The surprisingly charming science of your gut | Giulia Enders

翻译人员: Yan Chen 校对人员: Yu Xie

A few years ago,

几年前，

I always had this thing happening to me,

我总是会面临这样的场景，

especially at family gatherings

特别是在家庭聚会的时候，

like teas with aunts and uncles or something like this.

比如说跟叔叔阿姨们一起喝茶。

When people come up to you,

他们走到你身边，

and they ask you, "So, what are you doing?"

然后问你，“你最近在干嘛呢？”

And I would have this magical one-word reply,

而我会用一个能使每个人都高兴的

which would make everybody happy:

充满魔力的词回答：

"Medicine.

“学医。

I'm going to be a doctor."

我将要成为一名医生。”

Very easy, that's it, everybody's happy and pleased.

非常容易，每个人也都很高兴。

And it could be so easy,

它要是这么容易就好了，

but this effect really only lasts for 30 seconds with me,

但是这种效果对我来说 只会持续30秒。

because that's then the time when one of them would ask,

因为之后有的人会问，

"So, in what area of medicine?

“那么，你想进入哪个医学领域？

What specialty do you want to go into?"

哪个专业呢？”

And then I would have to strip down in all honesty and just say,

然后我就会实话实说，

"OK, so I'm fascinated with the colon.

“我很痴迷于结肠。

It all started with the anus,

一切都是从肛门开始的，

and now it's basically the whole intestinal tract."

现在基本上是整个肠道。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And this would be the moment when the enthusiasm trickled,

然后这一刻热烈的气氛冷了下来，

and it would maybe also get, like, awkwardly silent in the room,

可能房间里也变成了尴尬的沉默，

and I would think this was terribly sad,

而我觉得这是很令人难过的，

because I do believe our bowels are quite charming.

因为我相信我们的内脏是很迷人的。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And while we're in a time where many people are thinking about

我们所处的时代，有很多人在考虑

what new superfood smoothie to make

哪种超级食品容易消化，

or if gluten is maybe bad for them,

或者麸质是否有损他们的健康，

actually, hardly anyone seems to care about the organ where this happens,

但事实上，很少有人去关心 消化过程所发生的器官，

the concrete anatomy and the mechanisms behind it.

以及它具体的解剖结构和背后的机制。

And sometimes it seems to me

有时在我看来，

like we're all trying to figure out this magic trick,

我们都在试图去揭秘魔术，

but nobody's checking out the magician,

但是没有人检查魔术师，

just because he has, like,

可能仅仅因为他有，比如说

an embarrassing hairstyle or something.

一个难看的发型或者什么的。

And actually,

而事实上，

there are reasons science disliked the gut for a long time;

长久以来， 科学家都不怎么青睐肠道，

I have to say this.

我必须得说出来。

So, it's complex.

因为它太复杂了，

There's a lot of surface area --

它的表面积很大——

about 40 times the area of our skin.

是我们皮肤表面积的40倍。

Then, in such a tight pipe,

在这么一根紧密的管道里，

there are so many immune cells that are being trained there.

有很多的免疫细胞在生长发育，

We have 100 trillion bacteria doing all sorts of things --

我们有一百万亿的细菌 在里面从事各种活动——

producing little molecules.

产生小分子，

Then there's about 20 different hormones,

然后大概还有20种不同的激素分子，

so we are on a very different level than our genitals, for example.

举例来说，肠道跟生殖器 的复杂程度不在同一个层级上。

And the nervous system of our gut is so complex

我们肠道上的神经系统也很复杂，

that when we cut out a piece,

如果我们切出一小块，

it's independent enough that when we poke it,

它能够独立到当我们戳它的时候，

it mumbles back at us, friendly.

对我们友好地咕哝一下。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But at least those reasons are also the reasons why it's so fascinating

但至少这些也是让它如此迷人

and important.

和重要的理由。

It took me three steps to love the gut.

我用了三个步骤就爱上了肠道。

So today, I invite you to follow me on those three steps.

所以今天， 我邀请你们跟着我的这三步走。

The very first was just looking at it

首先，就是看着它，

and asking questions like, "How does it work?"

并且提问，比如“它是如何工作的？”

and "Why does it have to look so weird for that sometimes?"

以及“为什么它有时看起来这么奇怪？”

And it actually wasn't me asking the first kind of these questions,

事实上，这类的问题 不是我首先提出来的，

but my roommate.

