2006年VOA标准英语-Can Valentine's Day be Good for the Health

By Carol Pearson
Washington, DC
10 February 2006
 
watch Dark Chocolate report
 
  
  
Valentine's Day is the single biggest day for chocolate sales in the United States. More than 36 million boxes of chocolates are given as gifts on Valentine's Day, and that's only in the U.S.  VOA's Carol Pearson looks at whether all this chocolate can actually be good for you.

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Recent studies show that chocolate is good for you, dark chocolate, that is, but not milk chocolate or white chocolate or dark chocolate eaten with milk.

 
Sam Aboullhosm 
  
Sam Aboulhosn is the owner of the Schakolad Chocolate Factory in Crystal City, Virginia. "This is the dark chocolate, chocolate machine.  Our dark is 73 percent pure cocoa."

Studies have shown that dark chocolate can lower the blood pressure of people suffering from mild high blood pressure. 

Other studies have shown dark chocolate increases HDL or "good" cholesterol¹ and decreases the risk of heart disease.

That's because dark chocolate contains chemicals, antioxidants -- called flavinoids -- that cause the body to make more nitric oxide².

Nitric oxide dilates³ the blood vessels⁴ and prevents plaque⁵ from building up. Flavinoids are found in other foods: including tea, onions, broccoli⁶, soybeans and wine, but cocoa that is used to make dark chocolate, is extraordinarily⁷ rich in anti-oxidants.

Research in anti-oxidants is still fairly new and there's a lot yet to learn. 

 
Dr. David Katz 
  
Experts say it is still too soon to make a bar of chocolate a regular part of your diet, especially if you are watching your weight.

Dr. David Katz has been studying the positive effects of eating dark chocolate. He warns about overindulging. "If you over indulge, then the benefits no longer win out." 

Chocolate contains a lot of fat.  Too much chocolate could cause you to gain weight, which would not be good for your cholesterol or your blood pressure.

1 cholesterol   

n.（U）胆固醇

参考例句：

• There is cholesterol in the cell of body.人体细胞里有胆固醇。
• They are determining the serum-protein and cholesterol levels.他们正在测定血清蛋白和胆固醇的浓度。

2 oxide   

n.氧化物

参考例句：

• Oxide is usually seen in our daily life.在我们的日常生活中氧化物很常见。
• How can you get rid of this oxide coating?你们该怎样除去这些氧化皮？

3 dilates   

v.（使某物）扩大，膨胀，张大( dilate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Gas dilates the balloon. 气体使汽球膨胀。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Exercise dilates blood vessels on the surface of the brain. 运动会使大脑表层的血管扩张。 来自辞典例句

4 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 plaque   

n.饰板，匾，(医)血小板

参考例句：

• There is a commemorative plaque to the artist in the village hall.村公所里有一块纪念该艺术家的牌匾。
• Some Latin words were engraved on the plaque. 牌匾上刻着些拉丁文。

6 broccoli   

n.绿菜花，花椰菜

参考例句：

• She grew all the broccoli plants from seed.这些花椰菜都是她用种子培育出来的。
• They think broccoli is only green and cauliflower is only white.他们认为西兰花只有绿色的，而菜花都是白色的。

7 extraordinarily   

adv.格外地；极端地

参考例句：

• She is an extraordinarily beautiful girl.她是个美丽非凡的姑娘。
• The sea was extraordinarily calm that morning.那天清晨，大海出奇地宁静。