The surprisingly charming science of your gut | Giulia Enders

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Wilde Luo

A few years ago,

幾年前，

I always had this thing happening to me,

我一直被某件事纏身，

especially at family gatherings

特別是在家庭聚會時，

like teas with aunts and uncles or something like this.

比如和姑姑叔叔喝茶之類的場合。

When people come up to you,

當人們走向你

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

並問道：「你做什麼工作？」

And I would have this magical one-word reply,

而我會以一個魔法般的詞來回應，

which would make everybody happy:

總能讓每個人都開心滿意：

"Medicine.

「醫學。

I'm going to be a doctor."

我將會成為醫生。」

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

非常簡單，就這樣， 大家都開心愉快。

And it could be so easy,

雖然很容易，

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

但這個效應對我來說 只會持續三十秒，

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

因為時間一到，就會有個人發問：

"So, in what area of medicine?

「所以，是醫學的哪個領域？

What specialty do you want to go into?"

你想要專攻哪方面？」

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

接著，我就得很坦誠地說：

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

「好的，我被結腸深深吸引。

It all started with the anus,

它是從肛門開始，

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

基本上它就是整個腸道。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And this would be the moment when the enthusiasm trickled,

就在這個時刻， 熱情就開始變得稀落了，

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

也可能會在房間中出現尷尬的沉默，

and I would think this was terribly sad,

我會覺得這非常讓人感傷，

because I do believe our bowels are quite charming.

因為我真心覺得 我們的腸子相當迷人。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

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

雖然在這個時代，許多人會去想

what new superfood smoothie to make

要做什麼冰沙超級食物 (superfood) ，

or if gluten is maybe bad for them,

或者麩質是否對身體有害，

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

但事實上，似乎很少有人會在乎 承擔這些活動的身體器官、

the concrete anatomy and the mechanisms behind it.

具體的解剖學以及其背後的機制。

And sometimes it seems to me

有時，就我看來，

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

就像我們都在試著看穿 這個魔術把戲，

but nobody's checking out the magician,

卻沒有人去看魔術師，

just because he has, like,

只因為他有著

an embarrassing hairstyle or something.

令人尷尬的髮型之類的。

And actually,

其實，

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

科學界長期以來 不喜歡腸道的原因很多，

I have to say this.

我必須得這麼說。

So, it's complex.

它很複雜。

There's a lot of surface area --

它有巨大的表面積，

about 40 times the area of our skin.

差不多是皮膚表面積的四十倍。

Then, in such a tight pipe,

在這麼緊的管道中，

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

有非常多的免疫細胞在那裡受訓。

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

有一百兆個細菌在做各種事情，

producing little molecules.

產生小分子。

Then there's about 20 different hormones,

還有大約二十種不同的賀爾蒙，

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

所以，例如和生殖器相比， 它又是很不一樣的層級。

And the nervous system of our gut is so complex

而腸子的神經系統非常複雜，

that when we cut out a piece,

當我們切下一小片時，

it's independent enough that when we poke it,

它是獨立的，當我們戳它，

it mumbles back at us, friendly.

它會很友善地咕噥回應我們。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

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

但至少，那些理由也是

它為什麼如此迷人且重要的原因。

and important.

It took me three steps to love the gut.

我花了三個步驟，來愛上腸子。

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

今天，我邀請各位跟著我 一起經歷這三個步驟。

The very first was just looking at it

第一步，就是看著它，

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

然後問像這樣的問題： 「它如何運作？」

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

及「為什麼它得長得如此怪異？」

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

其實並不是我自己 問前面第一種問題，

but my roommate.

而是我室友。

After one heavy night of partying,

在一場宿醉的狂歡之夜後，

he came into our shared-room kitchen,

他來到我們共用的廚房，

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

他說：「茱莉亞，你讀的是醫學。 拉屎是怎麼運作的？」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And I did study medicine but I had no idea,

我的確讀醫學，但我不知道答案，

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

所以我回房查不同的書籍。

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

在那時我認為自己 發現了很有趣的東西。

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

結果是，我們不只有這個外括約肌，

we also have an inner sphincter muscle.

我們還有內括約肌。

我們都知道外括約肌， 我們可以控制它，

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

we know what's going on there;

我們知道那裡的狀況；

the inner one, we really don't.

內括約肌，我們就不了解了。

So what happens is,

是這樣的：

when there are leftovers from digestion,

當消化之後還有殘餘物，

they're being delivered to the inner one first.

它們會先被運送到內括約肌。

This inner one will open in a reflex

內括約肌會反射性地打開，

and let through a little bit for testing.

