How the food you eat affects your brain - Mia Nacamulli

譯者: Ann Chen 審譯者: Max Chern

Your Brain on Food

大腦對食物的反應

If you sucked all of the moisture out of your brain

假如將腦的全部水份抽乾

and broke it down to its constituent nutritional content,

並將它分解為其所組成的營養成分

what would it look like?

它會是什麼樣子呢？

Most of the weight of your dehydrated brain would come from fats,

脫水後的腦 其多數的重量來自脂肪

also known as lipids.

亦稱為脂質

In the remaining brain matter, you would find proteins and amino acids,

其餘的大腦物質， 你會發現有蛋白質和胺基酸、

traces of micronutrients,

少許的微量營養素

and glucose.

和葡萄糖

The brain is, of course, more than just the sum of its nutritional parts,

當然，腦並非只是它營養成分的總和

but each component does have a distinct impact on functioning,

然而每種成分對其運作、發育、 情緒和活力確實有獨特的影響

development,

mood,

and energy.

So that post-lunch apathy,

所以你午餐後可能感覺遲鈍 或深夜感覺機敏

or late-night alertness you might be feeling,

well, that could simply be the effects of food on your brain.

那可能只是食物對大腦的影響

Of the fats in your brain, the superstars are omegas 3 and 6.

腦中的脂肪， ω−3 與 ω−6 脂肪酸極為重要

These essential fatty acids,

這些和預防退化性腦病變有關 的必需脂肪酸

which have been linked to preventing degenerative brain conditions,

must come from our diets.

必須來自我們的飲食

So eating omega-rich foods,

所以吃富含 ω 脂肪酸的食物

like nuts,

seeds,

如堅果、種子和富含脂肪的魚

and fatty fish,

is crucial to the creation and maintenance of cell membranes.

對於細胞膜的製造和維持極其重要

And while omegas are good fats for your brain,

ω 脂肪酸是有益大腦的脂肪

long-term consumption of other fats, like trans and saturated fats,

但長期食用其他脂肪 ─ 如反式和飽和脂肪 ─

may compromise brain health.

可能會危害腦部的健康

Meanwhile, proteins and amino acids,

同時，蛋白質和胺基酸

the building block nutrients of growth and development,

是生長和發育的基本營養素

manipulate how we feel and behave.

影響我們的感覺和行為

Amino acids contain the precursors to neurotransmitters,

胺基酸含有神經傳導物質的前體

the chemical messengers that carry signals between neurons,

神經傳導物質 是神經元之間攜帶信號的化學信差

affecting things like mood,

會影響一些狀況，例如情緒、 睡眠、注意力及體重

sleep,

attentiveness,

and weight.

They're one of the reasons we might feel calm after eating a large plate of pasta,

這些是下列的原因之一： 吃一大盤意大利麵後有寧靜感覺

or more alert after a protein-rich meal.

或一頓富含蛋白質的餐後更機靈

The complex combinations of compounds in food

食物中化合物的複雜組合

can stimulate brain cells to release mood-altering norepinephrine,

能刺激腦細胞釋放 改變情緒的去甲腎上腺素、

dopamine,

多巴胺和血清素

and serotonin.

But getting to your brain cells is tricky,

但胺基酸不容易到達腦細胞， 而且必須競爭有限的機會

and amino acids have to compete for limited access.

A diet with a range of foods helps maintain a balanced combination

含各種食物的飲食 可幫助維持大腦信差的均衡組合

of brain messengers,

and keeps your mood from getting skewed in one direction or the other.

而且讓你的情緒 不會過度偏向一邊或另一邊

Like the other organs in our bodies,

如同身體的其他器官

our brains also benefit from a steady supply of micronutrients.

大腦也會因 微量營養素的穩定供應而受益

Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables

水果和蔬菜中的抗氧化物質

strengthen the brain to fight off free radicals that destroy brain cells,

強化大腦對抗破壞腦細胞的自由基

enabling your brain to work well for a longer period of time.

讓腦部得以長時間運作良好

And without powerful micronutrients,

若沒有效用大的微量營養素 ──

like the vitamins B6,

例如維生素 B6、B12 以及葉酸

B12,

and folic acid,

our brains would be susceptible to brain disease and mental decline.

大腦將容易罹患腦疾病和智力衰退

Trace amounts of the minerals iron,

微量的礦物質 ─ 鐵、銅、鋅及鈉

copper,

zinc,

and sodium

are also fundamental to brain health and early cognitive development.

對腦部健康和早期認知發育也很重要

In order for the brain to efficiently transform and synthesize

為使大腦有效地轉化及合成

these valuable nutrients,

這些寶貴的營養素

it needs fuel, and lots of it.

它需要燃料，而且很多

While the human brain only makes up about 2% of our body weight,

人類大腦只佔體重的 2%

it uses up to 20% of our energy resources.

但耗費高達 20% 的能源

Most of this energy comes from carbohydrates

大多數的能源來自碳水化合物

that our body digests into glucose, or blood sugar.

身體會將它消化成葡萄糖， 也就是血糖

The frontal lobes are so sensitive to drops in glucose, in fact,

事實上， 大腦額葉對於葡萄糖降低非常敏感

that a change in mental function is one of the primary signals

心智機能的改變 是營養素缺乏的主要徵候之一

of nutrient deficiency.

Assuming that we are getting glucose regularly,

假設我們規律地攝取葡萄糖

how does the specific type of carbohydrates we eat affect our brains?

那麼食入特定的碳水化合物 是如何影響大腦呢？

Carbs come in three forms:

碳水化合物有三種型式：

starch,

sugar,

澱粉、糖及纖維

and fiber.

While on most nutrition labels,

然而在多數的營養標籤上

they are all lumped into one total carb count,

它們被集中計為「總碳水化合物」

the ratio of the sugar and fiber subgroups to the whole amount

糖和纖維亞群對總量的比例

affect how the body and brain respond.

影響身體和腦如何反應

A high glycemic food, like white bread,

高糖食物 ─ 如白麵包

causes a rapid release of glucose into the blood,

可導致葡萄糖快速釋入血液

and then comes the dip.

然後迅速下滑

Blood sugar shoots down, and with it, our attention span and mood.

隨著血糖快速下降， 我們的專注時間和情緒也減退

On the other hand, oats, grains, and legumes have slower glucose release,

反之，燕麥、穀物 和豆類的葡萄糖釋出較慢

enabling a steadier level of attentiveness.

使得專注力較穩定

For sustained brain power,

為讓腦力持久

opting for a varied diet of nutrient-rich foods is critical.

選擇營養豐富的多樣化飲食極為重要

When it comes to what you bite, chew, and swallow,

當涉及你所咬、咀嚼、吞嚥的食物時

your choices have a direct and long-lasting effect

你的選擇對體內最強有力的器官 -- 腦， 將有直接且長遠的影響

on the most powerful organ in your body.

翻譯：Ann Chen