In the past few years we’ve all been hearing a lot about eating natural, healthy and organic food. But do these categories actually refer to less processed food which contains more fibre and nutrients and less artificial additives?

The term ‘natural food’ is widely used in food labelling with a variety of definitions, most of which are vague. The term is assumed to imply food which is minimally processed and does not contain manufactured ingredients. However, the lack of standards in most jurisdictions means that the term assures nothing.

We also tend to put natural and organic food in the same shopping basket. However, they are two very different definitions. Organic food is the result of organic farming, which responds to site-specific farming and crop conditions that integrate cultural, biological and mechanical practices. These foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. In organic farming, synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers are not allowed, although certain organically approved pesticides may be used under limited conditions. Organic food is also not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents or synthetic food additives.

Therefore, natural and organic products are not the same. While in some countries, the term ‘natural’ is defined and enforced, in others it has no meaning whatsoever.

When we want to eat in a healthier manner, what should we look for: food that is natural or organic, or are there other ways of choosing between healthy and less healthy food?

Let’s start from what is normally seen as the greatest evil of all: sugar. There are three main types of sugar: simple sugars, starch and fibre. Simple sugars consist of sucrose, fructose and lactose, which during digestion are broken down into glucose. Starch and fibre contain a larger number of sugar molecules than simple sugars and take longer to digest. This means they enter the bloodstream at a much slower pace, thus increasing blood glucose levels much less than simple sugars do. Therefore, the more complex sugars such as starch and fibre do not cause spikes in blood sugar levels.

Fruit, vegetables, nuts, whole grains and beans are simple sugars. However they also contain vitamins, minerals and fibre, and this still causes the sugar in these natural foods to be absorbed slowly. This makes them healthier to eat than sugars which are added to food during processing, cooking or at table, where the vitamins, nutrients and fibre are missing. This added sugar is defined as ‘bad’ sugar: it is bad because it increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes and obesity. The latter also predisposes a resistance to insulin, which is the chemical which the body produces to break down glucose. This means that sugar remains in the body and is not broken down, thus increasing the risk of diabetes and related complications. Besides, it causes a rise in triglycerides, which increase the risk of heart disease.

Now let us get down to finding solutions. How can we choose between healthy and less healthy food? Food labels can be the best indication of the ingredients or contents of the food we are buying and should therefore act as our guide when we are choosing what to buy. A label should contain information about calories, carbohydrates, proteins and fats, including information about saturated fats, sugars and sodium (salt). The new food pyramid is also a good guide.

When reading food labels, consider the content of energy, fat, saturated fats, sugar and salt. Most pre-packed food products also have a list of ingredients on the packaging or on the label. The ingredients list can help you work out how healthy the product is. Ingredients are listed in order of weight, so the main ingredients in the packaged food always come first. That means that if the first few ingredients are high-fat ingredients then the food in question is a high-fat food.

We have often heard the saying that we are what we eat. If we want to stay healthy, we have to not only eat good food but also be careful what food and ingredients to buy.

Read the label

Geoffrey Axiak is a registered nutritionist. For more information visit www.gaxiak.yolasite.com.