Less salt, better health ⏲️ 6 Minute English

Summary

在BBC Learning English的《6分钟英语》节目中，Neil和Georgie探讨了盐对食物味道的重要性以及过量摄入盐对健康的潜在风险。节目介绍了世界卫生组织建议的每日盐摄入量应少于5克，并讨论了盐在食品保存中的作用。通过哈萨克斯坦的例子，节目揭示了盐在传统食品中的重要性以及现代加工食品中盐过量的问题。节目最后提出了减少盐摄入的建议，并介绍了一些相关的英语词汇和表达。

Takeaways

• 🍽️ 食物的五种基本味道是甜、酸、苦、咸和鲜。
• 🧂 盐能增强食物成分的味道，但世界卫生组织建议每日摄入量不超过5克。
• 🚫 过量摄入盐分会增加高血压和心脏病的风险。
• 🌐 哈萨克斯坦人平均每天摄入17克盐，是世界卫生组织建议量的三倍以上。
• 🐂 肉类是日常食物中含盐量最高的，其次是面包和意大利面。
• 🧳 历史上，哈萨克斯坦的游牧民族通过加盐来保存食物。
• 💧 过量摄入盐会导致身体保留水分，心脏需要更努力地泵血，从而可能导致高血压。
• 🌏 各国政府正通过不同的方式应对高盐摄入带来的健康风险。
• 🍲 减少盐和加工食品的摄入可以帮助大多数人享受更长久的健康生活。
• 🌿 如果不喜欢无盐食物，可以尝试添加草药和香料来增加风味。

Q & A

BBC Learning English的节目《6 Minute English》中提到的五种基本味道是什么？

节目中提到的五种基本味道是甜、酸、苦、咸和鲜。

世界卫生组织（WHO）建议的每日盐摄入量是多少？

世界卫生组织建议的每日盐摄入量应少于5克，大约相当于一茶匙。

为什么人们在食谱中经常看到'Add a pinch of salt'这样的建议？

这是因为盐可以增强食物中其他成分的味道，使食物更美味。

为什么很难知道我们摄入了多少盐？

盐很难被准确计量，因为它通常隐藏在加工食品中，我们很难直观地知道摄入量。

哈萨克斯坦首都阿斯塔纳的人们平均每天摄入多少克盐？

哈萨克斯坦首都阿斯塔纳的人们平均每天摄入17克盐，这是世界卫生组织推荐量的三倍以上。

为什么哈萨克斯坦人会摄入这么多盐？

哈萨克斯坦人摄入大量盐是因为他们的历史传统，作为游牧民族，他们需要用盐来保存肉类和乳制品，以供长途旅行和冬季食用。

摄入过多的盐会导致哪些健康问题？

摄入过多的盐会导致身体保留水分来稀释盐分，这会增加心脏的负担，可能导致高血压和心脏病。

澳大利亚政府对每日盐摄入量的建议是多少？

澳大利亚政府建议每日盐摄入量为6克。

英国政府为了减少盐的摄入量采取了哪些措施？

英国政府通过法律强制食品公司减少使用盐的量，并推荐每天摄入不超过5克的盐。

如果不喜欢无盐的食物，节目中建议用什么来增加食物的味道？

如果不喜欢无盐的食物，可以尝试添加草药和香料来增加食物的味道。

节目中提到的三种日常食物中，哪一种含有最多的盐？

节目中提到的三种日常食物中，肉类含有最多的盐，其次是面包，最后是意大利面。

Outlines

00:00

🧂 盐与健康：BBC六分钟英语

本段介绍了BBC六分钟英语节目，由Neil和Georgie主持。节目讨论了食物的五种基本味道，特别是盐如何增强食物的味道。提到了世界卫生组织（WHO）建议的每日盐摄入量应少于5克，而大多数人摄入的盐分远超这个量，增加了高血压和心脏病的风险。节目中还提出了一个问题，询问观众哪种日常食物含盐量最高，选项包括肉类、面包和意大利面。此外，节目还探讨了盐在食物保存中的作用，以及哈萨克斯坦人民因历史原因而高盐饮食的现状。

