VOA慢速英语2014 Herbs and Spices May Be Good for Your Health 药草和香料也许能够改善健康（在线收听）

Herbs and Spices May Be Good for Your Health 药草和香料也许能够改善健康

rom VOA Learning English, this is Science in the News.  I’m Faith Lapidus.

来自美国之音英语学习，这里是科学新闻。我是拉皮德斯·费丝。

And I’m Mario Ritter.  Today we tell about herbs and spices, and some of their many uses.

我是利特·马里奥。今天我们将要告诉你关于药草和香料以及一些它们的用途。

People have been using herbs and spices for thousands of years.  Generally, herbs come from the green leaves of plants or vegetables.  Spices come from other parts of plants and trees.

Some herbs and spices are valued for their taste.  They help to sharpen the taste of many foods.  Others are chosen for their smell.  Still others were used traditionally for health reasons.

人们使用药草和香料数千年了。通常来说，药草来自于植物或者蔬菜的绿叶，而香料来自于植物和树的其他部分。一些药草和香料因其香味而贵重。它们能增加许多食物的味道。有的药草和香料因其气味而被选择。有的则因其在传统意义上有健康价值而被使用。

When people think of improving their diet, they often talk about eating more fruits and vegetables.  Others want to eat more fish and less red meat, in addition to reducing the amount of food they eat.  But, they can improve their diets even more with just a simple addition.  

当人们想要改善他们的饮食时，他们总是谈论到要多吃水果和蔬菜。有的人则想要多吃鱼少吃红色肉类，并且减少米饭的摄入量。但是，他们其实可以仅仅简单的添加一样东西就能更好地改善饮食。

American researchers have found that a diet rich in spices can help reduce the harmful effects of eating high fat meals.  Researchers at Pennsylvania State University reported the findings.

美国研究院发现一顿富含香料的饮食能够帮助减少食用高脂肪肉的不良影响。宾夕法尼亚州立大学研究院报告了这一发现。

Penn State Associate Professor Sheila West led an investigation of the health effects of a spice-rich diet.  Her team knew that a high-fat meal produces high levels of triglycerides, a kind of fat, in the blood.

宾夕法尼亚州立大学副教授西希拉带领调查了富含香料饮食的健康作用。她的小组知道一顿高脂肪的饭能够产生高浓度的甘油三酸脂—一种在血液里的脂肪。

She said, “If this happens too frequently, or if triglyceride levels are raised too much, your risk of heart disease is increased.  We found that adding spices to a high-fat meal reduced triglyceride response by about 30 percent, compared to a similar meal with no spices added.”

她说：“如果甘油三酸脂产生地太频繁或者它的浓度太高，你罹患心脏病的风险就会增加。我们发现与一顿没有添加香料的饭相比，在一顿相似的高脂肪饭中加入香料能够减少大约百分之三十的甘油三酸脂的反应。”

As part of the study, her team prepared meals on two separate days for six men between the ages of 30 and 65.  The men were overweight, but healthy.                         

作为研究的一部分，她的小组在不同的两天为六个年龄在30到65岁的人准备了饭。这些人虽然超重但是健康。

The researchers added about 30 milliliters of spices to each serving of the test meal, which included chicken curry, Italian herb bread and a cinnamon biscuit.  The meal for the control group was the same, but it did not include any spices.

这些研究员在每份含有咖喱鸡、意大利香草面包和一块肉桂饼干的试验餐中添加了大约30毫升的香料。提供给实验对照组的饭是相同的，但是没有添加香料。

Ann Skulas-Ray also served on the research team.  She said the team used paprika, rosemary, oregano, cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, cloves and garlic powder.  She said these spices were chosen because they had demonstrated strong antioxidant activity under controlled conditions in a laboratory.

斯库拉瑞·安也是该研究小组的一员。她说小组使用了辣椒粉、迷迭香、花椒叶、肉桂、姜黄、黑胡椒、丁香和大蒜粉。她说选用这些香料是因为它们在实验室的受控条件下表现出了强烈的抗氧化活性。

During the experiment, the researchers removed blood from the men every 30 minutes for three hours.  They found that antioxidant activity in the blood of the men who ate the spicy meal was 13 percent higher than it was for the men who did not.  In addition, insulin activity dropped by about 20 percent in the men who ate the spicy food. 

在实验中，研究员每三十分钟给受试者抽血，持续了三个小时。他们发现那些吃添加香料食物的人的血液中抗氧化活性比那些吃不含香料食物的人的高出百分之十三。此外，那些吃添加香料的人的胰岛素活性降低了百分之二十。

Sheila West says many scientists think that oxidative stress leads to heart disease, arthritis and diabetes.  And what exactly is oxidative stress?  Think of an apple that has been cut in half and set aside for half an hour or so.  The cut side of the apple turns brown.  That is a simple explanation of what happens when oxidative stress comes in contact with the inside and outside of our bodies.  

