有机食品对你更有害吗？：英语精读讲义

Many people buy organic food hoping to feel healthier 語法

很多人购买有机食品，是希望自己感觉更健康

and potentially have a positive impact on the environment. 短語搭配

同时也可能为环境带来积极影响。

But are organic foods even better for you

但有机食品真的对你更好吗

and the environment in the first place? 習語

对环境也更好吗？

For plants,

对植物而言，

the term organic basically means something grown 文化背景

“有机”基本上是指在种植过程中

without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, 短語搭配

不使用合成肥料或农药，

but this is a little bit misleading. 語氣意圖

不过这种说法有点误导。

You see, many consumers buy organic

要知道，许多消费者购买有机食品

to avoid pesticides altogether, 用詞

是为了完全避开农药，

but the truth is organic farmers 表達脈絡

但事实上，有机农户

can still use pesticides and fungicides

仍然可以使用杀虫剂和杀菌剂

to prevent insects from destroying their crops. 語法

防止昆虫毁掉他们的庄稼。

They just can't be synthetically made.

只不过这些药剂不能是人工合成的。

There are over 20 chemicals approved for organic use in the US

美国批准用于有机农业的化学物质超过20种，

derived from natural sources like plants, 短語搭配

它们来自植物等天然来源，

but studies have shown that some natural pesticides 表達脈絡

但研究表明，有些天然农药

are actually a more serious health and environmental risk 語法

对健康和环境造成的风险其实

than man-made ones.

比人造农药更严重。

Not to say they're all bad, 語氣意圖

这并不是说它们全都不好，

but simply that natural

只是说，天然

doesn't always mean better for you or the environment. 語法

并不总意味着对你或环境更好。

On top of this, 表達脈絡

除此之外，

not all organic foods are even completely organic.

甚至并非所有有机食品都是完全有机的。

If a label simply says organic, 文化背景

如果标签上只写着“有机”，

it only has to contain 95% organic ingredients. 語法

产品只需含有95%的有机成分。

The label made with organic ingredients

“使用有机成分制成”这一标签

on items like bread may only contain 70%,

用在面包等食品上时，产品可能只含70%的有机成分，

while containing organic ingredients

而“含有有机成分”这一标签

may only have 50%.

可能代表产品只含50%的有机成分。

Only when a label says 100% organic 語法

只有标签写着“100%有机”时，

does it contain purely organic ingredients.

产品才完全由有机成分制成。

And for what it's worth, 語氣意圖

另外，顺带一提，

the term free range also only requires evidence 文化背景

“散养”一词也只要求有证据表明

of access to the outdoors

动物可以到户外活动，

for a minimum of 5 minutes per day.

而且每天最少只需5分钟。

Huh.

啊？

Interestingly,

有意思的是，

a meta-analysis conducted in 2012 用詞

2012年进行的一项荟萃分析

found that organic crop yields are 25% lower 用詞

发现有机作物的产量低25%，

on average than conventional ones,

这是与常规作物相比的平均结果，

though differences vary greatly between types of crops. 表達脈絡

不过不同作物之间的差异很大。

For example,

例如，

organic vegetable yields are typically 33% lower

有机蔬菜的产量通常低33%，

than conventional ones,

这是与常规蔬菜相比的结果，

putting a greater strain on the natural environment 短語搭配

因而给自然环境带来更大压力，

as more farmland is required. 語法

因为需要占用更多农田。

However,

不过，

organic legume yields are only 5% lower

有机豆类作物的产量只低5%，

as they're more efficient at absorbing nitrogen 短語搭配

因为它们吸收氮的效率更高，

from organic fertilizers.

而这些氮来自有机肥料。

Of course, 語氣意圖

当然，

many organic farming practices like crop rotations 文化背景

许多有机耕作方式，比如轮作

and mixed planting as opposed to using monocultures 短語搭配

和混合种植，而不是采用单一作物种植，

are better for the soil and the environment.

对土壤和环境更有利。

But are they better for you?

但它们对你更有益吗？

After analyzing 237 studies, 語法

在分析了237项研究后，

researchers concluded that organic fruit and veggies

研究人员得出结论：有机水果和蔬菜

are no more nutritious than conventionally grown food. 語法

并不比常规种植的食物更有营养。

However,

不过，

long-term studies of purely organic diets are difficult

要对纯有机饮食进行长期研究很困难，

as most people eat a mixture of foods

因为大多数人吃的是多种食物，

with non-organic ingredients.

