自产农产品对健康的好处

Americans need to adopt a more plant-based diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, according to a recent report that proposed updates to federal dietary guidelines. And for good reason: Plants offer a host of health benefits. Aside from their fiber, vitamins, and minerals, evidence suggests that fruits and veggies contain compounds that play a role in preventing certain cancers as well as heart disease and stroke, for which supplements are no substitute, says dietitian Elizabeth Pivonka, president of the noNPRofit Produce for Better Health Foundation.
美国人需要进行一个以更多植物为主的饮食，富含水果和蔬菜，按照最近一个报道建议更新联邦膳食指南。因为有好的理由：植物提供有关健康的许多好处。除了它们所含有的纤维，维生素和矿物质，证据显示水果和蔬菜中含有对预防一些癌症，心脏病和中风有用的化合物，这些是补充剂所不能代替的，营养学家，非营利性的更保健农产品基金会主席Elizabeth Pivonka说。

Beta carotene found in carrots and sweet potatoes, for example, has been shown to help protect against lung cancer, but may be harmful when taken in pill form. And the latest research suggests that calcium supplements may raise the risk of heart attacks in adults while doing little to benefit bone health. (That's why some researchers are now encouraging folks to get the nutrient in their diet instead. Spinach and broccoli are good sources.)
例如，胡萝卜和红薯中的β-胡萝卜素，已经显示可以帮助预防肺癌，但是如果以药丸的形式吃下去就对身体有害了。最新的研究表明成人服用钙补充剂会增加患心脏病的风险，而且对骨骼健康没有好处。（这就是为什么如今一些研究人员鼓励人们从饮食中获取营养。菠菜和西兰花就是很好的来源。）

Getting more isn't always easy. Supermarket produce can be expensive, making packaged snacks—already sweeter or saltier and higher in calories than fruits and vegetables—all the more tempting. A cheaper alternative: Grow your own. Home-grown produce has other advantages beyond its low cost. It's often tastier and arguably a bit more nutritious. Here's why:
获取更多营养并不容易。超市产品很贵，使包装的零食更加诱人，它们比水果蔬菜更甜或更咸，而且含有更多热量。一个更实惠的选择：自己种植。自产产品除了价格低还有其他优势。更加美味而且更有营养。下面是原因：

Those bright red bell peppers or crisp green beans at the supermarket are likely to have traveled many miles over several days before landing in your cart. Although both the vegetables are a good source of vitamin C—known for bolstering the immune system—a long journey from farm to table gives the nutrient ample opportunity to degrade, especially if exposed to heat. In fact, temperature is the most important factor in keeping harvested fruits and vegetables in good shape, says Diane Barrett, a food biochemist from the University of California, Davis, who helps teach best practices to locals who grow, ship, and distribute fresh produce. One would expect then that temperature is tightly controlled in transit, but in realty she says that does not always happen.
超市里那些鲜红的灯笼椒或新鲜的四季豆很有可能是经过几天很多英里的运输才到达你的手推车的。尽管这两种蔬菜都富含维生素C（可以增强免疫系统）但从农场到餐桌的长时间运输使其中的营养物质大大流失了，尤其是接触到高温。实际上，温度是保持摘收水果新鲜好看的最主要因素，加利福尼亚加州大学一个食品生物化学家Diane Barrett说，并帮助传授给当地人种植，运送和分配新鲜产品的最佳方法。人们会认为在运输过程中会严格控制温度，但她说实际上不一定。