万万没想到：原来红薯这么有营养！

 　　Here are some facts about sweet potatoes you probably don't know:

　　这里有一些关于红薯你可能还不知道的事实：

　　Sweet Potatoes Originated in the Americas

　　红薯起源于美洲

　　They're in the family of plants that includes morning glories and are in a different family than yams. Yams are from Africa and are more closely related to lilies.

　　红薯和牵牛花是同一科的植物，但和山药不属于同一科。山药源于非洲，和百合花关系更近。

　　A 5000 Year-Old Food

　　红薯有5000年的历史

　　When Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas in the 15th century, sweet potatoes were already a staple¹ crop. He took some with him back to Spain and by the 16th century, gardens all over Europe were growing them.

　　15世纪哥伦布到达美洲，那时红薯已是当地的主要作物了。他带了一些回西班牙，到了16世纪整个欧洲的花园都种植红薯。

　　A Rich Source of Beta-Carotene

　　红薯富含β-胡萝卜素

　　This powerful antioxidant gives the tuber its yellow, gold, or orange (and sometimes even purple) coloring and coverts² to vitamin A in your dog's body. It's thought to reduce the risk of certain types of cancer and provide protection against heart disease.

　　强大的抗氧化剂使得这种块茎呈黄色、金色、或橙色(有时甚至呈紫色)，并在你的体内转化成维生素A。有降低患某些癌症风险的功效，并预防心脏病。

　　A Good Source of Minerals

　　富含矿物质

　　Sweet potatoes are a good source of potassium, manganese, and magnesium³. They also contain calcium⁴, iron, and zinc⁵ but are low in sodium⁶.

　　红薯富含钾、锰、镁，同时也含有钙、铁、锌，但钠含量比较低。

　　High in Fiber⁷, Low in Fat

　　高纤维、低脂肪

　　Sweet potatoes are high in dietary fiber which is great for digestive health. Plus, they contain very little fat.

　　红薯富含膳食纤维，对消化大有健康益处。另外，红薯含的脂肪很少。

　　A Healthy Alternative

　　健康的选择

　　White potatoes may be cheaper than sweet potatoes but sweet potatoes have more nutritional⁸ value. Plus, white potatoes have more carbohydrates⁹ which can lead to obesity¹⁰ and blood sugar problems.

　　土豆比红薯便宜，但红薯的营养价值更高。另外，土豆含的碳水化合物偏多会导致肥胖和血糖问题。

1 staple   

n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类

参考例句：

• Tea is the staple crop here.本地产品以茶叶为大宗。
• Potatoes are the staple of their diet.土豆是他们的主要食品。

2 coverts   

n.隐蔽的，不公开的，秘密的( covert的名词复数 )；复羽

参考例句：

• But personage inside story thinks, this coverts namely actually leave one's post. 但有知情人士认为，这实际上就是变相离职。 来自互联网

3 magnesium   

n.镁

参考例句：

• Magnesium is the nutrient element in plant growth.镁是植物生长的营养要素。
• The water contains high amounts of magnesium.这水含有大量的镁。

4 calcium   

n.钙(化学符号Ca)

参考例句：

• We need calcium to make bones.我们需要钙来壮骨。
• Calcium is found most abundantly in milk.奶含钙最丰富。

5 zinc   

n.锌；vt.在...上镀锌

参考例句：

• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
• Zinc is used to protect other metals from corrosion.锌被用来保护其他金属不受腐蚀。

6 sodium   

n.（化）钠

参考例句：

• Out over the town the sodium lights were lit.在外面，全城的钠光灯都亮了。
• Common salt is a compound of sodium and chlorine.食盐是钠和氯的复合物。

7 fiber   

n.纤维，纤维质

参考例句：

• The basic structural unit of yarn is the fiber.纤维是纱的基本结构单元。
• The material must be free of fiber clumps.这种材料必须无纤维块。

8 nutritional   

adj.营养的，滋养的

参考例句：

• A diet lacking in nutritional value will not keep a person healthy.缺乏营养价值的饮食不能维持人的健康。
• The labels on food products give a lot of information about their nutritional content.食品上的标签提供很多关于营养成分的信息。

9 carbohydrates   

n.碳水化合物，糖类( carbohydrate的名词复数 )；淀粉质或糖类食物

参考例句：

• The plant uses the carbohydrates to make cellulose. 植物用碳水化合物制造纤维素。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All carbohydrates originate from plants. 所有的碳水化合物均来自植物。 来自辞典例句

10 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。