05:05

🌍 全球盐摄入量与健康建议

本段继续讨论盐的摄入量问题，指出澳大利亚政府将推荐的每日盐摄入量减少到6克，而英国政府则通过法律强制食品公司减少盐的使用量，并推荐每日摄入量为5克。节目中还提到了营养学教授Claire Collins的观点，她认为我们应该从更宏观的角度来看待盐摄入量问题，而不是纠结于具体的克数。她强调，全球范围内的高盐摄入量是导致高血压、中风和早死的原因之一，我们需要找到适合各国文化的方式来解决这个问题。节目最后提醒，如果不喜欢无盐食物，可以尝试添加草药和香料来调味。

Keywords

💡盐

盐是食物中的一种基本味道，能够增强食材的风味。在视频中，盐被讨论为一个健康问题，因为过量摄入会增加高血压和心脏病的风险。例如，世界卫生组织建议每日盐摄入量应少于5克。

💡风味

风味是指食物的味道和香气，通常由甜、酸、苦、咸等基本味道组成。视频中提到盐通过增强食材的风味来改善食物的味道。

💡高血压

高血压是指血液在血管中流动时对血管壁的压力过高，是一种常见的健康问题。视频中提到，过量摄入盐会导致体内水分滞留，心脏需要更努力地泵血，从而增加高血压的风险。

💡心脏疾病

心脏疾病是指影响心脏功能的一类疾病。视频中提到，长期高血压可能导致心脏疾病，因为心脏需要持续超负荷工作。

💡加工食品

加工食品是指经过加工处理的食品，通常含有添加的盐分。视频中提到，加工食品中的隐藏盐分是人们难以控制盐摄入量的原因之一。

💡腌制

腌制是一种保存食物的方法，通过添加盐来延长食物的保质期。视频中提到，哈萨克斯坦的传统游牧文化中，腌制肉类和乳制品是为了在漫长的冬季中保存食物。

💡游牧民族

游牧民族是指那些不定居，而是随着季节和资源的变化而迁移的民族。视频中提到，哈萨克斯坦的传统游牧生活方式影响了他们对盐的使用和食物的腌制习惯。

💡乳制品

乳制品是指由牛奶制成的食品，如奶酪和黄油。视频中提到，哈萨克斯坦的乳制品也很咸，这是由于历史上保存食物的需要。

💡文化适宜性

文化适宜性是指在考虑不同文化背景和习惯的情况下采取适当的措施。视频中提到，减少盐摄入量的方法需要根据不同国家的文化背景来设计。

💡草药和香料

草药和香料是用于增加食物风味的天然调味品。视频中建议，如果不喜欢不加盐的食物，可以尝试添加草药和香料来增加风味。

💡过早死亡

过早死亡是指在预期寿命之前发生的死亡。视频中提到，过量摄入盐会导致过早的健康问题，如高血压和心脏病，从而导致过早死亡。

Highlights

五种基本味道赋予食物风味：甜、酸、苦、咸。

盐能增强食物成分的味道。

世界卫生组织推荐每人每日盐摄入量不超过5克。

人体至少需要每天摄入1克盐以维持生命。

大多数人摄入的盐量过多，增加高血压和心脏病的风险。

盐在许多食谱中被用来提升食物风味。

盐分隐藏在加工食品中，难以控制摄入量。

哈萨克斯坦人平均每天摄入17克盐，远超推荐量。

哈萨克斯坦的历史传统中，盐用于保存肉类和乳制品。

盐不仅提升风味，还能用于保存食物防止变质。

过多摄入盐会导致身体保留水分，心脏负担加重，引发高血压和心脏病。

全球政府采取不同措施应对高盐摄入的健康风险。

澳大利亚政府将每日推荐盐摄入量降至6克。

英国政府通过法律强制食品公司减少盐的使用量。

营养学教授Claire Collins强调，应从更宏观的角度看待盐摄入量问题。

减少盐和加工食品的摄入，大多数人可以享受更长久的健康生活。

如果不喜欢无盐食物，可以尝试添加草药和香料来调味。

肉类是日常食品中含盐量最高的，其次是面包和意大利面。

学习了新词汇，包括'to preserve'（保存）、'nomads'（游牧民）、'dairy products'（乳制品）、'take a step back'（退一步）、'look at the bigger picture'（从宏观角度看）和'premature'（过早的）。

Transcripts

Hello, this is 6 minute English from BBC Learning English.

I'm Neil, and I'm Georgie.

