英國政府宣布，將把葉酸添加到英國面粉中，以幫助預防嬰兒的先天性脊柱缺陷。

Women are already advised to take folic acid before and during pregnancy, but many don’t. It’s important because getting enough of this B vitamin cuts the risk of a baby being born with spina bifida or other neural tube defects.

早已有專家建議女性在孕前和孕期服用葉酸，但許多人并未照做。這其實很重要，因為攝入足量這種 B 族維生素可以降低嬰兒出生時患脊柱裂和其它神經管缺陷的風險。

Mandatory fortification will mean everyone eating foods like bread in the UK, will get a dose. There was a concern that for some people, particularly the elderly, boosting folic acid might have unintended negative consequences, such as covering up the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency.

強制加強葉酸攝入意味著在英國，每個吃面包等食物的人都會攝入一定的劑量。有人擔心，對于一些人，特別是老年人來說，增加葉酸攝入量可能會產生意想不到的負面后果，比如可能會掩蓋維生素 B12缺乏癥的癥狀。

But the government’s independent advisory body has looked at all the evidence and is satisfied fortification is the right thing to do.

但英國政府的獨立咨詢機構已經研究了所有證據，并認為加強葉酸攝入是正確的決策。

詞匯表

spina bifida 脊柱裂
neural 神經系統的
mandatory 強制的
fortification 強化
unintended 無意的
symptoms 癥狀
deficiency 缺乏，缺少
evidence 證據

閱讀理解：請在讀完上文后，回答下列問題。

1. What does taking folic acid help reduce the risk of in newborn babies?

2. True or false? People will be able to choose if they have folic acid added to their bread.

3. Why was there a concern that elderly people might not benefit from the boost in folic acid?

4. When are women normally advised to take folic acid?

答案  

1. What does taking folic acid help reduce the risk of in newborn babies?
Getting enough of this B vitamin (folic acid) cuts the risk of a baby being born with spina bifida or other neural tube defects.

2. True or false? People will be able to choose if they have folic acid added to their bread.
False. Adding folic acid to bread will be mandatory.

3. Why was there a concern that elderly people might not benefit from the boost in folic acid?
There was a concern that boosting folic acid would cover up the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency.

4. When are women normally advised to take folic acid?
Women are advised to take folic acid before and during pregnancy.