食物在經過加工后所包含的營養成分會有所降低，這也是為什么人們普遍認為經過加工后的食品不如新鮮食材營養豐富。科學家發現，被經過 “超級加工” 的食品對人體健康帶來了新的威脅。超加工食品是一種經過大量工業加工的食品，包裝上通常有很長的成分表。科學家對超加工食品進行了研究，他們發現了什么？本集 “隨身英語” 討論食用超加工食品可能對人體健康產生的影響。

Vocabulary: eating 詞匯: 飲食

It’s good to enjoy food, but sometimes stories about the dangers of eating certain things can be hard to digest. I love to tuck into to a pepperoni pizza or munch on a jam doughnut, even though I know the dangers that lurk in their ingredients. It’s clear that processed foods are not the most nutritious things; but there now comes a new threat - from ultra-processed foods.

Scientists have now discovered that eating these types of food - such as chicken nuggets, ice cream and breakfast cereals - have been linked to early death and poor health. This is the stuff that has been through more substantial industrial processing and often has long ingredient lists on the packet, including added preservatives, sweeteners or colour enhancers.

Knowing that your bowl of cornflakes could be bad for you might be hard to swallow, but two studies have shown that people eating more ultra-processed food had worse heart health. Dr Mathilde Touvier from the University of Paris, who conducted one of the studies, told the BBC: "The rapid and worldwide increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods, to the detriment of less processed foods, may drive a substantial burden of cardiovascular diseases in the next decades."

But it might not be completely necessary to change your diet just yet as there is still some uncertainty about the results of the study and questions still to answer. Kevin McConway, a professor of statistics at The Open University, told the BBC: "These studies do increase my confidence that there's something real behind these associations - but I'm still far from sure."

Maybe we should follow the advice of The US National Institutes of Health, which found that ultra-processed foods lead people to eat more and put on more weight. It suggests avoiding food containing ingredients you cannot pronounce or anything your grandmother would not recognise as food! The obvious thing to do seems to be to feast on more unprocessed foods, such as fruit, vegetables, fish, nuts and seeds, beans, lentils and wholegrains, often called a Mediterranean-style diet. After all, we are what we eat!

詞匯表

hard to digest 難以（讓人）接受
tuck into 盡情地吃，痛快地吃
ingredient 成分，配料
processed foods 經過加工的食品
nutritious 營養豐富的
preservative 防腐劑
sweetener 甜味劑
colour enhancers 色素
hard to swallow 令人難以置信
consumption 食用
cardiovascular disease 心血管疾病
diet 飲食
feast on 盡情享用，大吃大喝
unprocessed 未經加工的
wholegrain 全谷物的
Mediterranean-style diet 地中海式飲食
we are what we eat 人如其食

測驗與練習

1. 閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. According to new studies, what might be worse than processed foods?

2. True or false? An ultra-processed food item contains many ingredients.

3. How might eating too much ultra-processed food be bad for your health?

4. According to one study, what should you do if your grandmother doesn’t recognise what you’re eating?

5. Which word used in the article means ‘connections between two things’?

2. 請在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。

1. When I’m on holiday I like to _______ a nice plate of bacon and eggs for my breakfast!

tuck up                 tuck on                 tuck into                 tuck out

2. _______ of coffee has increased considerably. Now there seems to be a shop selling it on every street corner.

ingredients             consumption         diet                       preservatives

3. After being ill for several weeks, my doctor has recommended I eat some _______ meals to improve my health.

nutritious              ingredients             wholegrains           sweeteners

4. Getting poor grades in my exams was _______ - but I guess I can try again next year.

hard and swallow   hard to swallowing    hardly swallow      hard to swallow

5. The bread tasted awful! I think it was full of _______, which is why it stayed fresh for a week!

colour enhancers        ingredients             preservatives         processed food

答案

1. 閱讀課文并回答問題。

1.According to new studies, what might be worse than processed foods?
Studies have found the worst kinds of food are ultra-processed ones.

2.True or false? An ultra-processed food item contains many ingredients.
True. Scientists have found ultra-processed foods have been through more substantial industrial processing and often have long ingredient lists on the packet.

3. How might eating too much ultra-processed food be bad for your health?
Two studies have shown that people eating more ultra-processed food had worse heart health, also known as cardiovascular diseases.

4. According to one study, what should you do if your grandmother doesn’t recognise what you’re eating?
The US National Institutes of Health suggests avoiding or cutting down on anything your grandmother would not recognise as food!

5. Which word used in the article means ‘connections between two things’?
The word is ‘associations’. Kevin McConway, a professor of statistics at The Open University, told the BBC: "These studies do increase my confidence that there's something real behind these associations - but I'm still far from sure."

2. 請在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。

1. When I’m on holiday I like to tuck into a nice plate of bacon and eggs for my breakfast!

2. Consumption of coffee has increased considerably. Now there seems to be a shop selling it on every street corner.

3. After being ill for several weeks, my doctor has recommended I eat some nutritious meals to improve my health.

4. Getting poor grades in my exams was hard to swallow - but I guess I can try again next year.

5. The bread tasted awful! I think it was full of preservatives, which is why it stayed fresh for a week!