「美食背後」

Behind the gourmet food

貴為「亞洲美食之都」，香港有逾萬間餐館，美食種類過百種，琳瑯滿目。 再者，不少港人受西方文化影響較深，飲食傾向多肉少菜。美國農業部2011年數據顯示，香港人均肉食消耗量冠絕全球。香港防癌會在2012至13年訪問2512名市民，發現34%受訪者每日進食多於3両紅肉(即約113克)；並發現逾三成受訪者的BMI(身高體重指數)高於23，超出標準範圍。

 Offering every kind of culinary from around the world, with more than 10,000 restaurants, Hong Kong has a well-deserved reputation as a culinary paradise.

Moreover, many Hong Kong people are deeply influenced by Western culture, and their diet tends to consist of more meat and less veggies. According to data from the US Department of Agriculture in 2011, the per capita consumption of meat in Hong Kong is the highest in the world. The Hong Kong Cancer Society telephone interviewed 2512 people in 2012-13. They found that 34% of the respondents consumed more than 3 taels of red meats per day (i.e. about 113 grams); Result also showed that the BMI (Body Mass Index) of more than 30% of the respondents were above 23, exceeding the standard range.

世界癌症研究基金會及英國政府於數年前根據最新的研究，修改每人每週攝取紅肉量的建議，訂為最理想低於500克的攝取量，也就是每天不要超過70克。

Based on the latest researches, the World Cancer Research Fund and the British government revised the weekly intake recommendation of red meat a few years ago, they set the optimal intake to below 500 grams, which is no more than 70 grams per day.

港人普遍多肉少菜皆因出外用膳非常普遍。衛生署2010年4月的「行為風險因素調查」顯示，一星期5次或以上出外吃早餐的市民有26.9%、午餐有46.4%、晚餐有9.4%。香港生活節奏快，廉價的快餐成為不少打工仔的選擇。然而快餐往往存在「三高一低」問題，即高熱量、高脂肪、高鈉，以及低纖維。

 The reason for Hong Kong people tend to eat more meat than vegetables mainly because of frequent eating out. According to the Department of Health's April 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Survey, 26.9% of the people who went out for breakfast five times a week or more, 46.4% went out for lunches, and 9.4% went out for dinners. Hong Kong people are busy, with a fast-paced lifestyle, therefore cheap fast food has become a convenient choice for many working class. However, fast food often has the problem of “3 High, 1 Low”, namely high calorie, high fat, high sodium, and low fiber.

當我們過量攝取熱量和脂肪，血液中脂蛋白濃度過高時，容易堆積在動脈血管壁內層，引起局部發炎反應，吸引單核球(白血球的一種)沾黏進入血管內層，變成巨噬細胞吞噬堆積的脂肪。吞進脂蛋白的巨噬細胞堆積在血管壁中，形成黃色黏稠的斑塊，造成粥狀硬化。巨噬細胞還會分泌一些細胞激素，刺激血管壁上平滑肌細胞增生，使斑塊纖維化，加速動脈硬化，使血管管腔變小，血液流通困難。硬化斑塊有時會被血流衝擊產生裂隙，在該處局部形成血塊，堵住血管而阻礙血液流動。

When we consume excess calories and fat, and the concentration of lipoprotein in the blood is too high, it tends to accumulate in the inner layer of the arterial wall, causing local inflammatory reaction, attracting monocytes (a type of white blood cell) to stick into the inner layer of the blood vessel and become macrophages. The cells engulf the accumulated fat. Macrophages that ingest lipoproteins accumulate in the walls of blood vessels, forming yellow sticky plaques that cause atherosclerosis. Macrophages also secrete cytokines, which stimulate the proliferation of smooth muscle cells on the blood vessel wall, and make the plaque fibrosis, this results in accelerating arteriosclerosis, and make the lumen of the blood vessels smaller, and obstruct blood circulation. Hardened plaques are sometimes impacted by bloodstream to create fissures, which form blood clots that block blood vessels and impede blood flow.

血管清道夫

預防膽固醇和其他脂肪黏附於血管壁對於心血管健康至關重要。除了保持良好的飲食習慣和定時運動外，保健成份「卵磷脂」亦能為血管提供潤滑作用，在血管壁形成一個光滑的內層，令脂肪沉積物難以黏附。當大量的脂肪堆積物不能黏附到身體的特定區域時，它們會被運送到肝臟，在那裡它們被代謝並轉化為能量。換言之，卵磷脂能協助清理血管垃圾、預防動脈硬化及血管阻塞。

卵磷脂是一種由膽鹼和肌醇組成的脂肪樣物質，是人體內天然存在的物質，也是細胞膜的主要成分。它可以通過食物，如蛋黃，牛肝，大豆，豆類和魚類獲得。身體需要卵磷脂才能正常運作，是人體每一個細胞不可缺少的物質，並且協助維持整體健康。

 Vascular scavenger

Preventing the adhesion of cholesterol and other fats to the blood vessel wall is essential for cardiovascular health. In addition to maintaining good eating habits and regular exercise, the healthcare ingredient "lecithin" also provides lubrication to blood vessels and forms a smooth inner layer on the vessel wall, making it difficult for fat deposits to adhere. When large amounts of fat deposits cannot adhere to specific areas of the body, they are transported to the liver where they are metabolized and converted into energy. In other words, lecithin can help clear blood vessel waste, prevent arteriosclerosis and vascular occlusion.

維持皮膚毛髮健康

身體如果缺乏卵磷脂，皮膚細胞的再生能力會降低，導致皮膚粗糙、出現皺紋。如能適當攝取卵磷脂，就可以保障皮膚再生活力，再加上卵磷脂良好的親水性和親油性，皮膚自然充滿光澤。另外，卵磷脂所含的肌醇亦是毛髮的主要營養物，能抑制脫髮，使白髮慢慢變黑。

Maintain the health of skin and hair

If the body lacks lecithin, the regenerative capacity of the skin cells will be reduced, resulting in rough skin and wrinkles. If lecithin is supplemented into the body, skin rejuvenation will be maintained. With good hydrophilicity and lipophilicity, lecithin can make the skin full of luster naturally. In addition, the inositol contained in lecithin is also the main nutrient of the hair, which can inhibit hair loss and turn white hair to black gradually.

保障大腦健康

卵磷脂是大腦神經髓鞘的主要物質來源。如果具有充足的卵磷脂，其傳遞的資訊準確性就高，也就是說記憶力提升、思維更敏捷、學習知識和接受新事物速度更快。卵磷脂亦能增強大腦活力，消除大腦疲勞，提高學習工作效率，而且能修復受損傷的腦細胞，預防腦部退化的發生。因此，卵磷脂好比是大腦這部汽車所需的汽油，沒有汽油，汽車不能發動；而沒有卵磷脂，就沒有「神經突觸」，沒有「神經突觸」的供應，我們就無法保持頭腦的靈活。

人體的肝臟可以分泌卵磷脂，但30歲後分泌功能將逐年下降，保持生命的活力，需通過膳食適量攝入卵磷脂。兒童、青少年為了提高智力，建議從膳食中補充適量的卵磷脂。