苹果有多健康？

今天你练听力了吗？

🤔️小作业：

1. What does the author imply about the relationship between apples and gut bacteria?

A. Apples destroy harmful bacteria through their acidity.

B. Apples only serve as food for bacteria, not as sources of bacteria themselves.

C. Apples can both nourish and introduce beneficial bacteria to the gut.

D. Apples' bacteria have no measurable impact on human health.

无注释原文：

How Healthy Are Apples?

From: The New York Times

“An apple a day” might seem like overkill, but America's most popular fruit — currently weighing down branches in orchards everywhere — is packed with health benefits.

They're good for your gut.

Apples are rich in dietary fiber, a type of complex carbohydrate that our body isn't capable of digesting on its own. That fiber acts as food for many of the bacteria species that reside in our guts. These bacteria have a powerful impact on our health, affecting everything from cancer risk, to weight, to mood.

A diet high in fruits and vegetables, including apples, has been shown to increase the number of beneficial bacteria and decrease the number of harmful bacteria in people's guts, said Marie van der Merwe, a nutrition scientist at the University of Memphis. That could lead to better overall health, Dr. van der Merwe said.

In addition, apples themselves contain a host of beneficial bacteria. (While this is true for all fruits and vegetables, one study found that apples have a greater variety of bacteria than most.) When you eat an apple, some of those bacteria may become part of your microbiome. The apple is “acting like a probiotic in addition to acting like a prebiotic,” Dr. van der Merwe explained.

They're heart healthy.

Apples have high amounts of pectin, a dietary fiber that can help you maintain healthy cholesterol levels. In a 2012 study, 160 postmenopausal women ate either 75 grams of dried apples (equal to about two medium sized apples) or prunes every day for one year. After six months, the women who consumed apples experienced a 13 percent drop in their total cholesterol and a 24 percent drop in “bad” LDL cholesterol, while the women who ate prunes experienced a 3.5 percent drop in total cholesterol and an 8 percent drop in LDL cholesterol.

Apples are also one of the biggest dietary sources of polyphenols — tiny, health-promoting molecules that plants produce to defend themselves from the elements. Certain polyphenols in apples, called flavonoids, are particularly good at stimulating the production of nitric oxide, a gas that flows through our blood vessels, causing them to dilate. That's good for blood pressure, said Nicola Bondonno, a postdoctoral researcher at the Danish Cancer Institute who has coauthored several studies on apples.

They can reduce chronic inflammation.

Polyphenols in apples can reduce inflammation — and, in turn, possibly help reduce disease risk. Researchers published a study in August that analyzed health data from more than 119,000 people collected over nearly 20 years, including records of everything they ate over a 24-hour period on five separate occasions. The study found that those who reported eating more than two apples a day in the meal logs had a 30 percent lower chance of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease later on.

- ◆ -

注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为纽约时报官方译文，仅供参考

含注释全文：

How Healthy Are Apples?

From: The New York Times

“An apple a day” might seem like overkill, but America's most popular fruit — currently weighing down branches in orchards everywhere — is packed with health benefits. Here's what nutrition experts have to say about apples.

“每天一个苹果”听起来或许有些夸张，但作为美国最受欢迎的水果——此刻正压弯各地果园枝头——苹果确实有许多健康益处。以下是营养专家对苹果的看法。

overkill /ˈəʊ.və.kɪl/ 表示“多此一举，适得其反”，英文解释为“much more of something than is needed, resulting in less effectiveness”举个🌰：Should I add an explanation, or would that be overkill? 我应该再解释一下吗，还是那样会画蛇添足？

weigh sb/sth down表示“压倒；压弯”，英文解释为“If someone or something is weighed down with something, they are carrying a lot of or too much of it.”举个🌰：Weighed down with supplies, they found the steep path difficult to climb. 由于背着沉重的补给品，他们觉得陡峭的小路很难攀爬。

orchard /ˈɔː.tʃəd/ 表示“果园”，英文解释为“an area of land where fruit trees (but not orange trees or other citrus trees) are grown”如：an apple/cherry orchard 苹果/樱桃园。

They're good for your gut.

