【英语时差8,16】维生素

 Yael: What are all those pills you're taking, Don?

Don: Vitamins, Yael. I'm really into my health these days. I take a pill for nearly every vitamin my body needs. I'm insuring myself against vitamin deficiency.

Y: I hope you know what you're doing. Just as vitamin deficiency can make you sick so can vitamin toxicity². Vitamins can be very dangerous if you take them in high quantities.

D: Oh, you mean vitamins A and D. I've heard about that. I don't understand, though,  why it's okay to take lots of one vitamin, but not another.

Y: First off, vitamins A and D are the most likely to make you sick if you take too much of them, but they aren't the only vitamins that can be dangerous. All vitamins have the  potential to be toxic¹ if you ingest too much of them.

Part of the reason why A and D put you at higher risk than Vitamin C and others has to do with the way vitamins are dissolved. Vitamin C dissolves in water. Thus, if you  take in excess Vitamin C, your body flushes it out through urine. Vitamins A and D dissolve in oils and melted fat. When you take too much of one of these vitamins, rather than flushing the excess out, the body stores the surplus in fat or in fatty tissues such as the liver and the brain. Accumulation of water in the brain, severe headaches, and birth defects are just three of the problems toxic levels of Vitamin A can cause.

If you keep a relatively³ well-balanced diet, you'll most likely get the vitamins your  body needs without the use of supplements.  

1 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

2 toxicity   

n.毒性，毒力

参考例句：

• The hoarse grunt or squeal is characteristic of toxicity.嘶哑的哼声和叫声是中毒的特征。
• Dieldrin is related to aldrin,and its toxicity to earthworms is similar.狄氏剂与艾氏剂有关，对蚯蚓的毒性是相似的。

3 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。