五種改變你生活的熱帶水果(雙語)

Did you know that one tropical fruit can be used as a substitute for IV fluid in an emergency? Or that another tropical treat has been shown in studies to kill cancer cells? Aside from their health benefits, there are plenty of other reasons to love the following tropical fruits…and some of these benefits will definitely surprise you.
你是否知道有一種熱帶水果可以在緊急治療中替代IV流體給人注射？還有研究顯示食用某種熱帶水果能夠殺死體內癌細胞？除了健康方面的好處，還有許多其他原因會讓你愛上熱帶水果哦！你會驚訝地發現：哇！原來它們還有這等好處呀！

Coconuts 椰子

You might think of coconut as the sweet topping on German chocolate cake, but this fruit has plenty of health benefits as well. Coconut water has a ton of health benefits. It’s a sterile source of clean water, useful for survival hydration. On top of this, coconut water has the same level of electrolytic balance human blood. In the Pacific Theatre during World War II, coconut water was
提到椰子，你可能會想到德國巧克力蛋糕上那凸起的裝飾配料，其實這種水果對人體健康有着諸多好處。椰子汁是絕對安全的水質，可以幫助體內完成生存所必需的水合作用。此外，在幫助人體血液達到電解與平衡上，椰子汁也有同樣的功效。在一戰的太平洋戰場上，椰子汁就經常被當做輸血漿，給受傷戰士們急救時使用。

Coconut water makes a better sports drink than commercial products, as it is lower in salts and sugars and higher in potassium. And, of course, the flesh and oil of the coconut is also edible and good for you!
相比其他飲料，椰子汁則是一款更好的運動型飲料，因爲它所含的鹽分和糖分都較低，卻富含鉀元素。當然，椰子肉、椰子油也都可以被食用且對人體有益！

Mangosteen 山竹果

The mangosteen is a small fruit with white flesh, popular throughout Asia. One group of scientists has proposed that alpha-mangostin, an antioxidant found only in mangosteen, can cause cell death in leukemia cells, effectively treating the disease. While more research needs to be done, mangosteen is also said to have powerful anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiseptic properties.
山竹果，外形小巧，白色果肉，它是在亞洲很受歡迎的水果之一。一項研究結果已提出：只有在山竹果裏才發現一種叫倒捻子素的抗氧化劑，它對白血病細胞有殺傷作用，對治療白血病有一定效果。當然，更多的研究有待進行，因爲據說山竹果還有消炎、抗菌、防腐、消毒的特性。

Avocado鱷梨

You might think of it as a vegetable, but this is actually a fruit. And not just any fruit, but a fruit that has been shown to lower cholesterol. They are also rich in folic acid, which can prevent some kinds of common birth defects. Even more interesting is that avocados are the ultimate life hack fruit: when you eat an avocado with other vegetables, you absorb more nutrients from the meal than you would have from eating the vegetables alone. Top your salad with a few slices of avocado, and you’ll be increasing your intake of vitamins and minerals from the meal.
你也許會以爲它是一種蔬菜，但其實它是一種能夠降低人體膽固醇的水果，而且它富含葉酸，能預防一些常見的先天性畸形病。更有意思的是，鱷梨是一種能加快給人體補充所需營養的水果。如果你把鱷梨和其他蔬菜混搭着吃，會比你單獨吃某個蔬菜吸收更多的營養。你可以在色拉上放幾片鱷梨，這樣能提高維生素和礦物質的攝取量。

Mango 芒果

A single mango will contain half of your recommended daily allowance of both Vitamin A and Vitamin C, as well as some B-Vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, beta-carotene, and…well, maybe it would have been quicker for me to list the few nutrients that this little fruit DOESN’T contain…
一個芒果所含的營養成分大致如下：一半人體每天所需的維他命 A 和C，還有少量維他命 B、歐米珈-3脂肪酸、多酚、Beta胡蘿蔔素等。也許我該列出它所不含的營養成分，這樣會更方便你記憶！

I picked up an interesting tip about quickly ripening mangoes from the book “Urawaza”, which I reviewed here recently. If you pick up a mango at the supermarket that is still hard, soak it in simmering water for just 10 minutes to speed up the ripening process. The sooner you can eat one, the sooner you can start to enjoy its beneficial qualities.
我曾在一本名爲”Urawaza"的書裏看到過這樣一個有關如何加速芒果成熟的方法，在這裏與你分享！如果你發現剛從超市買回來的芒果，其外表依然很堅硬，這代表它尚未完全成熟，你可以將它浸放在水裏，用小火微燉10分鐘，這樣就會加快它的成熟。越早吃上美味的芒果，你就能越早感受它所帶來的益處。

Longan 龍眼

Longan berries, native to China, have long been said by Asian herbalists to have relaxing properties, making them the perfect snack to enjoy to lower your stress levels. It is also said to have anti-cancer, antioxidant, and liver-protective properties. The longan contains high levels of iron, potassium, and large amounts of vitamins A and C. Finding them in a form other than fresh at your local market may be tough, but dried and canned longan are also available.

龍眼果，起源於中國，一直以來都被亞洲中藥師認爲其具有舒緩神經的特性，它是幫你減壓的完美零食！據說，龍眼還有抗癌、防氧化、保護肝臟的作用。龍眼富含鐵元素、鉀元素、維他命A和C。你只要食用市場上的新鮮龍眼，就能一併得到這些營養元素，而其他食物就很難實現這點了！當然，風乾的或灌裝的龍眼也同樣富含這些營養成分。

Conclusion
總結

In general, eating more fruits is good for your health. Overall, tropical fruits have been known to reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease. On top of these benefits, a diet rich in tropical fruits ensures that you will have improved digestion and GI function. Best of all, these fruits can neutralize free radicals, protecting you from asthma, joint pain, and the above-mentioned heart and cancer risks.

總體說來，多吃水果對你的健康有益。而多吃熱帶水果則能幫助你降低患癌症和得心臟病的機率。另外，常吃這類水果還會有助於改善你的消化和胃腸道功能，中和自由基，預防哮喘、關節炎，還有就是前面所提到的它對癌症和心臟病有一定的預防性！

You are what you eat. If you want to be smart, eat smart, and reach for these tropical fruits the next time you are craving a snack.

在很大程度上，你的健康取決於你的飲食習慣。如果你想擁有健康，那就吃得健康些，下次在吃點心時不妨選擇這些熱帶水果吧！