第2016期:How seeds make up our diet

Think of a caveman, and maybe you imagine someone tearing at the flesh of an animal they've just hunted. But this picture may be false – analysis of prehistoric remains suggests that Stone Age people were skilled in processing and cooking different kinds of seeds, even experimenting with different flavours. Seeds are still an important part of our diets, so maybe food choices haven't changed as much as we think. 

想想一个穴居人，也许你会想象有人撕扯他们刚刚猎杀的动物的肉。但这张图可能是错误的——对史前遗迹的分析表明，石器时代的人们擅长加工和烹饪不同种类的种子，甚至尝试不同的口味。种子仍然是我们饮食的重要组成部分，因此食物选择可能没有我们想象的那么大的变化。 

In botanical terms, seeds are what new plants grow from. Strictly speaking, edible seeds include nuts, pulses and grains, and are a significant source of protein and calories worldwide. Between them, rice and bread are staple foods in most of the world. Many cuisines use beans, whether cooked in stews or curries, or mashed into pastes, like hummus from the Middle East. This definition of seeds also includes coffee beans and the cocoa beans used to make chocolate. 

从植物学角度来说，种子是新植物生长的基础。严格来说，可食用种子包括坚果、豆类和谷物，是全世界蛋白质和卡路里的重要来源。其中，大米和面包是世界上大部分地区的主食。许多菜肴都使用豆类，无论是炖菜或咖喱，还是捣成糊状，例如中东的鹰嘴豆泥。种子的定义还包括咖啡豆和用于制作巧克力的可可豆。 

Added to these are culinary seeds. These are what we more often think of as seeds – we often buy them unprocessed and use them whole in cooking, whether as a seasoning, as part of a salad or as a topping for bread. This includes chia seeds, sesame seeds and flaxseed. 

添加到这些是烹饪种子。这些是我们通常认为的种子——我们经常购买未经加工的种子，并将它们整个用于烹饪，无论是作为调味料、作为沙拉的一部分还是作为面包的配料。这包括奇亚籽、芝麻和亚麻籽。 

There are clear health benefits to including these seeds in our diet. They are high in dietary fibre, which is good for digestion and helps fight illnesses such as diabetes and bowel cancer. They are also a good source of unsaturated fat. Experts believe that using this to replace saturated fats, such as those from meat and dairy products, can lower cholesterol and help keep our heart healthy. The minerals contained in many culinary seeds, such as zinc, copper, and folate, can be beneficial for the immune system. 

将这些种子纳入我们的饮食中对健康有明显的好处。它们富含膳食纤维，有利于消化，有助于对抗糖尿病和肠癌等疾病。它们也是不饱和脂肪的良好来源。专家认为，用它来替代饱和脂肪，例如来自肉类和乳制品的饱和脂肪，可以降低胆固醇并有助于保持心脏健康。许多烹饪种子中含有的矿物质，如锌、铜和叶酸，对免疫系统有益。 

However, it's not all good news. Seeds can cause an allergic reaction, especially sesame seeds. Sesame is one of the top ten causes of food allergies in the UK. Different types of seeds can share allergy-causing proteins, and other seeds that can cause allergies include sunflower seeds and poppy seeds. 

然而，这并不都是好消息。种子会引起过敏反应，尤其是芝麻。芝麻是英国引起食物过敏的十大原因之一。不同类型的种子可以共享引起过敏的蛋白质，其他可能引起过敏的种子包括葵花籽和罂粟籽。

词汇表

flavour 口味，味道
diet （日常）饮食
botanical 植物学的
edible 可食用的
nut 坚果
pulse 豆类
grain 谷物
protein 蛋白质
calorie 热量，卡路里
staple food 主食
bean 豆类，豆子，豆科植物
mash 将（食物）捣成泥状
culinary seed 烹饪用的籽类食物
topping （食物上的）配料
chia seed 奇亚籽
sesame seed 芝麻籽
flaxseed 亚麻籽
dietary fibre 膳食纤维
unsaturated fat 不饱和脂肪
cholesterol 胆固醇
folate 叶酸
allergic 对…过敏的