而是我的室友。

After one heavy night of partying,

在一天晚上的派对过后，

he came into our shared-room kitchen,

他来到我们共用的厨房，说，

and he said, "Giulia, you study medicine. How does pooping work?"

“朱莉娅，你是学医的， 你说说排便的工作原理是什么？”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And I did study medicine but I had no idea,

我的确是学医的， 但这个我还真不知道，

so I had to go up to my room and look it up in different books.

因此我回到自己的房间, 从不同的书上去找答案。

And I found something interesting, I thought, at that time.

然后我找到一些 在当时觉得很有趣的东西。

So it turns out, we don't only have this outer sphincter,

结果是，我们不仅有外括约肌，

we also have an inner sphincter muscle.

我们还有内括约肌。

The outer sphincter we all know, we can control it,

我们都知道外括约肌，我们能控制它，

we know what's going on there;

我们知道那里发生了什么，

the inner one, we really don't.

而内括约肌，我们就不怎么了解了。

So what happens is,

所以事情是这样的，

when there are leftovers from digestion,

当有消化后的残渣产生时，

they're being delivered to the inner one first.

它们首先会被送到内括约肌，

This inner one will open in a reflex

内括约肌会在反射作用下打开，

and let through a little bit for testing.

然后测试性地让它们一点点地通过。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

So, there are sensory cells

这里有感觉细胞，

that will analyze what has been delivered: Is it gaseous or is it solid?

会分析送过来的是什么： 是气体还是固体？

And they will then send this information up to our brain,

然后它们会向大脑反馈信息，

and this is the moment when our brain knows,

我们的大脑就会知道

"Oh, I have to go to the toilet."

“哦，我要去上厕所了。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

The brain will then do what it's designed to do

然后大脑会用它神奇的意识

with its amazing consciousness.

去完成它的本职工作。

It will mediate with our surroundings,

它会结合我们周围的环境进行调和，

and it will say something like,

它可能会这样说，

"So, I checked.

“我已经检查过了，

We are at this TEDx conference -- "

我们正在TEDx大会上——“

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

Gaseous?

肚子里有气体？

Maybe, if you're sitting on the sides,

也许，如果你坐在靠边的位置，

and you know you can pull it off silently.

你知道你可以默默地放掉它。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But solid --

但是肚子里有固体——

maybe later.

可能要等会儿。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Since our outer sphincter and the brain is connected with nervous cells,

由于我们的外括约肌跟大脑是 由神经细胞连接在一起的，

they coordinate, cooperate,

它们互相协调、合作，

and they put it back in a waiting line --

于是就会把残渣放回到等候线。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

for other times,

其它的时候，

like, for example, when we're at home sitting on the couch,

比如说，当我们在家里坐在沙发上时，

我们没有其它更要紧的事去做，

we have nothing better to do,

we are free to go.

我们可以自由地去洗手间。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Us humans are actually one of the very few animals that do this

我们人类是很少的几种用这种

in such an advanced and clean way.

先进的、干净的方式排便的动物之一。

To be honest, I had some newfound respect

说实话，我有过一些出于对这个

for that nice, inner sphincter dude --

友好的内括约肌兄弟的新发现——

not connected to nerves

没有跟那些

that care too much about the outer world or the time --

太过关注外部世界 和时间的神经相连——

just caring about me for once.

就仅仅关心我本身。

I thought that was nice.

我想这一点很好。

And I used to not be a great fan of public restrooms,

我曾经不习惯使用公共厕所，

but now I can go anywhere,

但是现在我去哪里都行了，

because I consider it more

因为我现在考虑更多的是

when that inner muscle puts a suggestion on my daily agenda.

内括约肌为我的 日程安排提供的建议。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And also I learned something else, which was:

我还学到了一些东西，即：

looking closely at something I might have shied away from --

密切关注那些我曾经回避的东西——

maybe the weirdest part of myself --

也许是我自己身上最奇怪的部分——

left me feeling more fearless,

让我感到更加的无畏，

and also appreciating myself more.

并且更加的欣赏自己了。

And I think this happens a lot of times

我认为这发生在很多时候，

when you look at the gut, actually.

尤其是当你看着肠道的时候，

Like those funny rumbling noises that happen

它们时常发出的可笑的隆隆声，

when you're in a group of friends

当你和一群朋友在一起

or at the office conference table,

或者在办公室会议桌上，

会发出类似“Merrr,merrr...."的声音。

going, like, "Merrr, merrr..."

