventionally grown crops resulting in pesticide residues bleeding over into the “organic” crops. Hence, sometimes produce labeled organic may still have some pesticide residues on it. Not as much of course as on directly sprayed crops, but in some cases it doesn’t take much of these “cides” (which means killing) to do some damage.
The point is calling something natural or even organic does not necessarily guarantee its quality. Try to be judicious if possible on your sources. If locally grown and purchased you may even be able to question the grower.
Keep these factors in mind if you have the opportunity to look at the claims of some studies which show there is little difference between organic and conventional crops. There most certainly is, if the crops are grown in strong mineral content organically cultivated soil which has had time to recover its natural carrying capacity of nutrients and minerals.
In most cases, as long as a vegetable is certified as organically grown it is still superior to conventional, mega-farm produce grown with synthetic fertilizers in already depleted soil which makes the plants so weak they need heavy doses of pesticides in order to ward off predatory insects and other invaders.
While it is not always easy to determine the quality of organic products they still provide less danger and nearly always better nutrition than conventional produce. However, this also makes it a good idea in the long run to consider both organic gardening and sound natural and organic supplementation for your natural lifestyle.
What Should You Look For?
Here is a quality hierarchy of natural nutrition to consider from worst to best:
- Worst– Conventionally grown factory farmed produce (Depleted soils with few minerals, pesticide residues, synthetic NPK fertilizers, high heavy metal content)
- Better– Organically grown produce (certified organic is better than claimed organic, truly organic is higher in vitamins and minerals with lower if any pesticide residues and heavy metals)
- Best– Wild Grown (harvested or picked from the wild in areas of low intrusion- strong mineral content, may have zero pesticide residues and low if any heavy metal content)
The Role of Supplements
It is difficult to find fully reliable organic produce. Wild foods are not convenient. Additionally, compromised health conditions require more punch, so to speak, than dietary change alone may be able to initially provide- especially when attempting to turn around a long term or a more serious health condition. Nonetheless, sound dietary selections help to secure supplementation changes and are important to support the continuation of recovery.
Supplementation is helpful and needed when regenerating one’s state of health from a compromised state. Accurately matched supplements tend to contain specific ingredients in a concentrated format which can be used to more effectively target specific conditions. The aforementioned quality hierarchy of factors should also be taken into consideration with supplement recommendations as well. Wild being preferred to organic and organic to conventional or synthetically produced supplements.
Related Posts
Is Holistic Oral Care a Forgotten Part of Your Natural Health Treatment Plan?
Free Survival Nutrition Course – 8 Hours Plus PDF
5 Reasons to Cut Back on Animal Foods
Protein – Which Is Better for Your Health – Animal or Vegetable?
Wall Street Journal Investigation Finds Dumpster Trash Food and Supplements Being Sold as New
Tackling Obesity Begins with Awareness and Ends with Action
Think Junk Food Can’t Lead to Health Issues? UK: Teenager Goes Blind After a Limited Diet of French Fries, Pringles, White Bread, Ham and Sausage
Time to Break Your Sugar Habit?