讓一點點殘餘物通過，做測試用。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So, there are sensory cells

那裡有感覺細胞

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

分析被運送來的是氣體還是固體？

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

接著這資訊會被送到大腦，

and this is the moment when our brain knows,

這時，我們的大腦就會知道：

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

「喔，我得去上廁所。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

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

頭腦接著就會用它不可思議的意識，

with its amazing consciousness.

著手做它該做的事。

It will mediate with our surroundings,

它會在我們和環境之間調停，

and it will say something like,

說像這樣的話：

"So, I checked.

「我確認了。

We are at this TEDx conference -- "

我們正在 TEDx 會議上──」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Gaseous?

氣體？

Maybe, if you're sitting on the sides,

也許可以，如果你的座位是在邊沿，

and you know you can pull it off silently.

且你知道你可以安靜地釋放的話。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But solid --

但固體──

maybe later.

也許晚點吧。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

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

因為我們的外括約肌和頭腦 是通過神經細胞連結的，

they coordinate, cooperate,

它們互相協調、合作，

and they put it back in a waiting line --

它們會把固體推回，讓其等候，

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

for other times,

在其他時間釋放，

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

比如，當我們在家 坐在沙發上的時候，

we have nothing better to do,

我們沒別的事要做，

we are free to go.

我們就可以釋放了。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

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

沒有幾種動物能夠 如此進階且乾淨地排便，

in such an advanced and clean way.

而我們人類是其一。

To be honest, I had some newfound respect

老實說，我對於這位 出色的內括約肌同志

for that nice, inner sphincter dude --

又增添了新的敬意。

not connected to nerves

它沒有和神經連結──

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

而神經太在乎外在世界或時間了──

just caring about me for once.

多麽難得，它獨獨關心我。

I thought that was nice.

我覺得那樣很棒。

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

我以前對公共廁所敬謝不敏，

but now I can go anywhere,

但我現在在哪都能解放，

because I consider it more

因為當內括約肌在我的 日議程中提出一條建議時，

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

我會多多體貼它一下。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And also I learned something else, which was:

我也學到了其他的：

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

近看某樣我可能羞於面對的東西，

maybe the weirdest part of myself --

也許是我身體最怪異的那部份，

left me feeling more fearless,

會讓我覺得更無懼，

and also appreciating myself more.

也更懂得欣賞我自己。

And I think this happens a lot of times

我認為，這種情況其實常常會發生，

when you look at the gut, actually.

就在你看著腸子的時候。

Like those funny rumbling noises that happen

比如當你剛好在一群朋友之中時，

它發出那好笑的咕嚕聲，

when you're in a group of friends

or at the office conference table,

或是在辦公室的會議中，

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

發出：「嚒嚒嚒…」

This is not because we're hungry.

這並不是因為我們餓了。

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

這是因為我們的小腸其實 是個很愛乾淨的怪胎，

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

它會在兩次消化之間的 空檔進行大掃除，

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

造成那八公尺的腸子── 其實是其中的七公尺──

being very clean and hardly smelling like anything.

變得非常乾淨，幾乎沒有味道。

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

為了做到這一點， 它會造成很強力的肌肉抖動，

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

把消化後的殘餘物通通向前推。

This can sometimes create a sound,

有時候就會產生聲音，

but doesn't necessarily have to always.

但不見得一定如此。

So what we're embarrassed of is really a sign

所以這讓我們感到尷尬的聲音， 其實是個徵兆，

of something keeping our insides fine and tidy.

表示有某樣東西在保持 我們內部的健康和清潔。

Or this weird, crooked shape of our stomach --

我們胃部這個怪異彎曲的形狀

a bit Quasimodo-ish.

有點「鐘樓怪人」的風範。

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

這形式其實是讓我們 能夠對我們的腹部加壓，

without vomiting,

且不會造成嘔吐，

like when we're laughing

比如當我們大笑、

and when we're doing sports,

當我們做運動時，

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

能夠讓壓力向上，而不太會向旁邊。

This also creates this air bubble

這過程也會產生氣泡，

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

例如在 X 光下，可以看得很清楚，

and can sometimes, with some people,

有些人有些時候，

when it gets too big,

氣泡會太大，

create discomfort or even some sensations of pain.

會造成不適，甚至有痛的感覺。

But for most of the people, is just results

但對大部份人來說，最終結果是，

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

就是當你左側臥時， 會比右側臥更容易打嗝。

instead of your right.

And soon I moved a bit further

不久後我更進一步，

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

開始觀察我們的整個身體以及健康。

This was actually after I had heard

這其實是在我聽說

that someone I knew a little bit had killed himself.