This is not because we're hungry.

这并不是因为我们饿了。

This is because our small intestine is actually a huge neat freak,

这是因为我们的小肠是 一个巨大但灵巧的怪物，

and it takes the time in between digestion to clean everything up,

它花费时间在消化道上 将所有的东西清理干净，

resulting in those eight meters of gut -- really, seven of them --

使得那些8米长的肠道， 事实上是其中的7米左右，

being very clean and hardly smelling like anything.

变得十分干净，而且很难闻到任何味道。

It will, to achieve this, create a strong muscular wave

它为了实现这一点， 就创造出了一个强大的肌肉收缩，

that moves everything forward that's been leftover after digestion.

从而推动着未消化完的残余物前进。

This can sometimes create a sound,

这么做有时就会产生一种声音，

but doesn't necessarily have to always.

但是并不是总是都这样。

So what we're embarrassed of is really a sign

所以，让我们感觉尴尬的 其实是一个信号，

of something keeping our insides fine and tidy.

表明我们身体内部正在保持和谐干净。

Or this weird, crooked shape of our stomach --

我们的胃甚至还会变形扭曲，

a bit Quasimodo-ish.

看起来很不舒服。

This actually makes us be able to put pressure on our belly

这样的举动事实上使 我们能够将压力堆积到腹部，

without vomiting,

不需要通过呕吐的方式，

like when we're laughing

就像当我们笑的时候，

and when we're doing sports,

当我们运动的时候，

因为这些压力会上升， 而不会堆积到一旁。

because the pressure will go up and not so much sideways.

This also creates this air bubble

这种方式也产生了气泡，

that's usually always very visible in X-rays, for example,

在X光线中能够清楚地看到，

and can sometimes, with some people,

而且有时，对于一些人来说，

when it gets too big,

当气泡变得太大，

create discomfort or even some sensations of pain.

会产生不适感， 甚至一些隐隐的疼痛。

But for most of the people, is just results

但是对于大多数人来说， 结果只是

that it's far easier to burp when you're laying on your left side

相对于向右侧，当你向左侧躺

instead of your right.

会更容易打嗝。

And soon I moved a bit further

不久，我又进行了更加深入的研究，

and started to look at the whole picture of our body and health.

我开始观察我们的身体 整体的健康状况。

This was actually after I had heard

事实上，这是我在听说

that someone I knew a little bit had killed himself.

某个我不是很熟的人自杀之后，

It happened that I had been sitting next to that person the day before,

而那个人前一天正坐在我旁边，

and I smelled that he had very bad breath.

我闻见他有很严重的口臭。

And when I learned of the suicide the next day,

当我第二天知道这个自杀事件时，

I thought: Could the gut have something to do with it?

我不禁想：肠道问题是不是跟自杀有关？

And I frantically started searching if there were scientific papers

于是我开始疯狂搜寻 是否有科学论文

on the connection of gut and brain.

研究了肠道和大脑的联系。

And to my surprise, I found many.

出乎意料的是，我找到了很多。

It turns out it's maybe not as simple as we sometimes think.

研究显示，事实远比 我们想的要复杂得多。

We tend to think our brain makes these commands

我们过去认为，是大脑做出那些指令，

and then sends them down to the other organs,

然后那些指令下传到其他器官，

and they all have to listen.

所有器官都需要听从。

But really, it's more that 10 percent of the nerves that connect brain and gut

但是事实上，超过10%的 连接着大脑和肠道的神经

deliver information from the brain to the gut.

把信息从大脑传递到肠道。

We know this, for example, in stressful situations,

正如我们所知道的， 比如，在压力的环境下，

when there are transmitters from the brain that are being sensed by our gut,

我们的肠道感知到大脑发出的信息。

so the gut will try to lower all the work,

于是它放缓所有的功能，

and not be working and taking away blood and energy

或者暂停工作， 暂停血液和能量的供应，

to save energy for problem-solving.

以便保存能量来解决问题。

This can go as far as nervous vomiting or nervous diarrhea

它能够运行直到 由于紧张性呕吐或者腹泻

to get rid of food that it then doesn't want to digest.

而摆脱它们不想去消化的食物。

Maybe more interestingly,

或许更有趣的是，

90 percent of the nervous fibers that connect gut and brain

90%连接肠道和大脑的神经纤维

deliver information from our gut to our brain.

