A note on ‘natural’

Q. When looking at labels on foods, beverages and supplements, what does "natural" mean? And are "natural" foods healthy?

A. Sadly, there are no guidelines to define what can be classified as "natural." Basically, it means nothing, so buyer beware.

The word "natural" isn't easy to define (there are almost 20 definitions in the dictionary). When it comes to food, you want something that's as close to nature as possible — the more processed the food is, the less natural it becomes.

There are at least three sides to this issue: processed foods labeled "natural"; "natural" junk foods, and "natural" herbal supplements.

Processed foods

There's nothing …