Organic vs All Natural

I choose to eat mostly organic food because I don’t want pesticides, and who knows what else to be part of my diet. Eating clean foods is good for my body and helps me feel better. I’ve had a number of patients ask me about eating organic, what the benefits are and what the difference is between organic and all-natural.Organic food refers to food items that are produced, manufactured and handled using organic means defined by certifying bodies such as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) under its Organic Food Products Act.When you buy food labeled “natural,” what exactly are you getting? Well, when it sits on a food label in the U.S., the word “natural” has no regulated definition.*Natural can mean any number of different things, depending on where in the U.S. you are, who the food manufacturer is and what store is carrying the product. In fact, the FDA has said it’s okay to call high-fructose corn syrup natural!! After all, it contains corn.Federal regulations strictly define the term organic. When you see organic on the label, you know that food was made with a set of farming and production practices defined and regulated, in great detail, by the USDA.While natural assures you of little, organic tells you you’re buying food made without the use of toxic persistent pesticides, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), antibiotics, artificial growth hormones, sewage sludge or irradiation.The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service requires natural meat and poultry to be free of artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, preservatives and ingredients, and they must be minimally processed. Labels on natural meat and poultry should clarify the use of the term natural, such as there being no artificial ingredients. But labeling meat and poultry products as natural implies nothing about how these foods were raised, which means that the animals could have been subjected to hormones or antibiotics. Also, the term natural has no connection to the living conditions of the animals, whereas organic labels do.A large grocery chain, which we have several of locally (and I’m calling them out because I shop there) carries its own brand of products that it likes to market as healthy. However, you have to look closely at the packaging. The green package might be natural or somewhat healthy, but the brown packaging is typically organic. More and more people are paying closer attention these days to the food they eat, they want to eat healthier, therefore these large chains are doing all they can to get shoppers to buy their brands. Even large food brands are trying to market their food as healthier.It is not difficult to eat organic, but it can be costly. I always say I can go to the grocery store and buy 12 2-liter soft drinks and 20 bags of chips for the same cost of one bag of organic groceries. However, you have to look at it as an investment in your health. Would you rather pay up front in the form of organic meats, vegetables and fruits or would you rather pay later in the form of doctor visits?