素食與健康
Health & Vegetarianism（1）
◎嚴國銘

（作者簡介）嚴國銘：發一崇德道場講師，為人親和，年輕有為，中英文俱佳。美國紐約大學英語教學碩士、台灣大學華語文師資研習班、加州大學爾灣分校英語教學證書班、真理大學企管系畢業。

現為崇德文教基金會英語老師，專事道學英文專用術語及字彙、古文、白話文英語翻譯。國外進修期間，於中文學校、書院擔任中文老師，教導華裔子女說、讀中文、背誦四書經典、中文寫作、演講，更教導美國成人國語注音符號及日常國語會話。

專長為國外業務推廣廣告、潛在客戶追蹤、文宣整理及公司網站翻譯。具溝通協調能力，興趣文、武兼備。現擔任網際智慧公司教學組長，負責編寫電子海外華文教學教案及教育訓練。實為優秀道中人才，感恩將其第三屆亞洲素食年會發表之論文賜予本刊轉載，以饗讀者前賢。

摘要：本文主要從西方營養免疫學及東方的中醫觀點探討素食如何增強現代人的健康。此外，人體特色、食物營養、肉類問題、及食物金字塔也都是本文討論的重要面向。最後，倫理及環境的關懷也探討於本文結尾。

關鍵詞：素食、健康、營養免疫學、中醫理論
Abstracts: This paper mainly focuses on how vegetarian diet enhances modern people’s health from western nutritional immunology, and eastern Chinese medical theory. Human’s physical characters, nutrients in food, meat problems, and food pyramid are also vital perspectives discussed here. Finally, ethical and environmental issues are concerned at the end of this paper.Key Terms: health, vegetarian, nutritional immunology, Chinese medical theory.

還記得幾年前，當SARS橫行時，四千多人深受其害，其影響及於二十七國，並造成二百五十一人死亡。此外，愛滋病、禽流感、狂牛症等，都造成許多人們失去其財產及親愛的家人，並使你我生活在致命的威脅下。雖然這些疾病幾乎無法由現代醫學治癒，但仍有一種有效的方式來避免您受到這些威脅，並增加健康－－那就是素食。

首先，使人們遠離這些威脅的最佳方式就是強化免疫系統。雖然大家大都聽過「預防重於治療」，然而大部份的人在平時仍常忽略，而直到生病了才想去治療疾病。這就像西醫常常僅重視從「結果」解決問題。譬如，當一個人得了前列腺癌，西醫最直接想到的就是切掉其前列腺，或開一些抗生素。然而，在《營養免疫學》書中，楊百翰大學的陳昭妃博士指出，大部份的藥品都只是減低疾病的徵狀，並且同時降低免疫系統的功能。

事實上，人們的免疫系統就是他們自己最好的醫生。90%的慢性病，如癌狀、心血管疾病、關節炎、流行性感冒等，都有關於免疫系統失調。一般人所慣用的抗生素，其實對病毒完全無效，而只對部分細菌性疾病有效，例如肺炎和尿道炎；而人體自身的抗體，卻能摧毀100%的病毒及細菌。因此，最佳的保健之道，便是藉由正向的態度、足夠的睡眠、適量的運動及均衡的營養，來強化免疫系統。

均衡的營養應來自於健康、未煮、多樣且完整的植物。烹飪可能造成95%的抗癌物質及90%的免疫強化物質流失。此外，若烹調超過550C（或有一說是400C），100%的酵素和高比例的維生素都將被摧毀。吃完整的食物也很重要，例如我們日常所吃的米都是精緻的白米，而其通常只含澱粉。糙米或許比較粗糙，但含較多的維生素、礦物質、和纖維於其表皮。因此，植物的表皮及種子通常很營養，而也唯有完整的食物較易提供均衡的營養。

中醫與西醫就完全不同，其方式並非頭痛醫頭，而乃是從根本上解決問題－－也就是強化免疫力。在上述前列腺癌病人的例子中，中醫師可能就會勸此病患去改變飲食習慣，減低工作量及壓力，並開些中藥以滋養五臟六腑。反之，如果病患持續食用含高飽和脂肪酸的食物，他不但會繼續遭受前列腺癌之苦，並還可能得心臟病、中風及高血壓。

