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  3. As concern over Alzheimer’s disease grows, more Americans are turning to expensive and potentially unsafe supplements that claim

As concern over Alzheimer’s disease grows, more Americans are turning to expensive and potentially unsafe supplements that claim

admin2010-01-15  70
问题      As concern over Alzheimer’s disease grows, more Americans are turning to expensive and potentially unsafe supplements that claim to enhance memory. But prevention of age-related memory loss may be no further away than your refrigerator, and no more expensive than a bag of groceries, experts say. With the aging population of baby boomers in the United States, more research is being done than ever before on diseases such as Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Scientists are developing a better understanding of why memories fade, and along the way they are finding new ways to combat the decline.
     For one thing, research increasingly suggests that diet may be important in preventing Alzheimer’s. As the brain ages, it loses the ability to protect itself from the barrage of commonplace dangers it faces every day, particularly inflammation and oxidation, a process which allows damaging free radicals to attach themselves to cells.
     While it’s not entirely clear what causes Alzheimer’s disease, amyloid plaque——a goopy, fibrous substance akin to fur balls in the brain——plays a key role. As the plaque builds up, it causes more oxidation and inflammation, and begins to kill off brain cells. In addition, brain cells often stop communicating with each other as people age, making it harder for the brain to process thoughts, retain short-term memory and create new cells.
     "Old neurons are like old married couples——they don’t talk to each other very much any- more. They just sit in the room with the remote and stare at the TV," says Dr. James Joseph, director of the Neuroscience Lab at the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston. While research in the field of aging and nutrition is still in its infancy, scientists have found that diet may help minimize the brain’s sensitivity to oxidation and inflammation, as well as improve brain cells’ ability to communicate with each other.
    One of the most intriguing areas of research involves the role of antioxidants, potent chemicals in plants that protect against free radicals, highly active molecules that damage cells. Antioxidants are what give fruits and vegetables their bright colors. Plants produce these chemicals to protect themselves from environmental insults, such as pollution, and when humans eat plants, they also reap the protective benefits.
According to the passage, humans will benefit from _________ whey they eat them.
选项 A、potent chemicals
B、damaged cells
C、non-polluted fruits
D、antioxidants in plants
答案D
解析 细节题。文章的最后一段讨论了antioxidants在植物中的作用．Antioxidants(抗氧化剂)可以使植物免受污染的侵害(…protect themselves from environmental insults，such as pollution．)，有效对抗一些破坏细胞生长的高度活跃的分子(…protect against free radicals，highly active molecules that damage cells．)，而人吃了含有抗氧化剂的植物后，也能从中受益(…when
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