Organic vs. Natural

What do these words mean?  My husband frequently uses the saying..."He who defines, WINS".  If we don't understand what the terms mean, we can be easily fooled by marketing strategies. 

Organic- This term is the easiest to define and to understand.  Organic means "living".  If it is certified organic, then the item has been grown under certain conditions.  It has no chemical fertilizers or pesticides sprayed on it or even near the place it is grown.  Organic also by definition is NOT a genetically modified organism, GMO.  Organic animal products have been fed organic grain, and also have not been subjected to artificial growth hormones and minimal antibiotics.  You pay more for a product that has been certified organic, but you know it has been produced under strict conditions with minimal contamination.  The more we support organic farmers, the more availability will increase and the prices will go down too.  Watch for labels where part of the ingredients are "organic", but not everything in the product.

Natural- This term is "Trouble with a capital T".  Natural means "from the earth".  Basically any chemical found on the earth is natural.  So a natural food could contain any chemicals found on the earth.  Natural does NOT mean that it is in its Nature/God-created or original state.  The label "Natural" is like a warning sign to me..that it may not be what I think of as natural at all.  For instance Natural flavors may be from any chemical on the earth...blueberry flavor may in fact be made from cranberries or grapes or any chemicals in them.  We think natural is a good term, but in fact it is used broadly in marketing to hide things you may want to avoid.

Synthetic- This term means Man made.  It is the idea that the synthetic item is LIKE the real thing...some would say it is the same thing.  In fact, it may look identical in its chemical/molecular structure...but somehow the body knows the difference.  Synthetics are an imitation of the real thing...they may look alike, but they are not the same.  They may be helpful at times...but they never completely replace the real food or original vitamin.  Perhaps there is something "alive" that we cannot imitate.

I hope this discussion of word meanings is helpful to you.  The next time you read food or supplement labels...keep my simple definitions in mind as you make your choices.

Fun example:  Have you heard of the coffee beans that achieve their special flavor after going thru the digestive system of the elephant?  They are then handpicked from the "elephant piles", roasted, and sold for $500 a pound.  I think these could be labeled organic and natural...but that doesn't make them good in my mind!