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The Bacterial Battle Between Good and Evil 活菌益处多

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Our stomachs are a battleground of good and bad bacteria. The good guys help digest food, cleanse the stomach and kill off the bad bacteria. The bad guys cause stomach problems like ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome. To help our bodies win this battle, a new type of food is being developed. Probiotics are foods or drinks that contain live bacteria. It is expected that by consuming live, “friendly” bacteria, the bad ones will be pushed aside and their negative effects greatly diminished.

我们的胃是益菌与害菌的战场。益菌有助于消化食物、清理胃部并杀死害菌；害菌则引发胃溃疡及肠躁症之类的毛病。为协助人体打胜仗，一种新型食品正被研发。益生菌产品为含有活菌的食品及饮料，一般预期，摄取「有益的」活菌，可排挤害菌并大幅减低其负面作用。

New studies show that probiotics can reduce the duration of acute diarrhea in children. Probiotics may also help control ulcerative colitis. Other studies show that a probiotic diet may strengthen the immune system. People on a probiotic diet seem to take fewer sick days than those who aren’t. Since many diseases result from or lead to a weakened immune system, this finding could represent a major discovery in the field of medicine.

新的研究显示，益生菌可减短孩童急性腹泻的时程，也可能有助于控制溃疡性结肠炎。其他研究则显示，益生菌饮食或可强化免疫系统；采用益生菌饮食的人，似乎比未食用者更少生病。由于许多疾病源自或导致免疫系统衰弱，这项研究结果可说是医学界的重大发现。

Probiotic products are among the best-selling foodstuff in supermarkets. Some are added to yogurt while others are sold in capsule or powdered form as supplements. Scientists and doctors haven’t yet come up with a daily recommended dose of any specific bacteria. But the evidence seems to suggest that probiotics are an effective soldier in the bacterial battle between good and evil!

益生菌产品是超市最抢手的食品之一，有些被添加于优格中，其他则被制成胶囊或粉末状做为补给品。科学家及医生迄今尚未提出任何特定菌种的每日建议摄取量，但证据似乎显示，在这场正邪细菌大战中，益生菌为一名有力的战士。

−by Howard Weston

Vocabulary

单词发音

diminish [dəˋmɪnɪʃ] v. 缩减

acute [əˋkjut] adj. 急性的

immune [ɪˋmjun] adj. 免疫的

supplement [ˋsʌpləmənt] n. 补给品

recommend [͵rɛkəˋmɛnd] v. 建议

More Information

单词发音

battleground [ˋbæt!͵graʊnd] n. 战场

digest [daɪˋdʒɛst] v. 消化

cleanse [klɛnz] v. 清洁; 净化

kill off 杀光；灭绝 to destroy in such large numbers as to render extinct

irritable [ˋɪrətəb!] adj. 急躁的

bowel [ˋbaʊəl] n. 肠

syndrome [ˋsɪn͵drom] n. 综合征

probiotic [͵probaɪˋɑtɪk] n. 益生菌

push aside 排挤; 推到一边 to shove someone or something to one side

diarrhea [ˌdaɪəˈriə] n. 痢疾

ulcerative [ˋʌlsə͵retɪv] adj. 溃疡性的

colitis [koˋlaɪtɪs] n. 结肠炎

represent [͵rɛprɪˋzɛnt] v. 表示; 代表

foodstuff [ˋfud͵stʌf] n.〔尤指商业生产或销售的〕食品

evidence [ˋɛvədəns] n. 证据

seduce [sɪˋdjus] v. 诱惑；引诱