【English Corner 快樂英語角Week 210】好文趣事
文章一：
Bananas Can Be Toxic: 3 Key Taboos
1. Those With Kidney Impairment or Take Potassium-Sparing Medications
A medium-sized banana contains about 450 mg of potassium. In people with reduced kidney function, even this amount can lead to potassium buildup in the blood. Severe hyperkalemia may trigger dangerous heart arrhythmias and, in extreme cases, cardiac arrest.
Patients taking potassium-sparing antihypertensive medications—such as spironolactone, eplerenone, or specific ACE inhibitors—must take particular care and limit intake to no more than half a banana per day.
2. Those Prone to Diarrhea
People who frequently suffer from diarrhea often have what Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) describes as a “deficient cold spleen and stomach” constitution. Simply put, this refers to a weak digestive system that tends to experience abdominal cold. Common accompanying symptoms include stomach pain, bloating, discomfort after eating cold foods, persistently cold hands and feet in winter, and a pale complexion. Bananas are classified as a cold-nature fruit. For people with this constitution, eating too many bananas can further disrupt intestinal motility, aggravating diarrhea and abdominal discomfort.
Additionally, those who experience stiff joints, reduced flexibility, or a tendency toward edema are typically also affected by “deficient cold spleen and stomach” and should likewise limit their banana intake.
3. Those With a Cough
It is not recommended to eat bananas when coughing, as bananas are often associated with “generating phlegm,” which can increase and thicken respiratory secretions, potentially making the cough more challenging to resolve.
1. 根據本文，何者敘述錯誤？
（1）多吃香蕉有益健康。
（2）吃香蕉恐讓咳嗽惡化。
（3）冬天手腳容易冰冷的人，香蕉要少吃。
（4）香蕉屬寒性水果。
2. 根據本文，如果你是屬於「脾胃虛寒」體質，香蕉吃多了恐造成什麼反效果？
3. 讀完本文你對什麼印象最深刻？為什麼？
甜甜的香蕉是「最便宜的營養品」，從穩血壓、防中風，到舒緩壓力、助眠、腸道健康，但腎臟病、糖尿病、腸胃敏感的人要注意份量。（123RF）文章二：
How Diabetics Can Enjoy Bananas Safely
Bananas have a naturally sweet taste, so it’s natural to wonder if people with high blood sugar can eat them. The good news is yes—they can, thanks to their high dietary fiber content, which slows sugar absorption and promotes a gentler rise in blood glucose levels.
For people with diabetes, select slightly green, less-ripe bananas, which have a lower glycemic index. Limit half a banana per serving to keep portions controlled.
An early study of patients with Type 2 diabetes found that unripe bananas had a negligible effect on blood glucose and insulin levels. As bananas ripen, their starch converts into simple and disaccharides that are more easily absorbed, leading to greater blood glucose fluctuations.
Once we’re aware of bananas’ potential contraindications, we can make more intelligent choices to harness their benefits.
1. 根據本文，下列何者有誤？
（1）高血糖患者可以吃香蕉
（2）糖尿病患者不能吃香蕉
（3）吃熟成的香蕉易造成較大的血糖波動
（4）第二型的糖尿病患者吃未熟成的香蕉，不會對血糖有什麼影響。
2. 根據本文，糖尿病患者建議選擇什麼樣的香蕉食用？為什麼？
3. 你也是香蕉愛好者嗎？讀完本文你會重新調整吃香蕉的習慣嗎？為什麼？
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【解答】
文章一：
1. （1）
2. For people with this constitution, eating too many bananas can further disrupt intestinal motility, aggravating diarrhea and abdominal discomfort.（對這種體質的人來說，吃太多香蕉會更嚴重擾亂腸道蠕動，加重腹瀉程度與腹部不適。）
文章二：
1. （2）
2. For people with diabetes, select slightly green, less-ripe bananas, which have a lower glycemic index.（糖尿病患者，應選擇略帶綠色、較不成熟的香蕉食用，因為這種香蕉的升糖指數較低。）
（文章來源：英文大紀元時報）◇
