A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds that brain chemicals linked to addiction are in play with a high-sugar diet, and a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that a high-carb diet had lasting mood-elevation effects.

    發表在《美國國家科學院院刊》（Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ）雜志上的一項研究發現，大腦內與上癮有關的化學物質與含糖高的飲食有聯系。另外一項發表在《內科學文獻》（Archives of Internal Medicine）雜志上的研究表明，高碳水化合物的飲食提高情緒的效果具有持續性。

    Diet and the Brain

    What you eat affects more than physical health. Two new studies have added to the growing evidence linking the stomach and the brain.

    In a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers studied how junk food can trigger addiction behaviors. The brain chemical corticotropin-releasing-factor, CRF, is linked to motivation, and plays a role in drug and alcohol withdrawal and relapse. Researchers had rats eat normal food, then binge on sugar and chocolate-flavored snacks. When the rats went off the junk, they expressed CRF, just as do rats going through withdrawal. The rodents also had more anxiety and were less interested in normal food.

    Another study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, looked at human moods. Researchers followed 106 overweight people. Half followed a low-carb, very high-fat diet, and half ate a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet. After a year, both groups averaged about 30 pounds weight loss. And though both groups' moods improved after two months, only the low-fat, high-carb group kept up the good feelings. So what we eat doesn't just go to our waists-it also goes to our brains.

    飲食與情緒

    你吃的東西不僅僅影響你的身體健康。越來越多的證據表明飲食還影響著情緒，目前兩項新的研究再一次加強了這方面的證據。

    研究者們研究了垃圾食品如何引發上癮行為，他們的結果發表在《美國國家科學院院刊》（Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ）雜志上。大腦內的化學物質促腎上腺皮質激素釋放因子（corticotropin-releasing-factor, CRF）與動機有關，CRF與在戒毒和戒酒過程中出現的不適癥狀以及重染這些舊習也有關系。研究者們讓老鼠吃一些普通的食物，然后再讓它們使勁兒吃糖和巧克力味的零食。當老鼠不再吃垃圾食品的時候，它們釋放出CRF,這和老鼠經歷脫癮過程時候釋放CRF一摸一樣。這些老鼠同時也變得更加焦慮不安，它們對普通食物的興趣也減少了。

    發表在《內科學文獻》（Archives of Internal Medicine）雜志上的另外一項研究關注人的情緒。研究者們跟蹤調查了106名體重超標的人。在節食中過程中，其中一半人的飲食結構為低碳水化合物、脂肪非常高。另外一半人的飲食結構是高碳水化合物、低脂肪。一年以后，這兩組人的體重平均都減輕了30磅。雖然這兩組人的情緒在兩個月之后都提高了，但是只有飲食結構為低脂肪、高碳水化合物的那一組保持著良好的心情。所以我們吃的東西不僅僅影響我們的體重--它還影響我們的心情。

    Vocabulary:

    Diet:飲食

    Chemical:化學物質

    Addiction: 上癮

    Elevation: 增強；提高

    Stomach:胃

    Junk Food:垃圾食品

    Trigger:引發；導致

    Corticotropin:促腎上腺皮質激素

    Motivation:動機

    Withdrawal:脫癮過程；戒毒過程

    Relapse:舊病復發

    Binge:（短時間的）狂歡作樂

    Snack:快餐；零食

    Rodent:嚙齒動物

    Anxiety:焦慮