西希拉说许多科学家认为氧化应激导致了心脏病、关节炎和糖尿病。那么什么是氧化应激呢？想想把一个已经被切成两半的苹果放在一边半小时左右。苹果被切开的那面变黄了。这就是对于当氧化应激接触到我们体内外会发生什么的一个简单的解释。

Professor West says, “Antioxidants, like spices, may be important in reducing oxidative stress and thus reducing the risk of chronic disease.”  She adds that the level of spices used in the study provided the same amount of antioxidants found in 150 milliliters of red wine or about 38 grams of dark chocolate.       

西教授说：“抗氧化剂就像香料，也许对于减少氧化应激并因此降低患慢性病的危险起着重要作用。”她还补充说研究中使用的这种级别的香料被发现与150毫升红酒或者大约38克黑巧克力提供的抗氧化剂数量相同。

Other scientists are helping to uncover the secrets of spices and herbs.        

其他科学家正在帮助解开香料和药草的秘密。                                                                                         

For example, Purdue University researchers in Indiana say red pepper may help people lose weight.  They say this could be especially true for people who do not usually add peppers to their food. 

例如在印第安纳州普渡大学的研究人员说红辣椒也许能够帮助人们减肥。他们说这尤其适用于那些不经常在他们食物中加辣椒粉的人。

The researchers reported on the effects of dried and ground cayenne red pepper in the journal Physiology & Behavior in 2011.  They found that small changes in diet, like adding the pepper, may reduce the desire to eat.

这些研究人员在2011年的杂志《生理机能与行为》上报告了干燥和研磨红辣椒的作用。他们发现饮食中小小的改变比如添加一点辣椒粉，也许能够减少吃的欲望。

Most chili peppers contain capsaicin -- a substance that makes chili peppers taste hot and spicy.  Other studies have shown that capsaicin can reduce hunger and burn calories, the energy stored in food.  

大多数辣椒含有辣椒素——一种是辣椒尝起来火辣辣的物质。其他研究发现辣椒素能够降低饥饿感并且燃烧储存在食物中的能量——卡路里。

Twenty-five people of normal weight took part in the study, which lasted six weeks.  Thirteen of them liked spicy food.  The 12 others did not.  The researchers decided how much red pepper each group would receive.  One and eight tenths grams of the pepper was given to each person who liked spicy food.  The others received three tenths of a gram. 

25个正常体重的人参与了这个持续了六周的研究。他们中的13个人喜欢辣的食物。另外12个则不喜欢。研究人员决定每组得到多少红辣椒。喜欢辣食的人没人得到1.8克辣椒。其他人得到十分之三克。

The people who did not normally eat red pepper showed a decreased desire for food.  That was especially true for fatty, salty and sweet foods.  Purdue University Professor Richard Mattes said the effect may be true only for people who do not usually eat red pepper.  He said the effectiveness of the pepper may be lost if spices are normally part of a person’s diet and that more studies must be done.

没有正常吃红辣椒的人显示出对食物欲望的降低，尤其对于那些多脂肪的、咸的和甜的食物。普渡大学教授马特斯·理查德说这一作用也许只适用于那些不经常吃红辣椒的人。他说如果香料已经成为一个人饮食的正常一部分那么辣椒的作用也许就丧失了。他还说这还需要更多的研究来证明。

Other research shows that capsaicin helps suppress the buildup of body fat.  A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that capsaicin may help to reduce abdominal fat.  Study organizers said the reduction possibly takes place because the spice changes some proteins found in fat, causing them to break down the fat.

其他研究表明辣椒素能帮助抑制身体脂肪的堆积。一个发表在美国临床营养学杂志上的研究发现辣椒素也许能够帮助减少腹部脂肪。研究组织者说这一减少可能发生是因为香料改变了一些在脂肪中发现的蛋白质，使它们帮助分解脂肪。

Scientists have become so interested in the health value of spices that recent discoveries are helping to move spices from traditional medicine into real science. 

科学家们对香料的健康价值是如此的感兴趣，最近的发现使得香料正从传统医学变为正真的科学。

Researchers in Virginia discovered that curcumin, a substance found in turmeric, stopped the Rift Valley Fever virus from reproducing in infected cells.  The sometimes deadly virus is carried by mosquitos.  It can affect human beings and some farm animals like cattle and goats.

弗吉尼亚州的研究人员发现一种在姜黄中的物质“姜黄素”阻止了里夫特山谷热病毒在受感染细胞中的复制。这一有时能够致命的病毒是通过蚊子携带传播的。它能够感染人类以及一些像牛啊、山羊啊一类的家畜。

Aarthi Narayanan is an assistant professor at George Mason University in Virginia.  She was the lead investigator in a study of curcumin.  She says her team of researchers found the spice may interfere with the way some viruses cause human cells to stop reacting to an infection.  She hopes the team can discover drug treatments to defeat several kinds of viruses.  And, she says, it is possible curcumin will be part of those cures.  

