导读:日本人的平均寿命是世界上最长的，肥胖率也是最低的。他们的饮食到底有什么奥秘？
The Japanese have long been revered and studied for their long life expectancy, which is higher than almost anywhere else in the world. So why is the Japanese diet so healthy, and what do they eat?
长久以来，日本的长寿一直被尊敬和研究，他们的寿命几乎比世界上任何其他地方都久。日料为何如此健康，他们都吃什么呢？
What are the benefits of the traditional Japanese diet?
传统日本饮食的益处是哪些？
The traditional Japanese diet is largely fresh and unprocessed, with very little refined foods or sugar.
传统日本食物大多是新鲜而且未加工过的，很少有精制食品或者糖。
A recent study by the British Medical Journal found that those who stuck to closer to the Japanese dietary guidelines – a diet high in grains and vegetables, with moderate amounts of animal products and soy but minimal dairy and fruit – had a reduced risk of dying early and from heart disease or stroke. As their diet is traditionally high in soy and fish this may also play a significant role in this reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. The Japanese also have the lowest rates of obesity amongst men and women as well as long life expectancy.
英国《医学杂志》最近的一项研究发现，那些坚持接受日本膳食指南- 富含谷物和蔬菜，适量动物产品和大豆，乳制品和水果很少 - 的人早期死亡和死于心脏病或中风的风险被降低了。由于他们的传统饮食富含豆类和鱼，这也可能在降低心血管疾病风险中起了重要作用。日本男女的肥胖率也最低，寿命也很长。
Okinawa, in southernmost Japan, has the highest number of centenarians in the world as well as the lowest risk of age-related diseases (for example diabetes, cancer, arthritis and Alzheimer’s). This has partly been attributed to their traditional Japanese diet, which is low in calories and saturated fat yet high in nutrients, especially phytonutrients such as antioxidants and flavonoids, found in different coloured vegetables.
冲绳县位于日本最南端，在这里，百岁老人数量世界最大，与年龄相关的疾病（比如糖尿病，癌症，关节炎和阿尔茨海默病）的患病风险最低。这部分归因于他们传统的日本饮食，其热量和饱和脂肪含量低，但营养物质含量高，尤其是不同颜色蔬菜中发现的抗氧化剂和类黄酮的植物营养素含量高。
The Japanese diet isn’t that dissimilar to a traditional Chinese diet, with rice, cooked and pickled vegetables, fish and meat being staple choices. However, because Japan is actually a group of islands (all 6,582 of them), its residents consume a lot more fish compared to other Asian countries. They also eat raw fish in sushi and sahimi, plus a lot of pickled, fermented and smoked foods.
日本饮食并没有和传统中国饮食那般不同，传统中餐的主食主要是米饭，炒菜，腌菜，鱼肉和肉。然而，因为日本实际上是群岛（6582座岛屿），它的居民食用的鱼肉比其它亚洲国家多。他们还在寿司和鱼肉酱里搭配很多腌制，发酵和熏制的食物。
Soy beans, usually in the form of tofu or fresh edamame, are another key part of the Japanese diet. Increasingly, fermented foods are being shown to support a healthy digestive system. Fermented soy bean products such as miso and natto are staples of the Japanese diet. Natto is traditionally consumed at breakfast and has a probiotic action that has been shown to help reduce IBS and may help blood clotting.
通常以豆腐或新鲜毛豆形式食用的大豆是日本饮食的另一重要部分。越来越多的发酵食品被证明能够支持健康的消化系统。发酵大豆制品如味噌和纳豆是日本饮食的主食。在日本传统里，早餐食用纳豆，纳豆具有益生菌作用，已被证明有助于减少肠道易激综合症并可能有助于血液凝固。
The Japanese also consume a wide variety of vegetables, both land and sea vegetables such as seaweed, which is packed full of health-boosting minerals, and may help to reduce blood pressure. Fruit is often consumed with breakfast or as a dessert, especially Fuji apples, tangerines and persimmons.
日本人还食用各种各样的海陆蔬菜，比如富含充足健康促进矿物质的海藻，它还可能有助于降低血压。早餐或甜点时经常食用水果，特别是富士苹果，橘子和柿子。
Alongside their diet, the Japanese are big fans of green tea and in particular matcha tea, which is fast gaining popularity in the UK. Matcha, a stone-ground powdered green tea, is most valued for its high antioxidant compounds known as catechins, which have been linked to fighting cancer, viruses and heart disease.
除了饮食，日本人也是绿茶的大粉丝，特别是在英国迅速普及的抹茶。抹茶是一种石磨绿茶粉，它因为被称为儿茶素的高抗氧化剂而价值连城，儿茶素与抗癌，病毒和心脏病有关。
The Japanese tend to have a healthy attitude to food and eating. They have a traditional saying, “hara hachi bu”, which means to eat until you are 80% full, and they start teaching it to their children from a young age.
日本人往往对食物和饮食有一种健康的态度。 他们有一个传统的说法，“hara hachi bu”，意思是吃饭八分饱，他们从孩子很小时就开始教育孩子。