中醫理論背後其實是深具哲學意涵的。其認為不僅食物，連宇宙、道德和情緒，都可能影響我們的健康。表一即從五方、五季、五行與五臟的關係，看出個人與宇宙的關連。例如，長夏處於夏秋之際，此季節較潮溼而食物較易發霉，所以人們在此季節較須注意其腸胃。在秋天，天氣多變，許多人容易感冒，所以應多注意呼吸系統。此外，火是紅色，故紅色食物有益於心。而樹為綠色，故綠色食物有益於肝。

五方 五季 五行 五臟
東 春 木 肝
南 夏 火 心
中 長夏 土 脾
西 秋 金 肺
北 冬 水 腎

表一：個人和宇宙間的關係
Health & Vegetarianism (Part 1 )

(Hereby, I would like to express my gratitude to Betty Ke and Frances Chang, who proofread my article without any reward)　　　　　　
Yen, Kuo-Ming


Just a few years ago, more than four thousand people suffered from SARS, and it spread to 27 countries just within a few months and caused the deaths of 251 people. Besides this disease, AIDS, bird flu, and mad cow disease have all caused many people to lose their properties and lovely families, and make you and me live under the lethal threats. Although many of these diseases are almost incurable by modern medical science, there is still an effective way to prevent you from these threats, and enhance your health—that is vegetarian diet.

First of all, the best way to prevent people from these disasters is to strengthen the immune system. Although most people have heard, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” However, most people still ignore their health, and try to heal diseases until they have suffered from the illness; this is just like when modern medical science only tends to solve problems from “the results.” For instance, when a person gets prostate cancer, a doctor may just cut his prostate; and if a person gets sick, the doctor may just proscribe some antibiotics. However, in Nutritional Immunology, Dr. Chen from the Brigham Young University states that most medicines just reduce the syndrome of the sickness, and they weaken the immune system at the same time.

Actually, people’s immune systems are just the best doctors for themselves. 90% of the chronic diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, flu…etc, are related to immune system disorders. While antibiotics is totally ineffective against viruses and only destroys some bacteria, such as lung infection and urinary tract infection, antibodies destroy 100% of bacteria and virus. Therefore, the best way to keep ourselves health is to strengthen our immune systems by developing a positive attitude, getting enough sleep, doing moderate exercise, and taking up balanced nutrition.

The balanced nutrition should come from healthy, uncooked, various, and wholesome plants. Cooking may destroy 95% anti-cancer ingredients, and 90% immune system enhancers. Besides, if cooking is hotter than 55 degree centigrade (some papers say 400C), 100% enzyme and a high percentage of vitamin will be destroyed. Also, it is important to eat wholesome food. For example, the rice that we usually eat everyday is usually refined, and it contains starch only. Brown rice maybe more grainy, but it contains much vitamin, mineral, and fiber in the skin of rice. Therefore, the skin and the seeds of plants are usually nutritious, and only wholesome plants may provide balanced nutrition.

Unlike modern medical theory, Chinese Medicine solves problems from the root, and improves the patient’s immune system. In above case, a Chinese Medicine doctor may advise the patient to change his diet habits, reduce stress and workload, and prescribe some Chinese herbs to nourish his internal organs. If the patient keeps on eating food containing high saturated fat, he will not only suffer from prostate cancer, but will also be at high risk of stroke, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

Chinese medical theory has a philosophy behind it. The mentality is that not only food, but also the universe, morality, and emotions may affect our health. From Chart I, it shows the relationship between individuals and the Universe from the connection between five directions, four seasons, five elements, and five internal organs. For example, long summer is the months between summer and fall, and it is damper and easier for foods to become rotten, so people should be aware of their stomachs in this season. In fall, the weather changes, and many people may catch a cold, so they should be aware of their breathing systems. Besides, fire is red, so eat more red food is good for your heart, and trees are green, so eating green food is good for your liver.

Five directions Five seasons Five elements Five internal organs
The East spring wood liver
The South summer fire heart
The Middle long summer earth stomach
The West fall metal lung
The North winter water kidney

Chart I: The relationship between individuals and the Universe