不少人提倡多吃水果和蔬菜。事實證明，吃果蔬確實有助于改善健康。專家建議每天應吃 “five-a-day（五份水果和蔬菜）”。但在日常生活中，堅持這種飲食方式容易嗎？我們是否應設定一個更現實的飲食目標來保持健康？本期節目探討英文諺語 “An apple a day keeps the doctor away. （每天一蘋果，醫生遠離我。）” 背后的科學依據。

詞匯：health 健康

We all know about the benefits of a healthy diet. 'We are what we eat', so some say. But sometimes our busy lives mean our healthy intentions slip, and we end up eating the wrong things. Messaging telling us to eat our 'five-a-day' encourages us to maintain a balanced diet – but is it accurate?

If you're not sure what your 'five-a-day' is, it's a campaign based on advice from the World Health Organization which recommends eating a minimum of 400g of fruit and vegetables a day. That should lower the risk of serious health problems, such as heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer. Variety is important because different fruits and vegetables contain different combinations of fibre, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.

Eating five pieces of fruit and veg is something to aim for. An analysis of 16 worldwide studies suggested that for every portion of fruit and vegetables consumed, there was a lower risk of premature death. And in the UK, previous research by the University of Oxford found around 33,000 lives a year could be saved if everyone in the UK followed dietary guidelines. Dr Peter Scarborough told the BBC: "According to our model, the biggest impact would be eating more fruit and veg. But this doesn't mean you should just stop at five – the more the better."

However, there are some doubts about the 'five-a-day' message. Some fruits and vegetables are better than others. And counting orange juice, for example, as one of your portions isn't so beneficial because it contains sugar. Also, eating more vegetables than fruit tends to be better because they're richer in nutrients. Some doctors also say the message is too ambitious, and a 'two-a-day' message might be a more realistic starting point.

There have been calls to up the quota to seven-a-day, but research reported in The British Medical Journal found after five portions a day, there was no further impact. But whatever fruit and vegetables you consume, every piece can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. As the old saying goes: 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away'.

詞匯表

diet （日常）飲食
we are what we eat “人如其食”，想健康，得吃好
intention 意愿
five-a-day “每天五份果蔬”，世界衛生組織為增強健康飲食意識而發起的每日至少食用 400g 水果或蔬菜的宣傳活動
balanced diet 均衡飲食
fruit 水果
vegetable 蔬菜
heart disease 心臟病
stroke 中風
cancer 癌，癌癥
fibre （食物的）纖維素
vitamin 維生素
mineral 礦物質
nutrient 營養物
premature 過早的
dietary guidelines 膳食指南
beneficial 有益的
ambitious 要求過高的，需要極大努力才能完成的
cardiovascular disease 心血管疾病
an apple a day keeps the doctor away “一天一蘋果，醫生遠離我”，每天吃蘋果有助于保持健康

測驗與練習

1.  閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. What does the World Health Organization say are the benefits of eating fruit and vegetables?

2. According to research, how many lives could be saved if people in the UK followed dietary guidelines?

3. Why might drinking orange juice not be considered a healthy option as part of our five-a-day?

4. True or false? Dr Peter Scarborough says that we don't have to limit ourselves to five portions of fruit and vegetable a day.

5. Which are richer in nutrients – fruit or vegetables?

2.  選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. My _______ hasn't been great recently – I've been eating too many takeaways!

nutrients                         fruit                         diet                            five-a-day

2. The footballer's _______ death came as shock to the fans. He was only playing football last week.

ambitious                        premature              heart disease             nutrients

3. My doctor has told me to reduce my cholesterol. I need to eat food that is high in _______.

fruit                                  fibre                       intentions                    cancer

4. It's important to eat good food to be fit and healthy, that's why people say _______.

we eat what we are                                       we are what we are 

we are what we eat                                       we eat what we like

5. My _______ was to start cycling to work every day, but I decided it was easier to take the bus.

intention                          stroke                     ambitious                   beneficial

答案

1. 閱讀課文并回答問題。 

1. What does the World Health Organization say are the benefits of eating fruit and vegetables?

The World Health Organization says eating a minimum of 400g of fruit and  vegetables a day helps to lower the risk of serious health problems, such as  heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer.

2. According to research, how many lives could be saved if people in the UK followed dietary guidelines?

Research by the University of Oxford found around 33,000 lives a year could be  saved if everyone in the UK followed dietary guidelines.

3. Why might drinking orange juice not be considered a healthy option as part of our five-a-day?

Counting orange juice, for example, as one of your portions isn't so beneficial  because it contains sugar.

4. True or false? Dr Peter Scarborough says that we don't have to limit ourselves to five portions of fruit and vegetable a day.

True. Dr Peter Scarborough told the BBC: "According to our model, the biggest impact would be eating more fruit and veg. But this doesn't mean you should just stop at five – the more the better."

5. Which are richer in nutrients – fruit or vegetables?

Vegetables are richer in nutrients.

2.  選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. My diet hasn't been great recently – I've been eating too many takeaways!

2. The footballer's premature death came as shock to the fans. He was only playing football last week.

3. My doctor has told me to reduce my cholesterol. I need to eat food that is high in fibre.

4. It's important to eat good food to be fit and healthy, that's why people say we are what we eat.

5. My intention was to start cycling to work every day, but I decided it was easier to take the bus.