其中也含有非有机成分。

Those on short-term organic diets 語法

短期采用有机饮食的人

do show higher levels of carotenoids, 語法

体内的类胡萝卜素水平确实更高，

polyphenols, vitamin C and E,

多酚、维生素C和E、

LDL cholesterol, antioxidant activity,

低密度脂蛋白胆固醇、抗氧化活性、

immune system markers,

免疫系统指标的水平也更高，

and even higher semen quality.

甚至精液质量也更高。

But the differences are clinically insignificant. 用詞

但这些差异在临床上并无显著意义。

Children placed on organic diets for 10 days 講解

连续10天采用有机饮食的儿童

have lower levels of organophosphates in their urine,

尿液中的有机磷化合物水平更低，

which in higher concentrations are associated with neurological problems, 短語搭配

这种物质浓度较高时与神经系统问题有关，

but both levels are orders of magnitude lower 用詞

但两组儿童的含量都低了好几个数量级，

than the amount needed to cause clinical harm.

远低于足以造成临床伤害的剂量。

And just because something is organic, 語法

而且，一种东西仅仅是有机的，

doesn't make it better.

并不代表它就更好。

A bag of organic chips, for example,

比如，一袋有机薯片

is still just deep-fried carbohydrates

说到底仍然只是油炸碳水化合物，

with very little nutritional value. 語法

营养价值很低。

Most surprising is that organic food has a higher incidence 表達脈絡

最令人惊讶的是，有机食品其实更常出现

of being dangerous.

安全风险。

Though organic foods account for only 1% of agricultural acreage or space, 短語動詞

虽然有机食品仅占农业用地或空间的1%，

they account for 7% of recalled food units in 2015.

但在2015年召回的食品数量中，它们却占到7%。

For example,

例如，

this year several flavors of Clif Bars were recalled from stores 用詞

今年，数种口味的Clif Bars能量棒被商店下架召回，

due to organic sunflower kernels that were potentially contaminated with listeria, 短語搭配

原因是其中的有机葵花籽仁可能受到李斯特菌污染，

a bacterium which kills hundreds in the US each year.

这种细菌每年在美国导致数百人死亡。

Another study found E. coli in 10% of organic produce 用詞

另一项研究在10%的有机农产品中发现了大肠杆菌，

compared to 2% in conventional ones.

而常规农产品中这一比例为2%。

The truth is,

事实上，

eating organic foods can be good for you

食用有机食品可能对你有益，

and in some ways better for the environment, 語氣意圖

在某些方面也对环境更好，

but it's not the be-all and end-all. 習語

但它并不是解决一切问题的终极答案。

Production methods vary greatly for both organic and conventional foods

无论是有机食品还是常规食品，生产方式都有很大差异，

from one farm to another 語法

不同农场之间各不相同，

or from local farms to factory farms.

本地农场与工厂化农场之间也不一样。

And it's likely a combination of methods

最有可能的是，综合采用多种方法

that will lead to the greatest results

才会取得最佳效果，

for your health and the environment.

同时有益于你的健康和环境。

Organic and conventional foods can coexist

有机食品和常规食品可以共存，

and don't have to be at odds with one another. 習語

不必彼此对立。

Anyone who tells you with 100% certainty 短語搭配

任何人如果百分之百肯定地告诉你

that one way is fully better than the other

一种方式绝对优于另一种，

is ignoring the science.

都是在无视科学。

When it comes to your own health, 短語搭配

谈到你自身的健康，

it's really a combination of diet, exercise,

真正起作用的是饮食、运动、

various other lifestyle choices,

其他各种生活方式选择，

and of course, your genetics.

当然还有你的遗传基因，这些因素共同作用。

Need more science?

想了解更多科学知识吗？

Here's a playlist of our latest videos

这里有一个汇集我们最新视频的播放列表，

that you can binge-watch. 用詞

可以让你一次看个过瘾。

And if you never want to miss our videos,

如果你不想错过我们的任何视频，

simply go to our channel on your device's YouTube app

只需在设备上的YouTube应用中进入我们的频道，

and hit the little bell, 用詞

点击那个小铃铛，

which turns on notifications for our videos. 短語動詞

就能开启我们视频的通知。

YouTube will send you a message

YouTube会向你发送消息，

each time we release a video.

每当我们发布新视频时都会如此。

And subscribe for more weekly science videos.

还请订阅，观看我们每周更新的更多科学视频。