苹果是肠道健康卫士。

gut /ɡʌt/ 作动词，表示“（尤指在烹调前）取出…的内脏”，英文解释为“to remove the inner organs of an animal, especially in preparation for eating it”举个🌰：She gutted the fish and cut off their heads. 她取出鱼的内脏并把鱼头切掉。

作名词，表示“消化道；肠道，肠”，英文解释为“the long tube in the body of a person or animal, through which food moves during the process of digesting food”举个🌰：Meat stays in the gut longer than vegetable matter. 和蔬菜相比，肉类在消化道中停留的时间更长。

sb's gut 表示“凭直觉，凭感情（决定或判断）”，英文解释为“a way of deciding what should be done or what is right, that is based on how someone feels rather than thinking about reasons”举个🌰：My head said that I should go but my gut said I should stay. 理智上我该走，但是感觉告诉我该留。

gut feeling/reaction 表示“直觉，本能，内心感觉”，英文解释为“a strong belief about someone or something that cannot completely be explained and does not have to be decided by reasoning”举个🌰：I have a gut feeling that the relationship won't last. 我有种直觉，这段关系不会太长久。

Apples are rich in dietary fiber, a type of complex carbohydrate that our body isn't capable of digesting on its own. That fiber acts as food for many of the bacteria species that reside in our guts. These bacteria have a powerful impact on our health, affecting everything from cancer risk, to weight, to mood.

苹果富含膳食纤维，这是一种人体自身无法消化的复合碳水化合物。这种纤维能为生活在我们肠道中的多种菌群提供养分。这些菌群对我们的健康影响深远，涉及从癌症风险、体重到情绪等各个方面。

dietary fiber /ˌdaɪ.ə.tər.i ˈfaɪ.bər/ 表示“膳食纤维”，指人体无法消化的植物食物的不可消化部分。它也被称为粗纤维或纤维素。

carbohydrate /ˌkɑːbəʊˈhaɪdreɪt/表示“碳水化合物; 含碳水化合物的食物”，英文解释为“Carbohydrates are substances, found in certain kinds of food, that provide you with energy. Foods such as sugar and bread that contain these substances can also be referred to as carbohydrates. ”如：carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, or potatoes. 含碳水化合物的食物，如面包、意大利面或马铃薯。

digest /daɪˈdʒest/ 作动词，1）表示“（使）消化”，英文解释为“to change food in your stomach into substances that your body can use”举个🌰：Sit still and allow your meal to digest. 静静地坐着，让胃里的食物消化消化。

2）表示“理解，吸收（信息）”，英文解释为“to read or hear new information and take the necessary time to understand it”举个🌰：This chapter is so difficult to digest, I'll have to read it again later. 这一章不容易理解消化，稍后我还得再看一遍。

作名词，表示“文摘，摘要；文汇，简报”，英文解释为“a short written report providing the most important parts of a larger piece of writing, or one containing recent news”举个🌰：A digest of the research findings is now available. 研究成果的简报已经出来了。

reside /rɪˈzaɪd/ 表示“居住；定居”，英文解释为“to live, have your home, or stay in a place”举个🌰：The family now resides in southern France. 这家人现居住在法国南部。

reside in sth/sb表示“（权力等）归于…，属于…；（性质等）存在于…，在于…”，英文解释为“If a power or quality resides in someone or something, the person or thing has that power or quality.”举个🌰：The power to sack employees resides in the Board of Directors. 开除雇员的权力属于董事会。

A diet high in fruits and vegetables, including apples, has been shown to increase the number of beneficial bacteria and decrease the number of harmful bacteria in people's guts, said Marie van der Merwe, a nutrition scientist at the University of Memphis. That could lead to better overall health, Dr. van der Merwe said.

孟菲斯大学营养学家玛丽·范德默维博士指出，富含果蔬（包括苹果）的饮食能增加肠道有益菌，抑制有害菌，从而提升整体健康水平。

In addition, apples themselves contain a host of beneficial bacteria. (While this is true for all fruits and vegetables, one study found that apples have a greater variety of bacteria than most.) When you eat an apple, some of those bacteria may become part of your microbiome. The apple is “acting like a probiotic in addition to acting like a prebiotic,” Dr. van der Merwe explained.

