How do vitamins work? - Ginnie Trinh Nguyen

維他命有何價值? - Ginnie Trinh Nguyen

譯者: Ambrose Lam 審譯者: Jenny Yang

A, C, E, D, B, K.

A，Ｃ，Ｅ，Ｄ，Ｂ，Ｋ

No, this isn't some random, out of order alphabet.

這不是一些隨機，毫無次序的字母

These are vitamins, and just like letters build words,

它們是維他命，就如字母是用來建構文字

they're the building blocks that keep the body running.

它們是令身體保持運作的構件

Vitamins are organic compounds we need to ingest in small amounts

維他命是我們要攝取的少量有機化合物

to keep functioning.

以維持身體功能

They're the body's builders, defenders and maintenance workers,

它們是身體的建造者，守護者和維修工人

helping it to build muscle and bone, make use of nutrients,

幫助身體長出肌肉骨骼、運用養份

capture and use energy and heal wounds.

攫取和運用能量和治癒傷口

If you need convincing about vitamin value,

若你對維他命的價值還需要證據

just consider the plight of olden day sailors,

只要想想舊日水手的困境

who had no access to vitamin-rich fresh produce.

他們沒有維他命豐富的新鮮農產品可吃

They got scurvy.

因而患上壞血病

But vitamin C, abundant in fruits and vegetables,

但水果和蔬菜所含的大量維他命C

was the simple antidote to this disease.

是這病的簡單解藥

While bacteria, fungi and plants produce their own vitamins,

雖然細菌、真菌和植物 都能為自己造出維他命

our bodies can't, so we have to get them from other sources.

我們的身體卻不可以 我們要從他處獲取維他命

So how does the body get vitamins from out there into here?

那麼身體如何取得維他命呢？

That's dependent on the form these compounds take.

那要視乎這些化合物的形態

Vitamins come in two types:

維他命有兩類：

lipid-soluble and water-soluble,

脂溶性和水溶性

and the difference between them determines how the body

它們之間的分別決定了

transports and stores vitamins, and gets rid of the excess.

身體如何輸送和儲存維他命，和把多餘的排出

The water-solubles are vitamin C

水溶性的維他命包括維他命Ｃ

and B Complex vitamins that are made up of eight different types

和由八種不同維他命組成的維他命Ｂ雜

that each do something unique.

而每種維他命都各有獨特功能

These are dissolved in the watery parts of fruits, vegetables and grains,

它們能溶於水果、蔬菜和穀物的水份裡

meaning their passage through the body is relatively straightforward.

這意味它們進入身體的過程相對簡單直接

Once inside the system, these foods are digested

這些食物進入身體後會被消化

and the vitamins within them are taken up directly by the bloodstream.

它們裡面的維他命會直接被血液吸收

Because blood plasma is water-based,

由於血漿也是水基的

water-soluble vitamins C and B have their transport cut out for them

因此水溶性的維他命Ｃ和Ｂ 在人體有現成的運輸工具

and can move around freely within the body.

它們可在人體內自由游走

For lipid-soluble vitamins, dissolved in fat

脂溶性維他命則溶於脂肪內

and found in foods like diary, butter and oils,

奶類、牛油和食油等食物皆有它們的踪跡

this trip into the blood is a little more adventurous.

它們進入血液的過程較為曲折

These vitamins make it through the stomach and the intestine,

這些維他命會透過腸胃進入人體

where an acidic substance called bile flows in from the liver,

那裡有從肝臟分泌，稱為膽汁的酸性物質

breaking up the fat and preparing it for absorption through the intestinal wall.

膽汁能分解脂肪，使它能透過腸壁被人體吸收

Because fat-soluble vitamins can't make use of the blood's watery nature,

由於脂溶性維他命無法利用血液的水基

they need something else to move them around,

它們要靠其他東西才能四處游走

and that comes from proteins that attach to the vitamins and act like couriers,

而附著維他命的蛋白質就成為載體

transporting fat-solubles into the blood and around the body.

把脂溶性維他命帶進血液，從而運行身體各處

So, this difference between water- or fat-soluble vitamins

因此，這種水溶性和脂溶性維他命之間的分別

determines how they get into the blood,

除了決定它們如何進入血液

but also how they're stored or rejected from the body.

也決定了它們如何被人體儲存或排放

The system's ability to circulate water-soluble vitamins

循環系統能夠把水溶性維他命

in the bloodstream so easily

輕易地在血液內流轉

means that most of them can be passed out equally easily via the kidneys.

這意味它們大多數也同樣輕易地 可透過腎臟排出體外

Because of that, most water-soluble vitamins

因此之故，大多數水溶性維他命

need to be replenished on a daily basis through the food we eat.

需要透過我們每日吃的食物來補充

But fat-soluble vitamins have staying power

脂溶性維他命卻能逗留在體內

because they can be packed into the liver and in fat cells.

因為它們可以被儲存於肝臟和脂肪細胞內

The body treats these parts like a pantry,

人體將這兩部份當作食物儲存室

storing the vitamins there and rationing them out when needed,

把維他命存放在那裡，有需要時才定額取出

meaning we shouldn't overload on this type of vitamin

因此我們不應過量存入這類維他命

because the body is generally well stocked.

因為身體一般來說已有足夠儲備

Once we figured the logistics of transport and storage,

我們認識了維他命進入人體和儲存的途徑後

the vitamins are left to do the work they came here to do in the first place.

接下來便是認識它們的作用

Some, like many of the B Complex vitamins, make up coenzymes,

一些維他命，像許多維他命Ｂ雜那樣，負責製造輔酶

whose job it is to help enzymes release the energy from food.

以幫助酶把食物的能量釋放出來

Other B vitamins then help the body to use that energy.

然後讓其他維他命Ｂ 幫助身體利用那些能量

From vitamin C, you get the ability to fight infection and make collagen,

維他命Ｃ可幫助我們 抵抗感染和製造骨膠原

a kind of tissue that forms bones and teeth and heals wounds.

骨膠原是一種形成骨骼牙齒 和治療傷口的組織

Vitamin A helps make white blood cells, key in the body's defense,

維他命Ａ協助製造白血球，它們是防護身體的主力

helps shape bones and improves vision by keeping the cells of the eye in check.

並幫助骨骼形成，和透過 控制眼球細胞來改善人的視力

Vitamin D gathers calcium and phosphorus so we can make bones,

維他命Ｄ能聚合鈣和磷讓身體製造骨骼

and vitamin E works as an antioxidant,

而維他命Ｅ發揮抗氧化的作用

getting rid of elements in the body that can damage cells.

清除破壞體內細胞的元素

Finally, from Vitamin K, we score the ability to clot blood,

最後，我們可從維他命Ｋ獲得凝固血液的能力

since it helps make the proteins that do this job.

因為它能幫助蛋白質發揮這功能

Without this vitamin variety,

沒有這些不同種類的維他命

humans face deficiencies that cause a range of problems,

人類會面對因缺乏而帶來的種種問題

like fatigue, nerve damage, heart disorders,

例如疲倦、神經破損、心臟疾病

or diseases like rickets and scurvy.

或軟骨病和壞血病等疾病

On the other hand, too much of any vitamin can cause toxicity in the body,

另一方面，任何一種維他命 若過多會導致身體中毒

so there goes the myth that loading yourself with supplements is a great idea.

所以吃多點營養補充劑對你有益是一個奇談

In reality, it's all about getting the balance right,

現實上，這全在乎取得平衡

and hitting that vitamin jackpot.

並善用維他命的好處