2-15 有关医疗的谬论与事实

Medical Myths and Facts

 

You've read them before and these health tips have been passed down over generations, but do they really work? We applied¹ modern science to some of the most often repeated words of old fashioned wisdom. Some held up, but sorry, Mom! Others didn't. Here, medical experts reveal which advice is based on myth and which is based on fact.

 

Q: Is it true that you should feed a cold and starve a fever?

 

A: Not really. I don't think either starving or feeding would make a difference to a cold or fever. As long as there's no vomiting² or diarrhea, there's no reason to restrict diet. More critical is to drink plenty of liquids during either illness. Fluids help maintain appropriate blood pressure and, in the case of fever, replenish³¹ the water lost through sweating and breathing as you dissipate² body heat.

 

Q: Is it unsafe to take a warm bath during your period?

 

A: No. Mother may have warned you that a hot bath could increase menstrual³ bleeding, but there's no evidence that this is so. A heavier flow is more likely to be induced by stress or exercise. If you submerge⁴ an open wound in hot water, this causes blood vessels⁴ to dilate⁵⁵ and bleed more. But it does not mean that you can make the assumption that a warm bath affects the vessels of the uterus⁶ the same way. There's also no evidence that a warm bath during your period would increase the risk of infection.

 

Q: Does eating chocolate cause acne⁷?

 

A: No. Overactive sebaceous glands⁶⁸, not candy bars, cause the blemishes⁹ that can embarrass adolescents and adults. Under normal conditions, the sebaceous glands produce sebum¹⁰, an oily secretion⁸¹¹ that moistens and protects the skin. But these glands can produce too much sebum, usually as a result of hormonal⁹ changes or bacteria on the skin, and cause pimples¹². The fats that we absorb through our diet have no impact whatsoever¹¹ on the oil glands themselves. If that were the case, people who had higher blood cholesterol¹²¹³ or triglyceride¹⁴ levels would be more prone¹³ to acne, but they're not.

　　

But there may be something to the chocolate/acne myth. A small number of people do seem to have a pimplelike reaction to certain food groups? ? chocolate is one, but more commonly, nuts. Some of the thinking in the old days may have been related to the chocolate products that contained peanuts.

 

Q: Is breakfast the most important meal of the day?

 

A: Yes. Fasting overnight lowers the body's level of glucose¹⁴¹⁵ (blood sugar), which is needed to produce the brain chemicals that keep us focused throughout the day. Breakfast brings those blood sugar levels back up to normal, and helps our bodies wake up so we don't feel sluggish¹⁵¹⁶. Those who eat breakfast report feeling more alert, less depressed¹⁶, less irritable¹⁷¹⁷ and less restless during the day. They are more productive at work in the morning, too.

 

注释：

1.replenish [ri5pleniF] vt. 补充；把……再备足

2.dissipate [5disipeit] vt. 消耗；使消失

3.menstrual [5menstruEl] adj. [生理]月经的

4.submerge [sEb5mE:dV] vt. 浸没；使浸入

5.dilate [dai5leit] vi. 膨胀；扩大

6.uterus [5ju:tErEs] n. [解]子宫

7.acne [5Akni] n. [医]痤疮，粉刺

8.sebaceous [si5beiFEs] adj. 脂肪的，皮脂的；～gland[解]皮脂腺

9.blemish⁷ [5blemiF] n. 疤；黑头粉刺

10.sebum [5si:bEm] n. [生理]皮脂

11.secretion [si5kri:FEn] n. [生理]分泌物

12.pimple¹⁰ [5pimpl] n. [医]丘疹；小脓疱

13.cholesterol [kE5lestErEul] n. [生化]胆固醇

14.triglyceride [trai5^lisE7raid] n. [化]甘油三酸酯

15.glucose [5^lu:kEus] n. [生化]葡萄糖

16.sluggish [5slQ^iF] adj. 懒怠的；呆滞的

17.irritable [5iritEbl] adj. 急躁的，易怒的

有关医疗的与事实

 

　　你对此已有所耳闻，这些保健诀窍已经流传了好几代，但是它们真的管用吗？我们利用现代科学对人们常挂在嘴边的一些老生常谈进行了检验。有些是站得住的，但是，对不起,妈妈，其他的却是没道理的。在此，医学专家们向我们揭示哪些话是道听途说，哪些则是有着事实根据的。

 

问：感冒多吃、发烧少吃这种说法对吗？

 

答：不是这样。我不认为感冒或者发烧可以通过饥饿或者饱餐得到改善。只要不呕吐或者腹泻，没有理由限制饮食。更重要的一点是，无论是感冒还是发烧都要大量饮水。水能保持适当的血压，并能补充发烧散热时从汗腺和呼吸中失去的水分。

 

问：在例假期间洗温水澡不安全吗？

 

