Contents
Artisanal / Artisanal / Craft / Rustic
A term that comes from French cuisine. “Artisan” is a peasant, in this case – selling fruits from his own garden or vegetable garden. In a broad sense, the term means everything that is made in a traditional way and grown on land in limited quantities, and not in a continuous production: it can be not only apples and cucumbers, but also bread, olive oil, etc. Approximately the same meaning has the English word craft – small circulation, author’s, made by hand. But craft beer is more often than not, and artisan – wine. To quote Jamie Oliver: “For me, an artisan product makes sense if I know the name of the person who made it. I go to the farmer for cabbage, not take them out of the supermarket on a trolley. ”
Natural / Natural
At best, “natural” products do not contain artificial colors, flavors or other synthetic substances. But since the appearance of this term on the packaging not regulated in any way, then all of the above may be present. In addition, no one knows how and how environmentally friendly oranges or tomatoes were grown, from which natural juice was then squeezed out. “Natural” is at its best “unharmful“, But not always” useful “: for example, white sugar or refined vegetable oil – they can also be considered natural products.
Organic, ECO, BIO / Organic / Environmentally friendly product
For a European resident, the presence of these words on the packaging automatically means that this product has an environmental safety certificate. International agencies that have the right to issue such certificates impose clear requirements on the product at all stages of its production: monitoring of soil condition, absence of pesticides and mineral fertilizers, nutrition control, grazing and keeping animals, right down to the final packaging of the product, which should not contain any artificial compounds, including nanoparticles (yes, nanotechnology is not considered organic!). Receiving bio-certificate – a costly business and purely voluntary. But for Western manufacturers, this is an opportunity to grab a piece of the market for ecological products. In Russia, in lack of clear standards and the narrowness of the market for this kind of products, manufacturers are in no hurry to spend money on getting the coveted badge, and the concept of “organic” is easily replaced by the term “Farm” (which, of course, is not the same thing). Therefore, most of the “organic” goods on our shelves are of foreign origin and they cost 2-3 times more than their domestic counterparts.
So is it worth spending more? Scientists believe it is worth it. For example, an obvious chain that few people trace in relation to meat and products from it (sausages, hams, sausages, etc..): if the animals are alive not fed with antibiotics, then their meat, getting into the human body, does not lead to the growth of bacteria resistant to bactericidal drugs. The same applies to artificial dyes and preservatives – their absence, for example, in sausage, essentially reduces the risk development allergies… That is a chance lead a healthy lifestyle or gaining weight while taking modern medications in a person will be much higher. And a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2016 found that organic dairy products contain 50% more omega-3 acids, which can regulate blood vessels and heart. In organic vegetables and fruits, the concentration of nutrients is higher: in carrots – 1,5 times more beta-carotene, in tomatoes – 20% more lycopene.
Superfoods
The term “superfoods” has recently entered our lexicon: it means fruits, sprouts, seeds that have a superconcentration of nutrients. As a rule, this miracle food has a beautiful legend (for example, chia seeds even the Maya tribes used it as a concentrate of youth), an exotic name (acaya berry, goji fruits, spirulina alga – sounds!) and comes to us from all kinds of inaccessible tropical places – Central America, Equatorial Africa, Cape Verde islands. Today, a whole industry has already formed around superfoods, promising with the help of these expensive natural “pills” to solve all the problems of the day: fill the body with protein and energy, protect from harmful radiation, lose weight, build muscle … How much truth is there? According to Cancer Research UK the prefix “super” in this case is nothing more than marketing. Yes, goji berries have a high concentration of vitamin C – but not more than lemons. Chia seeds are quite seriously inferior to fish oil in terms of the content of beneficial fatty acids. On the other hand, such “plant nutrition” can be of great help for vegetarians. And a healthy and balanced superfood diet can reduce the risk of many diseases. But superfood is unlikely to be a panacea. therefore World Health Organization (WHO) cautiously classifies superfoods as “products that are potentially useful for the body in the absence of individual intolerance.”
Probiotics
Probiotics are living bacteria that are commonly found in unpasteurized dairy products, fermented foods, and specialty supplements. It is believed that they normalize the intestines, cope with dysbiosis, simultaneously rid the body of toxins and restore immunity. The concept is relatively new – it was only in 2002 that the World Health Organization introduced the term into the official scientific lexicon. However, scientists still cannot come to a consensus about whether probiotics survive in the aggressive environment of gastric juice before starting to “work” in the intestines. Committee on Diet Foods, Nutrition and Allergies European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) does not recommend the inclusion of foods fortified with probiotics in the diet of children under 7 years of age. Since babies have not yet formed their own bacterial background, the probiotics introduced into his body will be more harmful than beneficial to him. And by the way, yogurt and kefir don’t count. “Functional fermented foods” and even if they contain probiotics, they are too small for them to have any therapeutic effect. There are many more probiotics in sauerkraut, pickled apples, and pickles.
Sugar-Free
The label on the package only means that no refined sugar has been added to the product. And it does not at all guarantee the absence of other sweeteners, such as honey, syrups from agave, Jerusalem artichoke or brown rice… Thus, a product labeled “sugar-free” may contain as many calories as its counterparts. It is also worth considering that fruit bars and other “natural” sweets a priori include fructose in the composition, therefore, even in sugar-free versions of such “healthy” sweets, at least 15 g of natural sugars per 100 g of product.
Gluten Free
Gluten has been declared almost the plague of the XNUMXst century. Whole supermarket shelves and restaurant menus are used to gluten-free products. Although, in essence, gluten is just a general term used to refer to specific proteins of cereal plants such as barley, oats, rye and wheat… Also known as “gluten”, it is this protein complex that gives the flour “strength”, makes the bread fluffy and allows the dough to rise and hold its shape. Sad but true: according to data WHO in Europe, the number of people suffering gluten allergy, only in the last 10 years has grown by almost 7%, this percentage is especially high in children. The surge in popularity of a gluten-free diet is fueled by the fact that avoiding muffins and crumpets contributes to harmony. However, unless you are allergic to this type of plant protein, doctors advise against eliminating grains from your diet altogether. Indeed, in addition to gluten, cereals include the entire set of elements necessary for a normal functioning of body systems: vitamins, enzymes, fats, carbohydrates, proteins. Of course, eating sweet baked goods is unlikely to do you any good, but cereal toast with avocado for breakfast is definitely not a disaster.
Whole Grain
Review of what was learned in school biology lessons: grains of cereals (wheat, rye, oats, rice and barley) are seeds. And each seed consists of several parts: an embryo, endosperm (nucleus) with an embryo and protective shell (bran). Wheat flour of the highest grade (extra) is a grain from which everything has been peeled off, except for the central part of the endosperm. And at the same time, along with the husk, they sent to the trash the vitamins PP, E, B1, B2, which increase the body’s performance and regulate metabolism. Endosperm is basically a starch that provides little to the body other than empty calories. The logical conclusion is that bread with whole grains is healthier. But do not delude yourself that when choosing bread on the supermarket shelf “With whole grains”, “wholegrain”, “cereal” and so on. you are guaranteed a vitamin boost. “Bread with bran” must contain at least 5% whole grains, EU standards whole grain products are at least 4% whole grains. The rest is the same refined flour. Look for the words “100% Whole Grain” on the packaging, or rather read the label carefully, which indicates the exact ratio of different types of flour. And by the way, whole grain bread, by definition, cannot be gluten-free.