将肠道的信息传递到大脑，

And when you think about it a little bit,

仔细想一想，这也说得通，

因为我们的大脑是非常独立的。

it does make sense, because our brain is very isolated.

It's in this bony skull surrounded by a thick skin,

它在头盖骨中被薄膜包裹，

and it needs information to put together a feeling

它需要汇总信息来检查自身的情况，

of "How am I, as a whole body, doing?"

比如”我的整个身体在干什么？“

And the gut, actually, is possibly the most important advisor for the brain

而肠道事实上是大脑最重要的建议者

because it's our largest sensory organ,

因为它是我们身体中最大的感觉器官

collecting information not only on the quality of our nutrients,

不仅收集我们营养物的质量信息

but really also on how are so many of our immune cells doing,

还有收集免疫细胞的信息

or things like the hormones in our blood that it can sense.

或者就像它能够感知到的 我们血液中的激素情况

And it can package this information, and send it up to the brain.

于是它打包这些信息， 然后把它们传到大脑

It can, there, not reach areas like visual cortex or word formations --

这种传输不需要到达 视觉皮层或者语言区域，

otherwise, when we digest,

否则，当我们消化时，

we would see funny colors or we would make funny noises -- no.

我们会看见搞笑的颜色或者 会发出搞笑的声音——不。

But it can reach areas for things like morality,

但是它能到达类似道德判断，

fear or emotional processing

害怕或者情绪处理的区域，

or areas for self-awareness.

或者自我意识区域。

So it does make sense

所以，它确实起了很大的作用，

that when our body and our brain are putting together this feeling

当我们的身体和我们的大脑 将这种感觉整合在一起，

of, "How am I, as a whole body, doing?"

即”整个身体在干什么？“时，

that the gut has something to contribute to this process.

肠道在这个过程中起到了一定的作用。

And it also makes sense

这个说法也确实言之有理，

that people who have conditions like irritable bowel syndrome

那些患有肠易激综合征的人

or inflammatory bowel disease

或者患有炎性肠病的人，

have a higher risk of having anxiety or depression.

更容易得焦虑症和抑郁症。

I think this is good information to share,

我认为这是值得分享的信息，

because many people will think,

因为很多人都会认为

"I have this gut thing, and maybe I also have this mental health thing."

”我肠道有问题， 那可能我也有精神健康问题。“

And maybe -- because science is not clear on that right now --

可能，因为在这个领域 科学家们尚未研究得很清楚——

it's really just that the brain is feeling sympathy with their gut.

也许仅仅是大脑正在慰问肠道。

This has yet to grow in evidence until it can come to practice.

在能够用于实践之前， 这仅仅是一种迹象。

But just knowing about these kinds of research

但是单单是了解这些研究，

that's out there at the moment

在那一刻

helps me in my daily life.

为我的日常生活提供了许多帮助。

And it makes me think differently of my moods

它让我以不同的角度 去认识情绪，

and not externalize so much all the time.

也让我不再那么频繁地 外化自己的情绪。

I feel oftentimes during the day we are a brain and a screen,

我时常感觉到在一天的生活中， 我们就是一个大脑或屏幕，

and we will tend to look for answers right there

我们试图寻找在眼前的答案，

and maybe the work is stupid or our neighbor --

可能我们的工作 很愚蠢或者我们邻居——

but really, moods can also come from within.

但是，情绪也会来自于内部。

And just knowing this helped me,

了解这些确实帮助了我，

for example, when I sometimes wake up too early,

举个例子，当我有时过早起床，

and I start to worry and wander around with my thoughts.

我开始担心并且开始神游，。

Then I think, "Stop. What did I eat yesterday?

然后我想： ”停下来，我昨天吃了什么？

Did I stress myself out too much?

我是不是过度劳累了？

Did I eat too late or something?"

我是不是吃得太晚了或者别的什么？“

And then maybe get up and make myself a tea,

然后可能就起床给自己倒一杯茶，

something light to digest.

一些易于消化的食物。

And as simple as that sounds,

这些想法听起来很简单，

I think it's been surprisingly good for me.

但我认为对我来说效果显著。

Step three took me further away from our body,

第三步让我更深入地了解了我的身体，

and to really understanding bacteria differently.

真正地改变了对细菌的理解。

The research we have today is creating a new definition

如今的研究创造了一个新的定义，

of what real cleanliness is.

