有機食品對你更有害嗎？：英語精讀講義

Many people buy organic food hoping to feel healthier 文法

許多人購買有機食品，是希望自己感覺更健康

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

同時也可能為環境帶來正面影響。

But are organic foods even better for you

但有機食品真的對你更好嗎

and the environment in the first place? 慣用語

對環境也更好嗎？

For plants,

對植物而言，

the term organic basically means something grown 文化背景

「有機」基本上是指在種植過程中

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

不使用合成肥料或農藥，

but this is a little bit misleading. 語氣意圖

不過這種說法有點誤導。

You see, many consumers buy organic

你要知道，許多消費者購買有機食品

to avoid pesticides altogether, 用詞

是為了完全避開農藥，

but the truth is organic farmers 表達脈絡

但事實上，有機農民

can still use pesticides and fungicides

仍然可以使用殺蟲劑和殺菌劑

to prevent insects from destroying their crops. 文法

防止昆蟲毀掉他們的作物。

They just can't be synthetically made.

只是這些藥劑不能是人工合成的。

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

美國核准用於有機農業的化學物質超過20種，

derived from natural sources like plants, 片語搭配

它們來自植物等天然來源，

but studies have shown that some natural pesticides 表達脈絡

但研究顯示，有些天然農藥

are actually a more serious health and environmental risk 文法

對健康和環境造成的風險其實

than man-made ones.

比人造農藥更嚴重。

Not to say they're all bad, 語氣意圖

這並不是說它們全都不好，

but simply that natural

只是說，天然

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

並不總是代表對你或環境更好。

On top of this, 表達脈絡

除此之外，

not all organic foods are even completely organic.

甚至並非所有有機食品都是完全有機的。

If a label simply says organic, 文化背景

如果標籤上只寫著「有機」，

it only has to contain 95% organic ingredients. 文法

產品只需要含有95%的有機成分。

The label made with organic ingredients

「使用有機成分製成」這個標籤

on items like bread may only contain 70%,

用在麵包等食品上時，產品可能只含70%的有機成分，

while containing organic ingredients

而「含有有機成分」這個標籤

may only have 50%.

可能代表產品只含50%的有機成分。

Only when a label says 100% organic 文法

只有標籤寫著「100%有機」時，

does it contain purely organic ingredients.

產品才完全由有機成分製成。

And for what it's worth, 語氣意圖

另外，順帶一提，

the term free range also only requires evidence 文化背景

「放養」一詞也只要求有證據顯示

of access to the outdoors

動物可以到戶外活動，

for a minimum of 5 minutes per day.

而且每天最少只要5分鐘。

Huh.

蛤？

Interestingly,

有趣的是，

a meta-analysis conducted in 2012 用詞

2012年進行的一項統合分析

found that organic crop yields are 25% lower 用詞

發現有機作物的產量低25%，

on average than conventional ones,

這是與一般作物相比的平均結果，

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

不過不同作物之間的差異很大。

For example,

例如，

organic vegetable yields are typically 33% lower

有機蔬菜的產量通常低33%，

than conventional ones,

這是與一般蔬菜相比的結果，

putting a greater strain on the natural environment 片語搭配

因此對自然環境造成更大壓力，

as more farmland is required. 文法

因為需要佔用更多農地。

However,

不過，

organic legume yields are only 5% lower

有機豆類作物的產量只低5%，

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

因為它們吸收氮的效率更高，

from organic fertilizers.

而這些氮來自有機肥料。

Of course, 語氣意圖

當然，

many organic farming practices like crop rotations 文化背景

許多有機耕作方式，例如輪作

and mixed planting as opposed to using monocultures 片語搭配

和混合種植，而不是採用單一作物種植，

are better for the soil and the environment.

對土壤和環境更有利。

But are they better for you?

但它們對你更有益嗎？

After analyzing 237 studies, 文法

在分析了237項研究後，

researchers concluded that organic fruit and veggies

研究人員得出結論：有機水果和蔬菜

are no more nutritious than conventionally grown food. 文法

並不比一般方式種植的食物更有營養。

However,

不過，

long-term studies of purely organic diets are difficult

要對純有機飲食進行長期研究很困難，

as most people eat a mixture of foods

因為大多數人吃的是多種食物，

with non-organic ingredients.

