Opinion: Why the term ‘natural’ is so seductive — and possibly misleading
The term "natural" is powerful. Overcoming one's bias toward it requires conscious effort, and even then is hard to resist.
Several years ago, a friend asked two of us if an over-the-counter drug that promised to increase one’s lifespan actually had evidence to support this claim. We couldn’t find any research on the drug and suggested that our friend refrain from using it since it hadn’t been tested for safety. Her response: “But it’s natural, so it can’t hurt you.”
We were dumbfounded by this statement. After all, substances like arsenic and botulinum