答：不对。妈妈或许警告过你洗热水澡会增加经血，但是这是没有根据的。经血过多更多是由于紧张或运动造成的。如果你把伤口浸在热水中，这会造成血管扩张而流血增加。但是这并不意味着你可以断定洗温水澡同样会影响子宫血管。此外，也没有任何证据表明例假期间洗温水澡会增加感染的风险。

 

问：吃巧克力会使人长粉刺吗？

 

答：不会的。造成令年轻人和成年人苦恼的粉刺的罪魁祸首是过于旺盛的皮脂腺，而不是糖块。在正常情况下，皮脂腺产生一种湿润护肤的油质分泌物——皮脂。但是，通常由于激素的变化或者皮肤细菌的原因，皮脂腺可能产生过量的皮脂而导致粉刺。我们通过饮食吸收的脂肪是怎么也不会影响皮脂腺的。如果真是那样的话，那些胆固醇或者甘油三酸酯含量较高的人会更容易出粉刺，但是并没有出现这种情况。

　　

但是巧克力与粉刺有关的说法也许也有一定道理。有一小部分人确实好像因一些食物而产生类似粉刺的反应。巧克力是其中之一，但更常见的是坚果。过去人们之所以有巧克力导致粉刺的说法，或许是因为含有坚果的巧克力产品的缘故吧。

 

问：早餐是一天中最重要的一顿饭吗？

 

答：是的。一晚上的空腹使人体内的葡萄糖（血糖）含量下降，葡萄糖是产生脑部化学物质使我们一整天都精力集中的必需物质。早餐使我们的血糖恢复正常，帮助我们的身体苏醒过来，不感到懒怠。那些吃早餐的人都说在白天他们感觉反应更加敏锐，较少沮丧、急躁和不安，上午工作效率也更高。

1 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

2 vomiting   

吐

参考例句：

• Symptoms include diarrhoea and vomiting. 症状有腹泻和呕吐。
• Especially when I feel seasick, I can't stand watching someone else vomiting." 尤其晕船的时候，看不得人家呕。”

3 replenish   

vt.补充；(把…)装满；(再)填满

参考例句：

• I always replenish my food supply before it is depleted.我总是在我的食物吃完之前加以补充。
• We have to import an extra 4 million tons of wheat to replenish our reserves.我们不得不额外进口四百万吨小麦以补充我们的储备。

4 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 dilate   

vt.使膨胀，使扩大

参考例句：

• At night,the pupils dilate to allow in more light.到了晚上，瞳孔就会扩大以接收更多光线。
• Exercise dilates blood vessels on the surface of the brain.运动会使大脑表层的血管扩张。

6 glands   

n.腺( gland的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a snake's poison glands 蛇的毒腺
• the sebaceous glands in the skin 皮脂腺

7 blemish   

v.损害；玷污；瑕疵，缺点

参考例句：

• The slightest blemish can reduce market value.只要有一点最小的损害都会降低市场价值。
• He wasn't about to blemish that pristine record.他本不想去玷污那清白的过去。

8 secretion   

n.分泌

参考例句：

• Is there much secretion from your eyes?你眼里的分泌物多吗？
• In addition,excessive secretion of oil,water scarcity are also major factors.除此之外，油脂分泌过盛、缺水也都是主要因素。

9 hormonal   

adj.激素的

参考例句：

• Some viral diseases are more severe during pregnancy, probably tecause of hormonal changes. 有些病毒病在妊娠期间比较严重，可能是由于激素变化引起的。
• She underwent surgical intervention and a subsequent short period of hormonal therapy. 他接受外科手术及随后短暂荷尔蒙治疗。

10 pimple   

n.丘疹，面泡，青春豆

参考例句：

• His face was covered with pimples.他满脸粉刺。
• This is also a way to prevent the pimple.这也是防止疙瘩的一个途径。

11 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

12 cholesterol   

n.（U）胆固醇

参考例句：

• There is cholesterol in the cell of body.人体细胞里有胆固醇。
• They are determining the serum-protein and cholesterol levels.他们正在测定血清蛋白和胆固醇的浓度。

13 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

14 glucose   

n.葡萄糖

参考例句：

• I gave him an extra dose of glucose to pep him up.我给他多注射了一剂葡萄糖以增强他的活力。
• The doctor injected glucose into his patient's veins.医生将葡萄糖注入病人的静脉。

15 sluggish   

adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的

参考例句：

• This humid heat makes you feel rather sluggish.这种湿热的天气使人感到懒洋洋的。
• Circulation is much more sluggish in the feet than in the hands.脚部的循环比手部的循环缓慢得多。

16 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

17 irritable   

adj.急躁的；过敏的；易怒的

参考例句：

• He gets irritable when he's got toothache.他牙一疼就很容易发脾气。
• Our teacher is an irritable old lady.She gets angry easily.我们的老师是位脾气急躁的老太太。她很容易生气。