Do you know the five tastes which give food its flavour,

Neil? There's sweet...

Yes. And, uh, sour, bitter...

And salty!

Everyone knows that salt makes food taste better

by enhancing the flavours of the ingredients.

There's even a phrase you'll see in many recipes -

'Add a pinch of salt'.

But exactly how much salt makes a 'pinch' of salt?

The World Health Organisation,

or WHO, recommends a daily salt intake of less than 5g,

about the same as a teaspoon.

In fact, the human body needs salt - at least 1g a day to survive.

But most of us eat far too much,

increasing the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.

In this program, we'll be asking, how much salt is too much?

And as usual, we'll be learning some useful new vocabulary as well.

Great. But first, I have a question for you, Neil.

The reason it's difficult to know how much salt you consume

is that it's hidden in food, especially processed food.

So, which of the following everyday foods do you think contains most salt?

Is it a) meat, b) bread, or c) pasta?

Well, I'm going to guess that meat is the saltiest of those foods.

OK Neil, I'll reveal the answer later in the program.

Marian Sumbiva lives in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan,

a country where people eat, on average, 17g of salt a day.

That's more than three times the amount recommended by the WHO.

Here, Marian explains some of the reasons behind this

to BBC World Service program 'The Food Chain'.

We consume lots of salt, which is due to historical heritage

because when we were nomads for centuries and centuries, we travelled

and wandered across the steppes,

and here, we had to carry lots of meat which could be preserved

only adding salt. And even the milk products,

the dairy products are also very much salty for the same reasons.

Besides improving its flavour,

salt can be used to preserve food to stop it from going bad.

Traditionally, people in Kazakhstan were nomads.

They travelled from place to place with their animals rather than living

in one place all the time.

Treating food with salt gave them enough to eat during the long winter months.

They even did it with dairy products -

foods which are made from milk, such as cheese and butter.

So, salt has a long and useful history.

But there's a big difference between traditional Kazakh nomads

and the health problems associated with modern processed food.

When we eat too much salt, the body dilutes it by retaining water,

and as a result, the heart works harder to pump liquid around the body.

This causes high blood pressure, which over time can lead to heart disease.

Globally, governments are fighting this health risk in different ways.

The Australian government reduced its recommended salt intake

to 6g a day, while the British government has passed laws forcing

food companies to reduce the amount of salt they use,

and now recommends just 5g of salt per day.

Claire Collins is professor of nutrition

at the University of Newcastle in Australia.

Here, she explains more about these salt recommendations

to BBC World Service Programme, 'The Food Chain'.

I think you just got to take a step back, and look at the bigger picture,

like arguing whether it should be 5g or 6g...

The issue is that around the world salt intakes are very high, contributing

to blood... high blood pressure,

contributing to premature strokes, premature mortality.

And we need to address it in a way

that's culturally appropriate for each country.

Instead of arguing over grams of salt,

Professor Collins thinks we should take a step back,

and look at the bigger picture.

She uses two idioms:

'take a step back', which means to temporarily withdraw from a situation

in order to think about it more calmly and 'look at the bigger picture' -

to consider the overall meaning of something, not just the details.

Yes, the problem remains that overconsumption of salt is causing

premature health problems - problems which are happening sooner

than they should.

By limiting salt and processed food,

most people can enjoy long, healthy lives.

And if you don't like your food unsalted,

try adding herbs and spices instead.

Well, speaking of salty foods, I think

it's time to reveal the answer to my question, Neil.

If you remember, I asked you which everyday food contains most salt.

And I guessed it was meat...

Which was the correct answer.

Meat contains the highest amount of salt - around 19%, followed by bread

with 14%, and pasta with 7%.

OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned in this program,

starting with the verb 'to preserve' food,

meaning to do something to stop it rotting so it can be eaten later.

Nomads are people who travel from one place to another,

often with animal livestock, rather than living in one place all the time.

Dairy products are foods such as cheese and butter, which are made from milk.

If you take a step back,

you temporarily remove yourself from a situation in order to reevaluate it.

The idiom 'to look at the bigger picture' means to consider

the overall meaning of something rather than the specific details.

And finally, the adjective 'premature' describes something which happens

too soon, or before the proper time.

Once again, our six minutes are up. Goodbye for now.

Bye!