It's tough trying to define natural on the products advertisers are supposedly calling natural.
I personally have found many instances where products were in fact, not all natural.
In this
The Issues with an "Un" Define Nature
First and foremost, I define natural as "nature that can still kill you."
1st Point - Everything Can Kill You
The first point I want to make is how most people think that if it comes from the earth then it has to be good.
I’m sure you and I both could start a list of things that come from Mother Nature, but can in fact be toxic or unhealthy when handled or ingested.
In fact, everything and anything can kill you if over consumed, under consumed or mishandled. This can be anything from our household cleaning products we clean our tables with to the food we eat off our tables (defined as natural or not).
The "Natural" Bandwagon
2nd Point - Companies Misuse "Natural" in Their Products
My second point, how do we even really know what's good for us when words like, “green,” “all-natural,” and "natural" become so relative that no one knows exactly what they mean anymore?
You better believe companies are taking advantage of these relative and misinterpreted terms to mislead natural hungry grocery shoppers (in more civilized parts of the world) to believe these company products are actually healthy for you or healthier than alternatives.
In return, companies are scrambling trying to define natural products in a way that generates the highest profit margins.
Example - Natural Cheetos
For example, look at the image of these Cheetos. The "Simply Natural." Case in point right?
There are too many people who believe that products listed as environmentally safe, natural, non-toxic, and/or eco-friendly are synonymous with what's good for you.
This only leaves the consumer with any unanswered questions? Does it mean that if it is labeled as a "natural" product it's naturally derived? If it says, "safe" how safe? To whom is it safe? The environment? The consumer? For both?
With so many companies hopping on the "natural" bandwagon many more consumers are being left frustrated or lied too, because these so-called "natural" products have very little or no resemblance to anything you would define nature with.
Example - Unnatural Green Products
For another example, did you know companies like Green Works, Simple Green, (both with a green label) have been rated poorly for having colors, preservatives, and other hazardous chemicals?
Green works, a Clorox company has boric acid and calcium chloride in their laundry detergent, which disrupts the conversion of energy within cells when ingested or absorbed.
Simple Green’s all-purpose cleaners have 2-butoxyethanol, which when absorbed can damage your red blood cells and irritates eyes.
...And although it's not a known green company, the well-known all-purpose cleaner, Pine-Sole (branded by Clorox) was under investigation for posing significant hazards to health and to the environment because of a cleaning agent that was found.
Company Labels and Controversy
One question we must ask is, can we really stand behind a Government, or agencies alike when they can't even stand behind nor to a degree regulate the very companies selling us these products.
Most of these products manufactured by massive “chemical companies” get away with controversial chemicals and ingredients that may still clean well or taste good.
They can do this because for the longest time labels were only listed on products if the ingredients were hazardous, had legal limits, had to deal with meat or were required by the EPA (environmental Protection Agency).
It's sad, but labels from many competitor products who claim they do list ingredients in products will show you that they often list by-products, surfactants, or find loopholes to avoid listing them all together.
To put rather plainly, this topic or issue to "define natural" is a mess from Washington to the products we eat and clean with on our dining room tables.
Defining Nature With Legal Limits
One thing you must know is that there are no regulatory rules for use of the term "natural," except when referring to meat. Some companies have defined the term, but they cannot enforce it.
No definition for what "natural" means
With that said, there is currently no definition for what "natural"means if you see it on a product or food item? However, we are seeing more and more lawyers filing lawsuits against food and product companies that define natural labels to intentionally mislead consumers.
As a result, companies are being forced to abide by new laws that are being created as we speak by parties like the FDA, the Non-GMO Project, the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Natural Resources Defense Council to name a few.
The FTC has some great consumer information you can find by clicking here. You can also submit comments to the FDA by going here.
Green Companies
There are plenty of integral companies out there working hard to clearly define nature and through their experience and research to reduce or eliminate health risk in their "green" and/or all natural products.
In my experience, most of these company's products are not sold in stores and are either private or sold by network marketers.
They all should be able to prove how their products reduce overall risk from a health standpoint like accidental ingestion, skin exposure, airborne fumes, etc.
Moreover, they must be transparent about their comparative and reproducible tests that prove their products are more effective in leading to a longer healthier life.
Do You Know Solid "Green" Companies
Solid companies I've liked in the
I hope down the road more companies like theses and the regulatory companies I mentioned earlier can rise up to make more definitive answers to define nature at its finest.
A Shaklee Testimony
A company I do know, follow, and can attest to research is the Shaklee Corporation.
A good archive search of their clinical research studies provide you resources like this to follow up on anything you may be unsure about. More importantly, it is made available to the public.
Plus, their ingredient information never
Moreover, Shaklee is often the company that less tenured companies model after to define natural. A lot of it has to do with their scientists that search all over the world to source the finest natural ingredients.
These scientists conduct over 350 tests on every single new botanical ingredient for heavy metals, pesticides, or any of hundreds of other harmful contaminants. And they continue to conduct over 80,000 quality tests annually to guarantee the purity and safety of each and every product (read more on Shaklee Reviews here).
Final Thoughts
What's important is when you define natural we must minimize the risk as best we can by being smart shoppers. Do your own research on products that claim to define nature in their products. Pay attention to price tags, product labels and ads as they play a huge role in the choices you and your family make.