某個我稍微認識的人自殺之後的事，

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

剛好在前一天我曾坐在那個人旁邊，

and I smelled that he had very bad breath.

我聞到他有嚴重的口臭。

And when I learned of the suicide the next day,

當我知道他隔天自殺時，

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

我心想：有沒有可能和腸子有關？

And I frantically started searching if there were scientific papers

我瘋狂地開始尋找是否存在

on the connection of gut and brain.

涉及腸子與頭腦間關聯的科學文獻。

And to my surprise, I found many.

讓我驚訝的是，我找到很多。

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

結果是，實情並非 我們想的那麼簡單。

We tend to think our brain makes these commands

我們通常認為大腦會下指令，

and then sends them down to the other organs,

把指令送到其他器官，

and they all have to listen.

它們都得聽命。

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

但實情比較像是 10% 連結大腦和腸子的神經

deliver information from the brain to the gut.

會把資訊從大腦傳到腸子。

We know this, for example, in stressful situations,

我們知道，比如在有壓力的狀態下，

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

我們的腸子感知到了 來自大腦的神經遞質，

so the gut will try to lower all the work,

腸子就會減緩所有的工作，

and not be working and taking away blood and energy

不再工作，也不再 消耗太多血液和能量，

to save energy for problem-solving.

就能儲存能量來解決問題。

This can go as far as nervous vomiting or nervous diarrhea

這有可能呈現的形式包括 神經性嘔吐或神經性腹瀉，

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

目的是要擺脫掉 它拒絶消化的食物。

Maybe more interestingly,

可能更有趣的是

90 percent of the nervous fibers that connect gut and brain

90% 連結腸子和大腦的神經纖維

deliver information from our gut to our brain.

會把資訊從我們的腸子傳送給大腦。

And when you think about it a little bit,

若你稍微想想，

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

這的確合理，因為 我們的大腦是很孤立的。

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

它位於被厚皮膚包裹的頭骨之內，

and it needs information to put together a feeling

它需要資訊才能夠整合出

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

「我的整個身體的狀況如何？」的感覺。

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

而腸子實際上可能是大腦最重要的顧問，

because it's our largest sensory organ,

因為它是我們最大的感覺器官，

collecting information not only on the quality of our nutrients,

收集的資訊不只是 我們的營養品質好壞，

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

還包括我們這麼多 免疫細胞的狀況如何，

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

或像是它能感受到的 血液中賀爾蒙的情況。

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

它能把這些資訊打包 之後送到大腦去。

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

而它不會到達大腦中像是 視覺皮質或是言語形成的區域，

otherwise, when we digest,

否則當我們消化時

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

可能會看到奇怪的顏色 或是發出奇怪的聲音。

而我們不會。

But it can reach areas for things like morality,

但它會到達包括像是道德、

fear or emotional processing

恐懼、情緒處理，

or areas for self-awareness.

或是自我意識的區域。

So it does make sense

這確實合理，

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

當我們的身體和大腦在整合出

「我整身的狀況如何」的感覺時，

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

that the gut has something to contribute to this process.

腸子對於這個過程做出了一些貢獻。

And it also makes sense

還有一點也是合理的，

that people who have conditions like irritable bowel syndrome

人們如果患了像大腸激躁症

or inflammatory bowel disease

或發炎性腸道疾病之類的，

have a higher risk of having anxiety or depression.

他們得焦慮症或 憂鬱症的風險也比較高。

I think this is good information to share,

我認為這個資訊值得分享，

because many people will think,

因為許多人會認為：

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

「如果我的腸子有問題， 也許我的心理健康也有問題。」

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

也許──因為科學尚不瞭解這一點──

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

也許只是他們的大腦在同情腸子。

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

這方面還需要證據才能夠走向實踐。

But just knowing about these kinds of research

但是僅僅知道這一類的研究，

that's out there at the moment

它們正在某處進行著，

helps me in my daily life.

就對我的日常生活很有幫助。

And it makes me think differently of my moods

它讓我對我的心情有不同的看法，

and not externalize so much all the time.

不再把很多事情都歸為外因。

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

我常常覺得，在白天我們就像是 一個大腦加上一塊螢幕，

and we will tend to look for answers right there

我們往往會向外界尋找情緒的根源，

and maybe the work is stupid or our neighbor --

也許原因是愚蠢的工作或鄰里關係，

but really, moods can also come from within.

但其實心情也可能是內在造成的。

And just knowing this helped me,

光是知道這點，就對我有幫助，

for example, when I sometimes wake up too early,

比如，有時我太早醒來，

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

我會開始擔心，並胡思亂想。

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

接著我會想：「停。我昨天吃了什麼？

Did I stress myself out too much?

