The Controversy Over Natural: Whose Got It Right?

What's in your plant protein shake? Do you understand the ingredients when reading the label? Do you buy without caring about all the possible chemicals and artificial ingredients in the supplement box, or do you become unhinged and demand only pure, natural ingredients? 

The craze these days seems to be the nutrition influencers who raise alarms about everything from sucrose, to junk foods, to the term artificial. Does this help or confuse the consumer who wants to "eat clean"? Discussion and a differing of opinion over “natural vs artificial” is a good thing. However, some influencers stoke controversy and people really just want to figure out good from bad - or at least those who care and want transparency.

Here is something to get you thinking. Can you guess the name of the product noted below after reviewing the ingredient list?

INGREDIENTS: Water, Sugars, Glucose, Fructose, Sucrose, Maltose, Starch, Fibre E460, Amino Acids, Glutamic Acid, Aspartic Acid, Histidine, Leucine, Lysine, Phenyalanine, Arginine, Valine, Alanine, Serine, Glycine, Theronine, Isoleucine, Proline, Tryptophan, Cystine, Tyrosine, Methionine, Fatty Acids, Palmitic Acid, Omega-6 Fatty Acid: Linoleic Acid, Omega-3 Fatty Acid: Linoleic Acid, , Oleic Acid, Palmitoleic Acid, Stearic Acid, Lauric Acid, Myristic Acid, Capric Acid, Ash, Phytosterols, E515, Oxalic Acid, E300, E306 (Tocopherol), Phylloquinone, Thiamin, Colours Yellow-Orange E101 (Riboflavin) Yellow-Browne E160a, Flavours (3-Methylbut-1-YL Ethanoate, 2-Methylbutyl Ethanoate, 2-Methylpropan -1-OL, 3-Methylbutyl-1-OL, 2-Hydroxy-3-Methylethyl Butanoate, 3-Methylbutanal, Ethyl Hexanoate, Ethyl Butanoate, Pentyl Acetate), 1510, Natural Ripening Agent (Ethene Gas).

Maybe you didn't recognize the whole ingredient list but lets just ask why any formulator would put 2-Hydroxy-3-Methylethyl Butanoate in a product you consume? It sounds like this chemical would start a small forest fire. And what about the Colours? Yellow-Browne E160a - EWWW..We won't ask where that comes from. Lastly, who in their right mind would add Ethene Gas? Hmmm…Maybe that is what ignites the 3-Methylbutanal?

Okay now comes the hard truth. Would you ever buy this product after reviewing the ingredient list? 

Probably not….

You may, however, unknowingly, buy this every week at the grocery store for your family. Can you guess what this is? (Not even a monkey would get this right.)

Drum roll…….

The INGREDIENTS listed above is what is found in an “All-Natural” Banana. 

All the ingredients on this list are 100% natural and are in a non-GMO banana. The research on a banana was to demonstrate that “natural” products are usually more complicated than anything created in a lab. 

So the next time someone slams sucrose as being horrible, maybe we all need to dig a little deeper and ask more questions. The controversy over “natural" ingredients will continue and that is a good thing.

https://jameskennedymonash.wordpress.com/2013/12/12/ingredients-of-an-all-natural-banana/