Is the MSG in Chinese likely to give you a headache?

中餐里的味精会使得你头痛吗？

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译者注：

    The Chinese food additive中餐添加物monosodium glutamate (MSG)谷氨酸钠也称为MSG或味精，是一种谷氨酸的钠盐，属于自然形成的最丰富的非必需氨基酸之一。美国食品和药品管理局已把MSG归入为一般认为安全（GRAS） 之列。

Short answer: No

简单说：不会

    A review of 40 years of clinical trials, published in the journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners in 2006, found that all previous research "failed to identify a consistent relationship between the consumption of MSG and the constellation of symptoms that comprise the syndrome," including headaches and asthma attacks. The misconception spawned from several poorly-done small studies in the 1960s that  seemed to connect MSG with a variety of maladies that people experienced after eating at Chinese restaurants.

    美国护理学院2006年期刊报导一项为期40年的临床试验发现过去所有的研究都不能找出食用味精与头痛或气喘症候群的零星症状有一致性的关连。这种错误观念源自1960年代所作的许多简陋的小规模研究，似乎把食用味精跟一大堆在中国餐馆用餐后的种种不适症状连接在一起。

Do nuts make you fat?

吃核仁干果会令你发胖吗？

Short answer: No

简单说：不会

    As much as 75% of a nut is fat. But eating fat doesn't necessarily make you fat. The bigger factor leading to weight gain is portion-size. Luckily, nuts are loaded with healthy fats that keep you full. They're also a good source of protein and fiber.

One study even found that whole almonds have 20% less calories than previously thought because a lot of the fat is excreted from the body.

    虽然核仁干果含有75%脂肪，但是吃脂肪未必会害你发福。让你体重增加的最大因素在于你一次吃多少。好在核仁干果含有丰富的健康脂肪让你有饱足感。核仁干果也是蛋白质与纤维素的重要来源。一项研究甚至发现杏仁所含脂肪比以前所知少20%，原因是许多脂肪都会被排泄出体外。

Is walking as effective as running?

走路跟跑步一样有益健康吗？

Short answer: Yes

简单说：对的

    Studies have shown that how long you exercise —and thus how many calories you burn —is more important than how hard you exercise. Running is a more efficient form of exercise, but not necessarily better for you. A six-yearstudypublished in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology in April found that walking at a moderate pace and running produced similar health benefits, so long as the same amount of energy was expended.

    研究结果指出，你运动的时间越久你所燃烧掉的卡路里就越多。这就证明运动时间的长短比运动得卖力不卖力更重要。跑步固然是一种很有效的运动方式，可是未必最适合你。一篇登载在四月份的动脉硬化、血栓症与血管生物学期刊的的长达6年的研究结果发现只要所消耗的能量一样，以中庸速度步行与跑步所得到对健康的益处完全一样。

Is drinking fruit juice as good for you as eating fruit?

喝果汁跟吃水果一样有益健康吗？

Short answer: No

简单说：错

    Calorie for calorie, whole fruit provides more nutritional benefits than drinking the pure juice of that fruit. That's because when you liquefy fruit, stripping away the peel and dumping the pulp, many ingredients like fiber, calcium, vitamin C, and other antioxidants are lost. For comparison, a five-ounce glass of orange juice that contains 69 calories has .3 grams of dietary fiber and 16 milligrams of calcium, whereas an orange with the same number of calories packs 3.1 grams of fiber and 60 milligrams of calcium.

    卡路里虽然相同，整颗水果所提供的营养成份多过喝用这颗水果打出来的果汁。那是因为当你把水果打成果汁之时水果皮被剥掉只剩果肉会流失纤维素、维他命C以及其他抗氧化物。比较之下，一杯5盎斯、含有69卡路里的橘子汁内含3公克食用纤维素与16毫克的钙质。可是含有同样哪么多卡路里的整颗橘子包含了3.1公克食用纤维素与60毫克的钙质。

Are all wheat breads better for you than white bread?

小麦面包都比白面包更好吗？

Short answer: No

简单说：不见得

    Not all wheat breads are created equal. Wheat breads that contain all parts of the grain kernel, including the nutrient-rich germ and fiber-dense bran, must be labeled "whole grain" or "whole wheat." Some wheat breads are just white bread with a little bit of caramel coloring to make the bread appear healthier, according to Reader's Digest.

