Sweet potato and malnutrition, British polar research ship 红薯改善营养不良, 英极地科考船_BBC

Sweet potato and malnutrition, British polar research ship 红薯改善营养不良, 英极地科考船

本集内容

Sweet potato helps tackle child malnutrition 红薯可帮助应对儿童营养不良

Work starts on British polar research ship 英国新极地科考船正式开建

文字稿

From the red soil of Uganda, these farmers are unearthing an unlikely solution to a silent killer. Orange flesh sweet potatoes are rich in beta-carotene, needed to prevent Vitamin A deficiency; an affliction that leads to the death of an estimated 670,000 people globally every year. In Uganda 32% of children under five are estimated to suffer from Vitamin A deficiency. Scientists here are hoping to change that. Through a technique called biofortification, they interbred sweet potatoes from across the world to produce the most nutrient-rich variety.

在乌干达，这些农民们正在从红壤里挖掘看似不可能却有望治疗一种致病“隐形杀手”的良方。橙瓤红薯富含预防维生素A不足的β-葫萝卜素。缺乏维生素A是困扰并导致每年全球约67万人死亡的病症。据估算，在乌干达有32%的五岁以下儿童缺乏维生素A。这里的科学家们希望能改善该状况。通过利用生物强化技术，他们将产自世界各地的红薯杂交繁殖，从而种植出最富有营养的红薯品种。

Work has officially begun on a new British polar research ship, the RRS Sir David Attenborough, named after the broadcaster and naturalist. The vessel is perhaps best known for the online vote to name it, which saw the public choose ‘Boaty McBoatface’ after a social media campaign hijacked the poll. Once complete, the vessel will conduct crucial scientific research in both the Arctic and the Antarctic.