Prefeitura de Foz do Iguaçu 2018 — Questão 21 · Língua Inglesa - Compreensão e Interpretação de Texto

Instrução: As questões de números 17 a 21 referem-se ao texto abaixo.

Can food change your mood?

01 ___ In medieval times people believed that what they ate affected their mood. If they wanted

02 erotic stimulation it …………….. be eggs, beef, pomegranates or peacock. Feeling down? They’d

03 reach for quince, dates and elderflowers. In the absence of valium, they used lettuce and chicory

04 as tranquillisers. So when did we lose the idea that food can affect one of our biggest organs –

05 the brain? While the link between food and diabetes, heart disease and obesity is well

06 established, any association between mental health and diet is tentative by comparison. But it is

07 gradually emerging as a serious topic of study.

08 ___ Research carried out by a team led by Lina Begdache, assistant professor of health and

09 wellness studies at Binghamton, New York, found that young adults (under 30) who ate fast food

10 more than three times a week scored higher on levels of mental distress. Fast food is usually

11 high in the saturated, trans- and omega-6 fatty acids that can provoke a low-grade _________

12 response in the body, which, in turn, is linked to anxiety and depression in both animal and

13 human research. Those in her study who ate meat three times a week or less (which she

14 classifies as low consumption) also had more mental health problems. “We were surprised by

15 this,” says Begdache. But mood and meat are linked at a _________ level; tryptophan in meat

16 is a precursor of serotonin, the brain’s “feelgood” chemical.

17 ___ For adults over 30, the study found that eating less carbohydrate and more fruit reduced

18 anxiety and depression. Fruits are high in antioxidants that protect the brain, but the low

19 carbohydrate effect is a puzzle because carbohydrates promote serotonin production. The study

20 looked at both the effects of diet on mood and vice versa. “But much of it is hypothetical,” says

21 Begdache. “We can really only say they are linked.”

22 ___ Studies point to a Mediterranean diet being as good for your brain …… your body. “It has all

23 the components that are important for the healthy structure of the brain,” says Begdache –

24 polyunsaturated fatty acids, minerals such as zinc from whole grains, meat and milk, magnesium

25 from green _________ vegetables and vitamins B, C and E from fruit and vegetables and dairy

26 products. But there is no short cut: “Our study looked at the use of supplements. They produce

27 no benefit on mood.” The link between diet and mood is highly individual, but Begdache says

28 there is some research that shows mood improvement after two weeks.

(Adapted from: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/dec/18/can-food-change-your-mood-mental-wellbeingl)

Consider the following statements about the text:

I. According to the research discussed in the text, young adults who often eat fast food showed higher levels of mental distress.

II. The research also concluded that adults who eat less carbohydrate and more fruits will not develop anxiety and depression.

III. Studies show that a Mediterranean diet is the best option to be in shape and to have a good mood.

Which ones are in agreement with the text?