    小麦面包有许多种。含有全部小麦核仁的面包，包括营养丰富的胚芽与纤维素密集的麦?应该标示为『全谷』或『全麦』。根据读者文摘的报导，有些小麦面包仅仅是在白面包里加添一点点焦糖色素让外观看起来较为健康而已。

Can a hot tub make me sick?

洗热水澡会让人生病吗？

Short answer: Yes

简单说：会

    Hot tubs — especially ones in spas, hotels, and gyms — are perfect breeding grounds for germs. The water is not hot enough to kill bacteria, but is just the right temperature to make microbes grow even faster. Even though hot tubs are treated with chlorine, the heat causes the disinfectant to break down faster than it would in regular pools. The most common hot tub infection is pseudomonas folliculitis, which causes red, itchy bumps. A more dangerous side-effect of soaking in a dirty Jacuzzi is a form of pneumonia known as Legionnaire's disease. This is whatreportedly sickenedmore than 100 people at the Playboy Mansion back in 2011.

    热水澡缸－尤其是矿泉三温暖、旅馆与健身房所提供的热水浴缸都是滋生细菌的温床。那儿的水温并不足以消灭病菌却正好让那些微生物大量繁殖。即使热水浴缸事先加入氯气消毒，可是热水的温度会使得这些消毒药物很快就蒸发掉而不像一般游泳池那样可以保存。最常见的热水浴缸感染症叫做热水池毛囊炎，这种病症会造成一颗颗很痒很痒的红疹。浸泡在这种按摩浴缸的脏水里更危险的不良后果是一种叫做退伍军人症的肺炎。根据报导这种传染病在2011年在花花公子大厦里爆发，超过100人因此中标。

Does coffee cause cancer?

喝咖啡会致癌吗？

Short answer: No

简单说：不会

    Coffee got a bad rap in the 1980s when a studylinked drinking coffee to pancreatic cancer. The preliminary report was later debunked. More recently, health studies have swung in favor of the caffeinated beverage. Coffee has been linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, liver cancer, and even suicide.

1980

    年代流传的说法是喝咖啡会导致罹患胰腺癌。此一初期报导后来终于被推翻。最近的健康信息研究结果转向推崇这种咖啡因饮料。现在的说法是喝咖啡可以减低罹患2型糖尿病、帕金森氏症、肝癌甚至自杀的风险。

Do eggs raise cholesterol levels?

吃鸡蛋会升高你的胆固醇值吗？

Short answer: No

简单说：不会

    Although egg yolks are a major source of cholesterol — a waxy substance that resembles fat— researchers have learned that saturated fat has more of an impact on cholesterol in your blood than eating foods that contain cholesterol.

"Healthy individuals with normal blood cholesterol levels should now feel free to enjoy foods like eggs in their diet every day," the lead researcher from a 25-year University of Arizona studyon cholesterol concluded.

    虽然蛋黄里有类似脂肪的蜡状物质－胆固醇。研究人员得知饱和脂肪对人类血管中的胆固醇的影响大过食用含有胆固醇的食物。亚利桑那州立大学一项研究胆固醇长达25年的团队里的首席研究员的结论是『一般血液中胆固醇指数健康正常的人现在可以放心每天享用蛋类食品了。』

Can you drink too much water?

你会喝水过多吗？

Short answer: Yes

简单说：会

    It is very rare for someone to die from drinking too much water, but it can happen. Over hydrating is most common among elite athletes. Drinking an excess of water, called water intoxication, dilutes the concentration of sodium in the blood leading to a condition known as hypothermia. The symptoms of hypothermia can range from nausea and confusion to seizures and even death in severe cases. To avoid this, drink fluids with electrolytes during extreme exercise events.

    喝水过量导致死亡的案例虽然不多但是确有其事。明星运动员往往喝水过量。被称为水中毒的饮水过量冲淡了血液中的钠导致体?过低。体?过低的症状有呕吐、意识不清、癫痫发作，甚至严重到死亡。为了避免发生这种情形我们在极度运动之时应该饮用含有电解质的饮料。

Can yogurt ease digestive problems?

