Hair. Healthy, shining hair is second only to vibrant skin for making one look younger. Yet many people unwittingly mistreat their hair by eating an unbalanced diet.

　　When a 33-year-old employee at a Texas corporation decided to lose weight quickly, she went on a fad diet, high in fiber and bulk, but low in protein. Over three months, she lost a lot of weight. She also lost a good deal of her hair.

　　Dermatologist (皮膚病學(xué)家) David Alkek, a clinical professor at the University of Texas Southwest Medical Center at Dallas, sees too many cases like this woman's. When diets don't contain enough amino acids, the building blocks of protein, there's dramatic increase in hair loss as the body breaks down its own protein.

　　Hair and skin cells are constantly reproducing and are, therefore, very sensitive to nutritional deficiencies, explains Dr. Alkek. Foods high in amino acids include meats, eggs, milk, grains and legumes. Just remember that the body cannot store protein. So foods high in protein must be ingested daily. Under Alkek's care, the woman began eating nutritionally balanced meals, and her hair was restored in about eight months.

　　Immune system. Vitamins E and C and beta carotene, known as antioxidants (抗氧化劑 ) , are considered powerful disease-fighters, capable of slowing down or preventing a number of ailments typically associated with aging.

　　A growing body of evidence suggests that aging and decline in immune function may result in part from accumulated damage to cells caused by certain toxic compounds called free radicals (自由基). Antioxidants seem to counteract or impair the ability of these substances to attack healthy cells, thus avoiding at least some of the damage. Foods containing these nutrients are being linkedby science rather than mythto the control and prevention of heart disease and cancer, stroke, cataracts and to the body's ability to ward off infectious diseases.

　　Good general nutrition is essential to maintaining a healthy, youthful appearance. And the key to good general nutrition is balance. Proteins should make up roughly ten percent of your daily calorie intake; no more than 30 percent should come from fats; and the remaining calories should come mostly from complex carbohydrates.

　　1. The passage primarily tells us how to lose weight so as to improve one's appearance.

　　2. Dark-green leafy vegetables are good sources of beta carotene.

　　3. When one gains weight, the skin becomes loose.

　　4. It is particularly important for the old to drink 6 to 8 glasses of water to help keep skin and other tissues hydrated.

　　5. Food low in protein is harmful to hair.

　　6. Free radicals play an important role in immune function.

　　7. In order to look younger, one should cut back on fats.

　　8. Amino acids are the building blocks of______.

　　9. Genes are______than diet in determining one's looks.

　　10. The body changes______into vitamin A.

　　參考答案:

　　1. N 2. Y 3. N 4. Y 5. Y 6. N 7. NG 8. protein 9. less important 10. beta carotene