其中也含有非有機成分。

Those on short-term organic diets 文法

短期採用有機飲食的人

do show higher levels of carotenoids, 文法

體內的類胡蘿蔔素濃度確實更高，

polyphenols, vitamin C and E,

多酚、維生素C和E、

LDL cholesterol, antioxidant activity,

低密度脂蛋白膽固醇、抗氧化活性、

immune system markers,

免疫系統指標的數值也更高，

and even higher semen quality.

甚至精液品質也更高。

But the differences are clinically insignificant. 用詞

但這些差異在臨床上並無顯著意義。

Children placed on organic diets for 10 days 講解

連續10天採用有機飲食的兒童

have lower levels of organophosphates in their urine,

尿液中的有機磷化合物濃度更低，

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

這種物質濃度較高時與神經系統問題有關，

but both levels are orders of magnitude lower 用詞

但兩組兒童的濃度都低了好幾個數量級，

than the amount needed to cause clinical harm.

遠低於足以造成臨床傷害的劑量。

And just because something is organic, 文法

而且，一種東西只是有機的，

doesn't make it better.

並不代表它就更好。

A bag of organic chips, for example,

例如，一包有機洋芋片

is still just deep-fried carbohydrates

說到底仍然只是油炸碳水化合物，

with very little nutritional value. 文法

營養價值很低。

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

最令人驚訝的是，有機食品其實更常出現

of being dangerous.

安全風險。

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

雖然有機食品僅佔農業用地或空間的1%，

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

但在2015年召回的食品數量中，它們卻佔了7%。

For example,

例如，

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

今年，數種口味的Clif Bars能量棒被商店下架召回，

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

原因是其中的有機葵花籽仁可能受到李斯特菌污染，

a bacterium which kills hundreds in the US each year.

這種細菌每年在美國導致數百人死亡。

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

另一項研究在10%的有機農產品中發現了大腸桿菌，

compared to 2% in conventional ones.

而一般農產品中這個比例為2%。

The truth is,

事實上，

eating organic foods can be good for you

食用有機食品可能對你有益，

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

在某些方面也對環境更好，

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

但它並不是解決一切問題的終極答案。

Production methods vary greatly for both organic and conventional foods

無論是有機食品還是一般食品，生產方式都有很大差異，

from one farm to another 文法

不同農場之間各不相同，

or from local farms to factory farms.

在地農場與工廠化農場之間也不一樣。

And it's likely a combination of methods

最有可能的是，綜合採用多種方法

that will lead to the greatest results

才能達到最佳效果，

for your health and the environment.

同時有益於你的健康和環境。

Organic and conventional foods can coexist

有機食品和一般食品可以共存，

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

不必彼此對立。

Anyone who tells you with 100% certainty 片語搭配

任何人如果百分之百肯定地告訴你

that one way is fully better than the other

一種方式絕對優於另一種，

is ignoring the science.

都是在無視科學。

When it comes to your own health, 片語搭配

談到你自己的健康，

it's really a combination of diet, exercise,

真正起作用的是飲食、運動、

various other lifestyle choices,

其他各種生活方式選擇，

and of course, your genetics.

當然還有你的遺傳基因，這些因素共同作用。

Need more science?

想了解更多科學知識嗎？

Here's a playlist of our latest videos

這裡有一個收錄我們最新影片的播放清單，

that you can binge-watch. 用詞

可以讓你一次看個過癮。

And if you never want to miss our videos,

如果你不想錯過我們的任何影片，

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

只要在裝置上的YouTube App中進入我們的頻道，

and hit the little bell, 用詞

點一下那個小鈴鐺，

which turns on notifications for our videos. 片語動詞

就能開啟我們影片的通知。

YouTube will send you a message

YouTube會傳訊息給你，

each time we release a video.

每當我們發布新影片時都會如此。

And subscribe for more weekly science videos.

也別忘了訂閱，收看我們每週推出的更多科學影片。