此外，苹果本身也含有大量有益菌。（虽然所有水果和蔬菜都有这一特性，但有研究发现，苹果所含细菌的种类比大多数水果都要多。）当你吃下苹果时，其中一些细菌可能会成为你肠道微生物群的一部分。范德默维解释说，苹果“既像益生元一样发挥作用，又像益生菌一样起作用”。

microbiome /ˌmaɪ.krəʊ.ˈbaɪ.əʊm/ 表示“微生物组，微生物群系”，英文解释为“the microorganisms (= living things too small to be seen) that exist in a particular environment or in the human body”举个🌰：A Human Microbiome Project is planned to sequence the DNA of the many bacterial species present in humans. “人类微生物菌落项目”计划对存在于人类体内的许多细菌种类的 DNA 进行测序。

probiotic /ˌprəʊ.baɪˈɒt.ɪk/ 表示“（含帮助健康的有益细菌的）益生菌食物（或药片）”，英文解释为“a food or pill that contains good bacteria that may keep you healthy”

表示“益生元”，英文解释为“a food or pill containing fibre that helps good bacteria grow in your body and may keep you healthy”

They're heart healthy.

苹果是心脏守护能手。

Apples have high amounts of pectin, a dietary fiber that can help you maintain healthy cholesterol levels. In a 2012 study, 160 postmenopausal women ate either 75 grams of dried apples (equal to about two medium sized apples) or prunes every day for one year. After six months, the women who consumed apples experienced a 13 percent drop in their total cholesterol and a 24 percent drop in “bad” LDL cholesterol, while the women who ate prunes experienced a 3.5 percent drop in total cholesterol and an 8 percent drop in LDL cholesterol.

苹果中含有大量果胶，这是一种有助于维持健康胆固醇水平的膳食纤维。2012年一项研究中，160名绝经后女性每日食用75克苹果干（约等于两个中等苹果）或西梅干，持续一年。六个月后，食用苹果的女性总胆固醇下降了13%，低密度脂蛋白（“坏”胆固醇）下降了24%；而食用西梅的女性总胆固醇下降了3.5%，低密度脂蛋白下降了8%。

pectin /ˈpek.tɪn/ 表示“果胶”，英文解释为“a chemical found in some fruits that helps to make liquid firm when making jam or jelly”

cholesterol /kə'lɛstərɔl/ 表示“胆固醇”，英文解释为“Cholesterol is a substance that exists in the fat, tissues, and blood of all animals. Too much cholesterol in a person's blood can cause heart disease.”如：a dangerously high cholesterol level. 危险的高胆固醇水平。

prune /pruːn/ 作动词，1）表示“修剪（树枝）”，英文解释为“to cut off branches from a tree, bush, or plant, especially so that it will grow better in the future”举个🌰：She spent the afternoon pruning roses. 她用下午的时间修剪了玫瑰。

2）表示“删除，删节”，英文解释为“to reduce something by removing things that are not necessary”举个🌰：I felt his essay needed a little pruning. 我认为他的文章需要稍作删节。

作名词，表示“西梅干，洋李脯”，英文解释为“a dried plum”

Apples are also one of the biggest dietary sources of polyphenols — tiny, health-promoting molecules that plants produce to defend themselves from the elements. Certain polyphenols in apples, called flavonoids, are particularly good at stimulating the production of nitric oxide, a gas that flows through our blood vessels, causing them to dilate. That's good for blood pressure, said Nicola Bondonno, a postdoctoral researcher at the Danish Cancer Institute who has coauthored several studies on apples.