我讓我自己太過焦慮嗎？

Did I eat too late or something?"

我太晚才吃東西嗎？」之類的。

And then maybe get up and make myself a tea,

接著，也許就起床泡壺茶，

something light to digest.

弄點清淡的食物來消化。

And as simple as that sounds,

聽起來很簡單，

I think it's been surprisingly good for me.

但對我是非常有用的。

Step three took me further away from our body,

第三步讓我從人的身體出發 走向了更遠的地方，

and to really understanding bacteria differently.

並真正地對細菌有了不同的理解。

The research we have today is creating a new definition

我們現今的研究

對於真正的乾淨下了新的定義。

of what real cleanliness is.

And it's not the hygiene hypothesis --

不是衛生假說（hygiene hypothesis），

我想很多人可能知道這假說。

I think many maybe know this.

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

它說的是，當你環境中的微生物過少，

because you clean all the time,

因為你隨時在清理，

that's not really a good thing,

那並不是好事，

because people get more allergies or autoimmune diseases then.

因為人們會因此較為容易過敏 或患自體免疫疾病。

So I knew this hypothesis,

我知道這個假說，

我心想，只著眼於腸子內的清潔衛生，

and I thought I wouldn't learn so much

from looking at cleanliness in the gut.

我是不會學習到多少東西的。

But I was wrong.

但我錯了。

It turns out,

結果發現，

real cleanliness is not about killing off bacteria right away.

真正的清潔並不是要把細菌殺光。

Real cleanliness is a bit different.

真正的清潔有點不同。

When we look at the facts,

我們來看看事實，

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

地球上 95% 的細菌不會 也不能傷害我們，

they don't have the genes to do so.

它們的基因使然。

Many, actually, help us a lot,

許多細菌其實對我們很有幫助，

and scientists at the moment are looking into things like:

目前科學家在研究像這類的題材：

Do some bacteria help us clean the gut?

有某些細菌在協助我們清理腸子嗎？

Do they help us digest?

它們協助我們消化嗎？

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

儘管我們吃得很多，

although we're eating lots?

它們會讓我們變胖或變瘦嗎？

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

其他細菌是否會讓我們更加勇敢 或是更容易從壓力中恢復？

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

所以你看，當談到清潔， 有更多的問題要解決。

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

其實，我認為重點是健康的平衡。

You can't avoid the bad all the time.

你不可能永遠避開壞事。

This is simply not possible;

不可能就是不可能；

there's always something bad around.

周遭總會有壞事。

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

所以，當你看著乾淨的腸子時，

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

重點是裡面要有足夠多的有益細菌，

and then some bad.

還要有一些有害細菌。

Our immune system needs the bad, too,

我們的免疫系統也需要有害細菌，

so it knows what it's looking out for.

所以它才能知道它要小心留意什麼。

So I started having this different perspective on cleanliness

所以我開始對清潔有了不同的觀點，

and a few weeks later,

幾週後，

I held a talk at my university,

我在我的大學做了一場演說，

and I made a mistake by 1,000.

我在數字上犯了錯誤， 足足相差1000 倍。

And I went home and I realized in that moment,

回到家，我了解到在那一刻，

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

我的反應是：「啊！ 我犯了個 1000 倍的錯誤。

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

天啊，那好嚴重，且好難堪。」

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

我開始想到這點，然後就：「呃！」

And after a while I said,

一會兒之後，我說：

"OK, I made this one mistake,

「好，我犯了一個錯誤，

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

但我也說了許多好的東西、 對的東西、有用的東西，

so I think it's OK, you know?

所以我想是沒關係的，對吧？

It's a clean thing."

這是潔淨的。」

And then I was like, "Oh, wait.

接著我又說：「喔，等等，

Maybe I took my perspective on cleanliness further."

也許就在剛才，我對清潔的 觀點又進了一步。」

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

那時，我的理論是， 也許我們都是如此。

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

再進一步，不只是清理我們的客廳，

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

也許我們可以做到 有點像是「人生的衛生」。

Knowing that this is about fostering the good

重點不只是要試著 保護自己不受壞事影響，

just as much as trying to shelter yourself from the bad

同時也要去促進好事，

had a very calming effect on me.

知道這點，對我有安定的效果。

So in that sense,

就那個意義來說，

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

我希望今天我告訴各位的 大部份是好的、有用的東西，

and thank you for your time,

謝謝你們花時間傾聽。

for listening to me.

(Applause)

（掌聲）