What does the pancreas do? - Emma Bryce

譯者: 瑞文Eleven 林Lim 審譯者: Max Chern

Beneath your ribs, you'll find, among other things, the pancreas,

在你的肋骨下方，你會發現 除了其他器官外，還有胰臟

an organ that works a lot like a personal health coach.

一個工作繁重的器官， 就像個人的健康教練

This organ controls your sugar levels and produces a special juice

這個器官控制你的血糖濃度 並且產生一種特殊的體液

that releases the nutrients from your food

從你的食物中釋放出養分

to help keep you in the best possible shape.

以幫助你保持在最佳的體態

The pancreas sits just behind your stomach,

胰臟剛好坐落在你的胃後面

an appropriate home, as one of its jobs is to break down the food you eat.

一個恰當的地方，因為它的 工作之一是要分解你吃的食物

It aids digestion by producing a special tonic made of water,

它製造一種特殊像「碳酸飲料」的物質 來幫助消化，是由水、

sodium bicarbonate,

碳酸氫鈉、

and digestive enzymes.

和消化酶所構成

Sodium bicarbonate neutralizes the stomach's natural acidity,

碳酸氫鈉中和了胃原本的酸度

so these digestive enzymes can perform their jobs.

讓這些消化酶可以進行自己的工作

Lipase breaks down fatty substances,

脂肪酶分解脂肪物質

protease splits up proteins,

蛋白酶分解蛋白質

and amylase divides carbohydrates to create energy-rich sugars.

澱粉酶分解碳水化合物 產生富含能量的糖類

Most of those nutrients then get absorbed into the blood stream,

大部份這些營養物質 被吸收進入血流

and go on to enrich the body.

進而滋養身體

While all this is happening, the pancreas works on another critical task,

當這一切正在進行， 胰臟同時執行另一項重要任務

controlling the amount of sugar in your blood.

控制你血糖的量

It achieves this with the hormones insulin and glucagon,

它藉由胰島素和升糖素 來控制血糖

which are produced in special cells called the Islets of Langerhans.

兩者都是在胰臟的特殊細胞 ─稱為「胰島」─ 所製造，

Having too much or too little sugar can be life threatening,

血糖過多或過少都可能危及生命

so the pancreas must stay on constant alert.

所以胰臟必須隨時都保持警戒

After a big meal, the blood often becomes flushed with sugar.

在飽餐一頓後， 血液通常都會充滿糖分

To bring us back to normal, the pancreas releases insulin,

為了使我們恢復正常 胰臟會釋放胰島素

which makes the excess sugar move into cells,

致使血中過多的糖進入細胞

where it's either used as an energy source, or stored for later.

在此，被用作能量來源 或被儲存以供後用

Insulin also tells the liver to shut down sugar production.

胰島素也會通知肝臟 停止糖分的釋出

On the other hand, if blood sugar is low,

另一方面，如果血糖偏低

the pancreas releases a hormone called glucagon

胰臟就會釋放出一種激素， 稱為升糖素

that tells the body's cells and liver to release stored sugars

它會通知身體的細胞和肝臟 釋出儲存的糖分

back into the bloodstream.

回到血流中

The interplay between insulin and glucagon is what keeps our sugar levels balanced.

胰島素和升糖素的交互作用 可以保持血糖平衡

But a faulty pancreas can no longer coach us like this,

但是一個有毛病的胰臟 就無法再這樣指導我們了

meaning that this healthy balance is destroyed.

這意味著這種健康被摧毀了

If it's weakened by disease,

如果胰臟因疾病而變弱

the organ's ability to produce insulin may be reduced, or even extinguished,

這器官製造胰島素的能力會降低 甚至完全耗竭

which can trigger the condition known as diabetes.

這樣會引發所謂「糖尿病」的狀況

Without regular insulin release, sugar steadily builds up in the blood,

胰島素沒有規律地釋放 糖分會不斷在血液中累積

eventually hardening the blood vessels and causing heart attacks,

最後會造成血管硬化， 並導致心臟病發作、

kidney failure,

腎臟衰竭

and strokes.

以及腦中風

The same lack of insulin deprives cells of the energy-rich sugar

同樣地，缺乏胰島素會使 細胞無法得到富含能量的糖分

they need to grow and function.

以供細胞成長以及運作

People with diabetes also tend to have higher levels of glucagon,

糖尿病的人也往往 具有較高濃度的升糖素

which makes even more sugar circulate.

那使得更多的糖分在血液中循環

Without this internal health coach, our sugar levels would go haywire,

沒了這個體內的健康教練 我們的血糖會亂七八糟

and we wouldn't be able to digest important nutrients.

我們也將沒有能力消化重要的營養素

But like any coach,

但就像任何教練一樣

it's not the pancreas' job alone to keep us healthy.

保持身體健康並不只是胰臟的工作

It needs our conscious participation, too.

也需要我們自發的參與

翻譯： 林Lim 瑞文Eleven