揭秘最能给人体补充能量的营养元素

Spinach does make you big and strong but it is the nitrates not the iron that is responsible It is well known as the superfood that gave Popeye his bulging muscles. Now scientists have discovered why spinach is the cartoon sailor’s secret weapon. They say nitrates, which are abundant in green, leafy vegetables of all kinds, boost the powerhouses in cells that provide energy.
　　童年时候的动画片《大力水手》让我们铭记于心，里面的主人翁大力水手（Popeye）是美国崇拜对象，代表着敢于坚持自己，并为市井小民挺身而出的精神。在动画片中，他吃了菠菜、力气倍增的镜头一定程度上让“菠菜”成为当时小孩子在蔬菜中的“大爱”。如今，就专家调查后他们发现了能让大力水手真的变成“大力士”的最主要原因，是因为菠菜中的“硝酸盐”使得大力水手Popeye强壮，而非“铁元素”。在绿色多页蔬果中的“硝酸盐”成分增强细胞的能量，相当于“发电机”的功效。

A single helping of spinach is enough to increase the efficiency of mitochondria, small bean-shaped bodies which fuel cell activity and growth. Originally it was thought that the iron content of spinach made it a power-food. Now scientists have learned that nitrates are the true energy-boosting ingredient in the vegetable. Until recently the inorganic chemical was not thought to have any nutritional value.

虽然，人们一直认为菠菜中的“铁元素”是补充体力的最主要成分，而如今实验发现，菠菜中的“硝酸盐”才是补充能量：硝酸盐提供人体内--线粒体（Mitochondria）的活动能力，而线粒体是身体每一项活动的支柱。它们运用氧气燃烧食物，供应细胞燃料。直到最近，科学家才发现硝酸盐是补充能量的真正元素。

While the Swedish scientists aren’t claiming the sort of results that Popeye achieves when he eats a can of spinach, they found that after taking a small dose of inorganic nitrate for three days, healthy people consumed less oxygen while riding an exercise bike. Lead researcher Professor Eddie Weitzberg, from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, said: ‘We’re talking about an amount of nitrate equivalent to what is found in two or three beetroot or a plate of spinach. ‘We know that diets rich in fruit and vegetables can help prevent cardiovascular disease and diabetes, but the active nutrients haven’t been clear. This shows inorganic nitrate as a candidate to explain those benefits.’

来自瑞典的科学家其实不是为了证明，只要吃了一罐菠菜，就能变得有力气。他们发现，只要连续3天吃一定量的无机硝酸盐，人体的能量会增长，比如：骑车的时候所消耗的氧气相比平时会有所减少，不是特别耗体力。教授Eddie Weitzberg说：“我们了解到多吃蔬菜和水果，可以有效防止心血管和糖尿病的患病几率。”