吃酸奶可以减轻消化系统的问题吗？

Short answer: Yes

简单说：可以

    Our digestive tract is filled with microorganisms— some good and some bad. Yogurt contains beneficial bacteria, generically called probiotics, that helps maintain a healthy balance. Probiotics can relieve several gastrointestinal problems, including constipation and diarrhea. Certain brands of yogurtsare marketed exclusively to treat tummy issues.

    人类的消化管道充满了微生物－有些有益，有些有害。酸奶含有益细菌。一般称之为有助于健康平衡的益生菌。益生菌能减轻好几种胃肠道疾病，包括便秘与腹泻。市场上有卖专用于治疗胃肠不适的特殊品牌酸奶。

Do whitening toothpastes whiten teeth more than regular toothpastes?

美白牙膏比一般牙膏更能漂白牙齿吗？

Short answer: No

简单说：不会

    Whitening toothpastes usually contain peroxides and other strong abrasives that might make your teeth appear whiter by removing stains. Unlike at-home whitening strips and gels that contain bleach, these toothpastes do not actually change the color of your teeth.

    美白牙膏通常含有过氧化物与其他强力去污剂，祛除斑点之后可能使得你的牙齿看起来白一点。可是它与你家中常用的美白粉与乳液不一样，它不含漂白剂。所以美白牙膏不会改变你的牙齿的颜色。

Is it safe to microwave food in plastic containers?

先把食物装入塑料容器再放入微波炉烘烤安全吗？

Short answer: Yes

简单说：安全

    But the plastic container should display the words "microwave safe." This means that the Food and Drug Administration has tested the containerto make sure no chemicals used to make the plastic leech into foods during micro waving. If chemicals do seep out into food, the amounts are tiny and not dangerous to our health. As a general guideline, plastic grocery bags as well as most plastic tubs that hold margarine, yogurt, cream cheese, and condiments are not microwave safe.

    话虽如此，这些塑料容器应该标示为『微波炉专用』这种标签表示这种容器经过美国食品与药物检验局测试过，不会有化学成份使得用微波炉在烘烤食物之时塑料物质黏附到食品里面。即使有化学成份渗入食物其剂量也是微乎其微，不至于有害人体健康。须知一般包装人造奶油、酸奶、可溶起司与调味料用的杂货塑料袋与塑料盒都不可以用微波炉烘烤。

Can watching TV ruin your eyesight?

看电视会伤眼吗？

Short answer: No

简单说：不会

    Watching TV will not destroy your rods and cones as the outdated myth suggests. Before the 1950s, TVs emitted radiation that could increase an individual's risk of eye problemsafter excessive TV viewing. Modern TVs have special shielding that blocks these harmful emissions.

    过去的迷思不对！看电视不会伤害你的视杆感光细胞层与视锥感光细胞层。1950年代之前生产的电视机外泄的幅射线对于看电视过久的人可能有造成眼睛伤害的风险。现代电视机装置了特殊的滤网遮蔽了这些有害的放射线。

Is red wine better for you than white wine?

红酒一定比白酒有益健康吗？

Short answer: Yes

简单说：对

    Red wine contains much more resveratrol than white wine, an antioxidant found in the skin of grapes that has been shown to fight off diseases associated with aging.

红酒所含白藜芦醇比白酒多许多。白藜芦醇是葡萄皮上的一种抗氧化物被证明可以消灭与老化有关的疾病。

Is bottled water better for you than tap water?

瓶装水会比自来水更好吗？

Short answer: No

简单说：不见得

    Bottled water is no safer or purer than tap water, although it is substantially more expensive. A recent study by Glasgow University in the U.K.found that bottled water is actually more likely to be contaminated than water from your faucetbecause it is less well-regulated. Bottled water and tap water typically come from the same sources — natural springs, lakes, and aquifers. While public water supplies are tested for contaminants every day, makers of bottled water are only required to test for specific contaminants every week, month, or year.

    瓶装水虽然贵得多却不会比自来水更卫生或更纯净。英国格拉斯哥大学最近的一项研究发现瓶装水比自来水龙头出来的水更容易受到污染。原因是瓶装水没有像自来水那样受到良好的管制。瓶装水与自来水通常都来自同一水源－天然泉水、湖泊与含水土层。提供大众水源的自来水公司每天都得检验水质有没有受到污染，可是瓶装水制造商只须按规定每周、每月甚至每年检验一次饮水里有没有受到特定物质的污染就行了。