I don't feel good today so i didn't go to the gym. I was a bit bored tonight so I decided to listen to what my mentor said about simply glancing through the daily paper to get ideas for this course and I saw today's Globe in our recycling box. Well, I am lazy, but this was on the first page of a section, so it kinda jumped out at me!
Anyways, there was an article (Globe Life, Health & Fitness, section L) that talked about "natural" foods as it relates to nitrates. Well, we learned about chemicals and food nutrition in science class a while ago and learned that nitrates are usually found in vegetables and are considered harmless. Nitrates are also used in processed meats like hot dogs, to help preserve them longer.
So what the article says is that it’s not really OK to eat processed meats that are sold as “natural”. This is because they are still adding nitrates that come from celery extracts. "This combo has been linked to some risky and serious health problems" says the article.
So… reading labels helps, but only if you know what to look for. So for marketing people, it helps them say that their products are “natural” because it makes people believe that they are doing something healthy.
But some labels are misleading and some people think that we are easily fooled by the word "natural”. Me, I think it's used to help a product look better than what it really is.
What do you think?
Thanks for taking my advice!
ReplyDeleteNow that you are looking at nitrates, you might want to take a peek at nitrites.....
You speak of labels being misleading and people being fooled by the usage of the word natural. This is correct. People are also weary of the "fat-free" or "light" labeled foods in their quest to eat healthy.