纳拉亚南·阿尔特是弗吉尼亚州乔治梅森大学的副教授。她是对一项姜黄素研究的带头研究员。她说她的研究员小组发现香料也许能够干涉病毒导致的人体细胞停止对感染反应的方式。她希望小组能够找到战胜不同种类病毒的药物疗法。她还说姜黄素有可能成为那些治疗药物的一种。

A study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry found that curcumin improves the effectiveness of chemotherapy in breast cancer patients.  And it has possibilities for development into a drug that can help with chemotherapy.

一项发表在生物化学杂志上的研究发现姜黄素提高了乳腺癌病人化疗的效果。它有可能发展成为一种能够帮助化疗的药物。

Turmeric comes from a tropical plant common to India.  Scientists have been examining its medical possibilities for many years.

姜黄来自于一种印度常见的热带植物。科学家已经测验它的医疗可能性很多年了。

Studies show that turmeric’s qualities may help protect against damage to the body’s tissues and other injuries.  Researchers also said turmeric may reduce evidence of damage in the brains of patients with mild or moderate Alzheimer’s disease.  For this reason, the researchers designed a study that examined results from a mental-performance test of older Asian adults. 

研究显示姜黄的特性也许能够帮助保护人体组织不受伤害以及防止其他一些创伤。研究人员还说姜黄也许能够减少患有轻度或者中度阿耳茨海默氏病病人脑中的损伤迹象。因此，研究人员涉及了一项研究来测验年龄较大的亚洲成年人的神经活动测试结果。

The study involved curry, which contains turmeric.  The adults tested were 60 to 93 years old.  Those who sometimes ate curry did better on the tests than individuals who rarely or never ate curry.  This was also true of those who ate it often or very often.         

这个研究使用了含有姜黄粉的咖喱。这些受试的成年人年龄在60到93岁之间。那些有时吃些咖喱的人比那些难得或者从来不吃咖喱的人在测试中的表现更好。

One spice that often is at the top of a healthy spices list is cinnamon.  It comes from the inner bark of several trees and is used in both sweet and savory cooking.  For centuries cinnamon has been used in traditional medicine.  Now, it is earning respect in the medical field.

位于健康香料榜首的一种香料是肉桂。它来自于几种树的内树皮并且在甜的和清新的烹饪中都被使用。几个世纪以来肉桂一直被用于传统医疗中。现在，它正在医学界中赢得尊重。

German researchers found that cinnamon can reduce blood sugar by 10 percent.  They were not sure why, but said it could be that substances in cinnamon activate enzymes that excite insulin receptors.  Research also shows the spice can help lower levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, blood fats that may cause diabetes.        

德国研究人员发现肉桂能够减少百分之十的血糖。他们不能确定这是为什么但是说这也许是肉桂中的某些物质激活了刺激胰岛素受体的酶。研究还表明香料能够降低能够造成疾病的血液中的脂肪——胆固醇和甘油三酸脂的水平。

Registered dietician Wendy Bazilian says spices are being considered more seriously because the added taste they bring helps people reduce the salt, fat and sugar in their cooking.  She has written a book called, “The Super Foods Rx Diet”, on how people can lose weight by basing their diet on what she calls “super nutrients”.  She says she likes oregano, for example, because she considers it a mini salad.  She says “one teaspoon has as much antioxidant power as three cups of chopped broccoli.”

注册营养师巴琪丽莲·温蒂说香料正在被更加认真地考虑因为它们带来的添加的味道能够帮助人们减少烹饪中盐、脂肪和糖的使用。她写了一本名为《超级食物疗饮食方案》。这本书是关于人们如何通过将他们的饮食建立在她所说的“超级营养物”的基础之上来实现减肥。比如，她说她喜欢花椒叶因为她把它看成是一种迷你沙拉。她说“一茶勺花椒叶含有和三杯花菜粒相同抗氧化的力量”。

But, she says, do not get rid of the broccoli.  Instead, eat both.      

但是，她也说。不要舍弃花椰菜。相反，要两者都吃。                               

Herbs and spices are not used just to lessen unwanted chemical effects.  They make food taste better.  Some spices also destroy bacteria.  Spices have long been used to keep food safe to eat.

药草和香料不仅仅是用来减少不必要的化学效果。它们也使食物口味更佳。有些香料也能够杀菌。香料一直被用于保证食物安全食用。

Spices have influenced world history.  

香料已经影响了世界历史。                                                     

This Science in the News program was written by Milagros Ardin.  Our producer was June Simms.  I’m Faith Lapidus.

这期的科学新闻节目由阿尔丁·米拉格罗斯编写。制作人是希姆斯·琼。我是拉皮德斯·费丝。

我是利特·马里奥。下周请在美国之声继续收听我们更多关于科学的新闻。