苹果还是多酚类物质最重要的膳食来源之一——这些促进健康的微小分子是植物为抵御外界侵蚀而产生的。苹果中被称为黄酮类化合物的特定多酚，尤其擅长促进一氧化氮生成。这种气体在血管中流动，使其扩张。与人合作发表了多篇苹果相关论文的丹麦癌症研究所博士后研究员尼古拉·邦多诺指出，这对控制血压大有裨益。

molecule /ˈmɒl.ɪ.kjuːl/ 表示“分子”，英文解释为“the smallest unit, consisting of a group of atoms, into which a substance can be divided without a change in its chemical nature”举个🌰：A molecule of water consists of two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen. 水分子由两个氢原子和一个氧原子构成。

形容词性：

📍molecular /məʊˈlɛkjʊlə/ 表示“分子的”，英文解释为“Molecular means relating to or involving molecules.”，如：the molecular structure of fuel 燃料的分子结构。

stimulate /ˈstɪm.jə.leɪt/ 1）表示“刺激，使兴奋；使感兴趣”，英文解释为“to make someone excited and interested about something”举个🌰：The show was intended to stimulate and amuse. 这部电影的主要目的是助兴和娱乐。

2）表示“激发，激励；促进”，英文解释为“to encourage something to grow, develop, or become active”

3）表示“促进（身体某部位）的功能”，英文解释为“to cause part of the body to operate”举个🌰：The drugs stimulate the damaged tissue into repairing itself. 药物促使受损的组织自行修复。

blood vessel /ˈblʌd ˌves.əl/ 表示“血管”，英文解释为“any of the tubes through which blood flows in the body”

dilate /daɪˈleɪt/ 表示“（使身体的一部分）扩大，扩张，展开”，英文解释为“to (cause a part of the body to) become wider or further open”举个🌰：The pupils of the eyes dilate as darkness increases. 光线变暗时瞳孔就会放大。

They can reduce chronic inflammation.

苹果具有缓解慢性炎症的作用。

chronic /ˈkrɒnɪk/ 1）表示“（疾病）慢性的，长期的”，英文解释为“a chronic disease or illness is one that continues for a long time and cannot be cured”如：chronic arthritis表示“慢性关节炎”。

2）表示“（问题）长期的”，英文解释为“a chronic problem is one that continues for a long time and cannot easily be solved”举个🌰：There is a chronic shortage of teachers. 长期存在师资短缺的问题。

3）还有一种解释是用来形容人“积习难改”，如“长期酗酒/沉迷赌博等的人”我们就可以用chronic alcoholic/gambler表示。

inflammation /ˌɪn.fləˈmeɪ.ʃən/ 表示“炎（症）”，英文解释为“a red, painful, and often swollen area in or on a part of your body”举个🌰：Aspirin reduces pain and inflammation. 阿司匹林可缓解疼痛和炎症。

Polyphenols in apples can reduce inflammation — and, in turn, possibly help reduce disease risk. Researchers published a study in August that analyzed health data from more than 119,000 people collected over nearly 20 years, including records of everything they ate over a 24-hour period on five separate occasions. The study found that those who reported eating more than two apples a day in the meal logs had a 30 percent lower chance of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease later on.

苹果所含的多酚能缓解炎症反应，从而可能帮助降低疾病风险。研究人员于8月发表的一项研究报告分析了11.9万名参与者近20年来的健康数据，记录了受试者24小时内五个不同时间点的详细饮食记录。研究发现，在饮食日志中记录每日食用超过两个苹果的人，后期患慢阻肺的风险降低30%。

obstructive /əbˈstrʌk.tɪv/ 1）表示“有意妨碍的，蓄意阻挠的；刁难的”，英文解释为“trying to stop someone from doing something by causing problems for them”举个🌰：We'd have made a decision by now if he hadn't been so obstructive. 要不是他从中作梗我们现在早就作出决定了。

2）表示“梗阻的；阻塞的；栓塞的”，英文解释为“connected with a passage, tube, etc. in your body that has become blocked”

pulmonary /ˈpʊl.mə.nər.i/ 表示“肺的”，英文解释为“relating to the lungs (= organs used for breathing)”如：the pulmonary artery 肺动脉。

- 词汇盘点 -

- 词汇助记 By AI -

LearnAndRecord

2015年2月8日

2025年11月8日

第3927天

每天持续行动学外语