22 Rainbow on Your Plate-Mid

Rainbow on Your Plate FOCUS Question Why is it important to eat fruits and vegetables of many different colors?

餐盘上的彩虹焦点问题为什么吃不同颜色的水果和蔬菜很重要?

Colors Galore! Have you heard someone say to "eat the rainbow" when talking about fruits and vegetables? These colorful foods look vibrant on your plate, and they're healthy for you, too! The many colors of fruits and veggies come from natural chemicals called pigments. These pigments are also phytonutrients (fie-toh-NOO-tree-untz) that help plants grow and stay healthy. Some phytonutrients help plants make their own food. Others act like an "immune system" for plants. They protect plants from insects, diseases, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the Sun. When you eat fruits and vegetables, you take in nutrients your body needs to survive, such as vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. You also take in phytonutrients. These substances are not essential for your survival, but they do help you stay healthy. Word Wise Phyto comes from the Greek word for "plant."

颜色丰富的!你听过有人在谈论水果和蔬菜时说“吃彩虹”吗? 这些五颜六色的食物在你的盘子里看起来充满活力，而且它们对你也很健康!水果和蔬菜的许多颜色都来自一种叫做色素的天然化学物质。 这些色素也是植物营养素(5 -toh- noo -tree-untz)，有助于植物生长和保持健康。 一些植物营养素帮助植物制造它们自己的食物。 另一些则像植物的“免疫系统”。 它们保护植物免受昆虫、疾病和来自太阳的紫外线辐射。 当你吃水果和蔬菜时，你会摄入身体生存所需的营养物质，如维生素、矿物质、碳水化合物、蛋白质和脂肪。 你也会摄入植物营养素。 这些物质对你的生存不是必需的，但它们确实有助于你保持健康。 “Phyto”这个词来源于希腊语，意思是“植物”。

One way phytonutrients can help is by getting rid of free radicals. Your body makes these substances when you breathe, eat, or exercise. They also form when part of your body becomes swollen, red, and painful. This inflammation may happen when you have an infection or an injury. Free radicals can damage tissues in your body if their numbers get too high. Fortunately, many of the phytonutrients are antioxidants. They are like chemical superheroes. They tackle free radicals and keep them in balance. This helps reduce inflammation. When you eat colorful fruits and veggies, you get all the health benefits that each color of the rainbow offers. 1. Free radicals steal electrons from healthy atoms, turning them into free radicals. 2. Antioxidants save the day by giving electrons to free radicals. 3. The free radicals become healthy atoms again!

植物营养素可以帮助的一种方法是清除自由基。 当你呼吸、进食或运动时，你的身体会产生这些物质。 当你身体的一部分肿胀、发红和疼痛时，也会形成疼痛。 当你感染或受伤时，这种炎症可能会发生。 如果自由基的数量过多，它们会损害你体内的组织。 幸运的是，许多植物营养素都是抗氧化剂。 他们就像化学超级英雄。 它们能处理自由基并保持平衡。 这有助于减少炎症。 当你吃五颜六色的水果和蔬菜时，你会得到彩虹每种颜色所带来的所有健康益处。 1. 自由基从健康的原子中窃取电子，把它们变成自由基。 2. 抗氧化剂通过将电子给自由基来扭转局面。 3.自由基又变成了健康的原子!

Green Crunch! A green apple is a tasty snack to bite into. Did you know that green fruits and vegetables are also some of the healthiest foods? They are loaded with phytonutrients as well as vitamins and minerals. Dark, leafy greens such as kale and spinach fight inflammation in your body. They also contain antioxidants that help keep your eyes healthy. Other green fruits and vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, and kiwi may reduce the risk of some types of cancer, keep bones and teeth strong, protect the heart, and boost the body's immune system.

绿色危机!青苹果是一口咬下去的美味小吃。 你知道绿色水果和蔬菜也是最健康的食物吗? 它们富含植物营养素以及维生素和矿物质。 深色的绿叶蔬菜，如羽衣甘蓝和菠菜，可以对抗身体的炎症。 它们还含有抗氧化剂，有助于保持眼睛健康。 其他绿色水果和蔬菜，如芦笋、西兰花和猕猴桃，可以降低患某些癌症的风险，保持骨骼和牙齿强壮，保护心脏，增强身体的免疫系统。

How do these green fruits and vegetables get their color? All green plants have chlorophyll, a green pigment that absorbs sunlight. Plants use sunlight to power photosynthesis, the process by which plants make their own food in the form of sugar. The energy you get from eating plants was once energy from the Sun. Not only does chlorophyll allow plants to make their own food, but it's also an important phytonutrient that may help people fight cancer. In addition, chlorophyll molecules contain the mineral magnesium. As your body digests a green plant, magnesium enters your bloodstream. Magnesium regulates sugar levels in your blood. It keeps your muscles functioning well, and it promotes healthy bones and blood pressure. Tiny structures in plant cells called chloroplasts contain thousands of molecules of chlorophyll. The chlorophyll model above shows how the different parts of the molecule fit together.

这些绿色水果和蔬菜的颜色是怎么来的? 所有绿色植物都含有叶绿素，这是一种吸收阳光的绿色色素。 植物利用阳光进行光合作用，植物通过这个过程以糖的形式制造自己的食物。 你从吃植物中获得的能量曾经来自太阳。 叶绿素不仅能让植物自己制造食物，而且还是一种重要的植物营养素，可以帮助人们对抗癌症。 此外，叶绿素分子中含有矿物镁。 当你的身体消化一种绿色植物时，镁就会进入你的血液。 镁可以调节血液中的血糖水平。 它能让你的肌肉正常运作，促进骨骼健康和血压。 植物细胞中被称为叶绿体的微小结构包含成千上万的叶绿素分子。 上面的叶绿素模型显示了分子的不同部分是如何结合在一起的。

Red, Orange, and Yellow A juicy pink watermelon might make you think of a summer's day. Other fruits and vegetables— like tomatoes, grapefruit, and beets— also come in pink and red hues. Their colors come from lycopene (LIE- kuh- peen), which is an important antioxidant, Lycopene belongs to a group of phytonutrients called carotenoids (kuh- RAH- tuh- noydz). Lycopene may help fight cancer, keep the heart healthy, and help with inflammation. Other carotenoids are orange or yellow in color. Sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and carrots have beta carotene. Your body uses this phytonutrient to make vitamin A, which boosts your immune system and promotes healthy eyes. Lutein (LOO- teen) is another carotenoid. In plants, lutein absorbs extra light energy from the Sun to prevent UV damage. Eating foods with lutein, such as corn, may help protect your eyes and skin from UV radiation.

红色、橙色和黄色一个多汁的粉红色西瓜可能会让你想起夏天的一天。 其他水果和蔬菜，如西红柿、葡萄柚和甜菜，也有粉红色和红色。 它们的颜色来自于番茄红素(LIE- kuh- peen)，这是一种重要的抗氧化剂，番茄红素属于一组称为类胡萝卜素的植物营养素(kuh- RAH- tuh- noydz)。 番茄红素可以帮助对抗癌症，保持心脏健康，并有助于对抗炎症。 其他类胡萝卜素的颜色是橙色或黄色。 红薯、南瓜和胡萝卜都含有-胡萝卜素。 你的身体利用这种植物营养素来制造维生素A，增强你的免疫系统，促进眼睛健康。 叶黄素是另一种类胡萝卜素。 在植物中，叶黄素吸收来自太阳的额外光能来防止紫外线伤害。 食用含有叶黄素的食物，如玉米，可能有助于保护你的眼睛和皮肤免受紫外线辐射。