关于真正的清洁是什么。

And it's not the hygiene hypothesis --

它不是卫生假说——

I think many maybe know this.

我知道很多人可能了解这个。

So it states that when you have too little microbes in your environment

它说的是，当你处于 一个无菌环境中时，

because you clean all the time,

由于你总是很爱干净，

that's not really a good thing,

那并不是一件很好的事情，

because people get more allergies or autoimmune diseases then.

因为这样会使人们得上 更多的过敏症或者自身免疫疾病。

So I knew this hypothesis,

所以我知道这个假设后，

and I thought I wouldn't learn so much

我认为自己观察肠道清洁时，

from looking at cleanliness in the gut.

不会有什么收获。

But I was wrong.

但是我错了。

It turns out,

结果表明，

real cleanliness is not about killing off bacteria right away.

真正的清洁并不是立马消除细菌。

Real cleanliness is a bit different.

真正的清洁是不同的。

When we look at the facts,

当我们看到事实，

95 percent of all bacteria on this planet don't harm us -- they can't,

在这个星球的95%的细菌 并不会伤害我们——

they don't have the genes to do so.

它们没有相应的基因去做这些事。

Many, actually, help us a lot,

事实上，其中很多细菌还会帮助我们，

and scientists at the moment are looking into things like:

科学家在这个时候开始调查类似于：

Do some bacteria help us clean the gut?

”一些细菌能否帮助我们清理肠道？“

Do they help us digest?

”它们能否帮助我们消化？“

Do they make us put on weight or have a lean figure

”它们能否帮助我们增重或保持线条，

although we're eating lots?

即使我们吃了很多？“

Are others making us feel more courageous or even more resilient to stress?

”其他细菌能否让我们变得 更加勇敢，或者甚至适应压力？“

So you see, there are more questions when it comes to cleanliness.

所以你看，当涉及到清洁时， 有太多的问题会产生。

And, actually, the thing is, it's about a healthy balance, I think.

事实上，我认为真相就是 保持一个健康的平衡。

You can't avoid the bad all the time.

你不能一直避免不好的事物，

This is simply not possible;

这几乎是不可能的，

there's always something bad around.

我们身边总是会有不好的东西。

So what really the whole deal is when you look at a clean gut,

所以真正统筹全局的处理就是， 当你观察干净的肠道时，

it's about having good bacteria, enough of them,

有足够的有益细菌，

and then some bad.

也有一些不好的细菌。

Our immune system needs the bad, too,

我们的免疫系统也需要不好的细菌，

so it knows what it's looking out for.

这样它就知道该留心什么。

So I started having this different perspective on cleanliness

所以我开始有了 一个不同的关于干净的观点，

and a few weeks later,

在几周之后，

I held a talk at my university,

我在大学做了一次演讲，

and I made a mistake by 1,000.

我在1000位听众前犯了个错误。

And I went home and I realized in that moment,

当我回到家，我意识到了这个错误，

I was like, "Ah! I made a mistake by 1,000.

不禁想：”啊！我在1000人面前犯了错。

Oh God, that's so much, and that's so embarrassing."

我的天，这么多人，太尴尬了。”

And I started to think about this, I was like, "Ugh!"

我不停地懊悔和感叹，

And after a while I said,

过了一会儿我说，

"OK, I made this one mistake,

”好吧，我的确犯了一个错误，

but then I also told so many good and right and helpful things,

但是我也说了 很多正确的，有帮助的东西，

so I think it's OK, you know?

应该没关系的，

It's a clean thing."

是可以接受的。”

And then I was like, "Oh, wait.

然后我又想“哦，等一下。

Maybe I took my perspective on cleanliness further."

也许我关于干净的理论更升华了。”

And it's my theory at the moment that maybe we all do.

这就是我当时的理论。

Take it a bit further than just cleaning our living room,

将这个概念带入到 比打扫房间更广大的领域，

where maybe we make it to sort like a life hygiene.

可能就是一次生命的卫生。

Knowing that this is about fostering the good

了解到这是在培育一种善，

just as much as trying to shelter yourself from the bad

就像你尽量避开糟糕的事一样，

had a very calming effect on me.

就会让我平静下来。

So in that sense,

从这层意义上说，

I hope today I told you mostly good and helpful things,

我希望今天我告诉了你们 很多有帮助的东西，

and thank you for your time,

也很感谢你们能够抽出时间

for listening to me.

来听我的演讲。

(Applause)

（掌声）