The Incredible Arrogance of Thinking ‘Natural’ Means ‘Good’

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Acg67
Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I've explained why the natural fallacy is ill-informed, but why did I call it arrogant? It's arrogant because it suggests that the entirety of the natural world has been created purely as a service to humankind – that somehow the earth and everything on it grows simply for our pleasure or our consumption.

That's nonsense.

What's also nonsense is the chemophobic notion that "chemicals" are as inherently "bad" as "natural" products are good. Sure there are incredibly harmful chemicals, but it has been the past 100 or so years of chemicals that have helped to push our quantities and qualities of living to previously unheard of levels of luxury and length.

At the end of the day, what should inform our decisions is not the natural fallacy or chemophobia. We cannot simply assume anything we ingest, natural or chemical, is going to be good or bad for us consequent to its origins, and this holds especially true for those substances we ingest in the name of treating or preventing a medical condition.

Instead, we need to be reliant on evidence. While truthiness and thinking with your gut may work for Stephen Colbert; as far as your health goes, actual evidence goes a long, long way. And the only assumption that you should make is that if there isn't any evidence, it's best to tread cautiously.

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2013/08/21/dont-mistake-natural-for-good

Also Dr Bruce Ames on "toxic chemicals" fearmongering

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g1denSoAbc
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Replies

  • VBnotbitter
    VBnotbitter Posts: 820 Member
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    Yes, yes, yes.

    And in for the fun to follow
  • glin23
    glin23 Posts: 460 Member
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    Agreed. There are many "natural" substances that are harmful.
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
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    Humping this thread
  • snookumss
    snookumss Posts: 1,451 Member
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    Exactly. I hate it when somebody thinks that something labeled all natural is ALWAYS so much better, just because.
  • WakkoW
    WakkoW Posts: 567 Member
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    Whatever! I know that natural tobacco is good!










    J/k
  • snazzyjazzy21
    snazzyjazzy21 Posts: 1,298 Member
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    Aw this thread is gonna be good!
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
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    In for the roll
  • grimm1974
    grimm1974 Posts: 337 Member
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    Every few years there is a new term that becomes the new trend.....lite, organic, natural. There is always some new label that comes out to sell product.
  • justlast
    justlast Posts: 30
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    people seem to forget that arsenic and cyanide are as natural as apples.
  • chezjuan
    chezjuan Posts: 747 Member
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    Poison Ivy is natural... but I wouldn't use it as a topical skin cream.
  • jericalwhite
    jericalwhite Posts: 4
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    I LOVE that you are addressing. It's irritating that people or should I say "sheeple" don't even try to learn about these things, and instead just fully buy into it.
  • RubyRunner14
    RubyRunner14 Posts: 148 Member
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    Bears and lions are natural but by no means healthy or safe!
  • Morn66
    Morn66 Posts: 96
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    Funny, we were having just this (friendly) argument at work today. One of my staff is vegan like me but very much into the "natural" and "organic," which...Well, I'm not fussy about it. In fact, I don't care. If it's food I can eat, I eat it. She seems to think that she's going to "convert" me, but...Nah, my BS-ometer will prevail. :)

    But anyway...*starts making popcorn in anticipation of the natural crowd's arrival* :)
  • MrsMX
    MrsMX Posts: 98
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    Naturally I'm going to have to agree with the majority ...
  • nelinelineli
    nelinelineli Posts: 330 Member
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    Here's my rant: My biggest issue on this topic is with the word "chemicals". Everything is chemicals - you, me, everything found in nature, purified or synthesized in a lab. The vast majority of deadly substances we commonly have are found in nature (cyanide anyone?). Similarly, many lab-made substances are identical to the "natural" products - for most the issue is quantity not quality (highly purified substances can be toxic not because they're different from the natural ones, but because we can consume high quantities - like fructose) . The only caveat here is that it takes a long time and a lot of studies to figure out if a newly made compound is indeed perfectly safe or has some unintended consequences, and at what dosage.
  • Wildflower0106
    Wildflower0106 Posts: 247 Member
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    Poison Ivy is natural... but I wouldn't use it as a topical skin cream.

    Ha! I was just about to post about how me and nature are not getting along right now because I am covered in poison ivy lol!
  • DragonSquatter
    DragonSquatter Posts: 957 Member
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    Naturally I'm going to have to agree with the majority ...

    what-you-did-there-i-see-it.jpg
  • TheBaileyHunter
    TheBaileyHunter Posts: 641 Member
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    Naturally I'm going to have to agree with the majority ...

    what-you-did-there-i-see-it.jpg

    ***

    This image. It will give me nightmares.

    Birds are evil incarnate. And THAT is just terrifying.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,669 Member
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    Lol, we use chemicals to make our water drinkable. People use chemicals on their face to clean them or enhance them. Same as nails, and skin.
    But somehow, not eating "natural" is the demise of why we are an overweight and obese nation along with more diseases. I'd start with over consumption first.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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