每天两餐西红柿 永葆肌肤年轻

 At this rate, scientists will have to come up with a better description for the tomato than mere¹ 'superfood'.

　　While it has long been credited with cutting cholesterol² and preventing some cancers, the fruit now appears to have two more healthgiving benefits.

　　Protection against sunburn and helping³ keep the skin looking youthful are the latest pluses, a study has found.

　　Professor Mark Birch-Machin said tomatoes could provide a cheap and easy way of improving health.

　　"I went into the study as a sceptic," he added. "But I was quite surprised with the significance of the findings."

　　Researchers at Manchester and Newcastle universities recommend two tomato-based meals a day for optimum health.

　　Possible menus include a glass of tomato juice with breakfast and a salad later or tomato soup for lunch and pasta with a tomato sauce for dinner.

　　To test the fruit's ability to protect the skin, ten volunteers were asked to eat five tablespoons of tomato paste mixed with olive oil every day for three months.

　　Another ten had a daily dose of olive oil - minus the tomato paste.

　　Tests using ultra-violet lamps showed the tomato-eaters were a third better protected against sunburn at the end of the study than at the start, the British Society for Investigative Dermatology's annual conference heard.

　　Other tests suggested the tomato-based diet had boosted production of collagen, the protein that keeps skin supple⁴.

　　If that were not enough, the fruit also protects our mitochondria - the elements of cells which turn the food we eat into energy.

　　Professor Birch-Machin, of Newcastle University, said: "Being kind to our mitochondria is likely to contribute to improved skin health, which in turn may have an anti-ageing effect."

　　The researchers stressed, however, that their findings were not an excuse to throw away the suncream. Professor Lesley Rhodes, a Manchester University dermatologist⁵, said: "People should not think tomatoes in any way can replace suncreams but they may be a good additive⁶.

　　The fruit's benefits are credited to lycopene, the pigment⁷ behind its distinctive⁸ red skin.

　　Lycopene, a powerful antioxidant capable of mopping up free radicals⁹ - the harmful molecules¹⁰ linked to cancer - is made easier for the body to absorb when tomatoes are cooked or processed.

1 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

2 cholesterol   

n.（U）胆固醇

参考例句：

• There is cholesterol in the cell of body.人体细胞里有胆固醇。
• They are determining the serum-protein and cholesterol levels.他们正在测定血清蛋白和胆固醇的浓度。

3 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

4 supple   

adj.柔软的，易弯的，逢迎的，顺从的，灵活的；vt.使柔软，使柔顺，使顺从；vi.变柔软，变柔顺

参考例句：

• She gets along well with people because of her supple nature.她与大家相处很好，因为她的天性柔和。
• He admired the graceful and supple movements of the dancers.他赞扬了舞蹈演员优雅灵巧的舞姿。

5 dermatologist   

n.皮肤科医师

参考例句：

• I think you should see a dermatologist first.我想你应当先看皮肤科大夫。
• The general practitioner referred her patient to a dermatologist.家庭医生把她的病人交给了皮肤科医生。

6 additive   

adj.附加的；n.添加剂

参考例句：

• Colour is often an additive in foods.颜料经常是各种食物中的添加物。
• Strict safety tests are carried out on food additives.对食品添加剂进行了严格的安全检测。

7 pigment   

n.天然色素，干粉颜料

参考例句：

• The Romans used natural pigments on their fabrics and walls.古罗马人在织物和墙壁上使用天然颜料。
• Who thought he might know what the skin pigment phenomenon meant.他自认为可能知道皮肤色素出现这种现象到底是怎么回事。

8 distinctive   

adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的

参考例句：

• She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
• This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。

9 radicals   

n.激进分子( radical的名词复数 )；根基；基本原理；[数学]根数

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals. 一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The worry is that the radicals will grow more intransigent. 现在人们担忧激进分子会变得更加不妥协。 来自辞典例句

10 molecules   

分子( molecule的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The structure of molecules can be seen under an electron microscope. 分子的结构可在电子显微镜下观察到。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules. 在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。