Natural: How Faith in Nature's Goodness Leads to Harmful Fads, Unjust Laws, and Flawed Science

Natural: How Faith in Nature's Goodness Leads to Harmful Fads, Unjust Laws, and Flawed Science by Alan Levinovitz

Natural is better, right? But, what is natural? It is essentially meaningless as a food label. Even a term like "organic" with strict interpretation does not have a guarantee of meaning. Much of our "natural" produce has never occurred in nature. It is instead, the result of centuries of selective breeding and agricultural farming processes. 

There is also often a fetishization of primitive lifestyles and practices. Though these people will often adopt more modern practices when given a chance. Is the practice really better?

Today "natural" is often a means of exclusion. Expensive natural products can be sold as an alternative to the cheaper conventional products. Is natural really better? Or is it just made exclusive. The quest for "natural" has often been seen as more of a religious belief than a logical best practice.

There are often benefits and drawbacks to both natural and non-natural products. Sometimes the negatives take time to be discovered. We can find the best path forward by objectively evaluating the costs and benefits of both. That is the principle argument of this book. Don't let "natural" cloud judgement.