英語中有一句話，叫做“All sorrows are less with bread”。這本是勸慰之語，但是今天研究證實某些食物確實有緩解憂傷的作用。吃什么、什么時候吃都有可能會對你的情緒造成一定的影響。接下來，就讓我們看一看飲食是如何影響情緒的吧。

紫蘭 選 墨石 譯

What you decide to eat can play an important role on your emotional state of mind. Research has revealed that what you eat and when you eat can help to determine how you feel throughout the day. People consume food for a variety of reasons. While the primary reason we eat is to provide caloric intake and energy for daily activity, sometimes people will eat “comfort” food during times of stress.

你決定吃什么東西會在很大程度上影響你的情緒。研究表明你吃什么、什么時候吃都會對你這一天的感覺有所影響。人們吃東西出于很多原因。吃東西最首要的目的是提供日常活動必備的熱量和能量，有時人們也在壓力大的時候用吃東西來安慰自己。

People have also used food as a social medium for thousands of years in many cultures. Celebrations and other large events are often centered on some type of feast. It’s evident that food can have powerful social aspects, but how can certain nutrients from food we eat affect our mood changes? Let’s have a look.

幾千年來，在很多文化中，人們都把吃作為一種社交手段。慶祝活動和其他一些大型活動往往圍繞某種宴會展開。顯然，食物有很強的社交性質，但是我們所吃的食物中的某些營養成分是如何影響我們的情緒的呢？讓我們來看一看吧。

The Glycemic Index

According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the glycemic index is a measurement of the effects that carbohydrates have on blood sugars in the body. Foods that rate high on this index are typically higher in carbohydrates and simple sugars. A low glycemic index food releases glucose more slowly into your bloodstream. When blood sugars are high, you will experience increased energy and often elevated mood. Conversely, when blood sugars are low, energy levels usually decline along with a decrease in mood. Foods that cause a stable blood sugar can often help to prevent this unstable shift in moods.

血糖生成指數

根據麻省理工學院的說法，血糖生成指數是衡量碳水化合物對你身體中血糖影響的一個標準。該指數較高的食物通常碳水化合物和單糖含量都較高。該指數低的食物釋放葡萄糖到血液中的速度會慢得多。血糖高時，你會感到體內能量的增長，通常情緒也會很高昂。相反，當血糖低時，能量水平會降低，情緒也開始低落。能夠穩定血糖的食物通常能夠預防情緒的不穩定變化。

Today, the use of many energy drinks is on the rise. These drinks can cause a rapid increase in blood sugar. While this may cause a temporary elevation of mood along with increased energy, too often the feelings are short in duration, and are followed by a decrease in blood sugar. This usually results in a rapid energy decrease and a decline in mood.

如今，很多能量飲料越來越暢銷，這些飲料可以導致血糖的迅速升高。這或許會讓你的能量增加，從而使你的情緒短暫高漲，但很多時候你的好情緒只能持續一小會兒，隨后伴隨著血糖的降低，你的能量迅速減少，情緒也會低落下來。

Timing of Meals

When you skip a meal, your blood sugar can drop. This often results in feeling lethargic and tired. To avoid this undesirable condition, eat small frequent meals and snacks throughout the day. Additionally, when you eat meals on an empty stomach, you’re more likely to notice changes in mood.

吃飯時間

你錯過一頓飯，血糖就會降低。這經常會使你感到困倦和勞累。為了避免這種惹人心煩的狀態，平日可以少吃多餐或吃些小零食。另外，空腹吃飯的時候，你更容易察覺到情緒的變化。

What to Eat

The ideal food will provide effective nutrients that will give you the necessary caloric intake and at the same time help stabilize your mood. According to Dr. Richard Wurtman of MIT, certain nutrients in foods can affect the neurotransmitters in our brains. According to his research, these brain chemicals transmit messages between nerve cells that are responsible for mood and performance. Simple adjustments to the following diet components can have a profound impact on the way you feel throughout the day:

吃什么

理想的食物會為你提供有效的營養，使你攝入足夠的熱量，同時幫你穩定情緒。麻省理工學院的理查德?威特曼博士說：食物中的一些營養會影響我們大腦中的神經傳導素。根據他的研究，大腦中的這些化學物質會讓信息在那些控制人類情緒狀態的神經細胞之間進行傳遞。只要你按下面的飲食結構安排飲食，你一天的感覺就會有很大不同。

Protein

Protein breaks down in our bodies in the form of amino acids. Foods high in protein, such as eggs, meat, fish and milk increase an amino acid known as tyrosine. Tyrosine can increase production of dopamine. This pleasure hormone helps to ease stress and anxiety. Tyrosine also increases norepinephrine. This neurotransmitter helps to keep your mind sharp and alert. Harvard psychiatrist, Dr. Alan Gelenberg conducted research that revealed that norepinephrine can also help to regulate mood changes and control depression.

蛋白質

蛋白質在我們體內被分解成氨基酸。蛋白質含量高的食物，如蛋、肉、魚、牛奶等會增加一種名為酪氨酸的氨基酸含量。而酪氨酸會增加多巴胺的釋放。多巴胺是一種愉悅激素，可以幫助緩解壓力和焦慮。酪氨酸同樣也可以增加去甲腎上腺素的釋放，有利于你頭腦敏銳和警覺。哈佛大學心里學家，艾倫?蓋倫博格博士的研究表明：去甲腎上腺素有助于控制情緒變化并抑制憂郁。

Tryptophan

Foods that are high in protein also contain the essential amino acid tryptophan. This amino acid can increase serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that can have a calming effect and helps to play an active role in sleep. This explains why you want to crash on the couch after your Thanksgiving feast. Poultry such as turkey are high in tryptophan.

色氨酸

蛋白質含量高的食物中同樣也包含著必需氨基酸色氨酸。色氨酸會提高大腦中血清素的水平。血清素是一種神經傳遞素，有鎮定效果，在睡眠中起著重要作用。這就解釋了為什么感恩節大餐后你總是想一頭躺在沙發上。像火雞這樣的禽類的肉中色氨酸含量非常高。

Another possible benefit of tryptophan is that it can help people who are in pain. A Temple University study showed that patients who were suffering from chronic facial pain experienced significant pain relief when treated with tryptophan.

色氨酸的另一個益處是它可以幫助人們緩解病痛。天普大學的一項研究表明經受慢性面部疼痛的人在接受色氨酸治療后癥狀明顯減輕。

Folic Acid

Foods that are rich in folic acid such as fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts have been known to help combat depression. According to the University of Minnesota, many people who suffer from depression have low levels of folic acid in the body. Low levels of folic acid can cause serotonin levels in the brain to drop.

葉酸

富含葉酸的食物如水果、蔬菜、種子、堅果等有減輕抑郁的作用。明尼蘇達大學的研究認為，很多飽受抑郁折磨的人身體中的葉酸含量都很低。葉酸含量過低可以導致大腦中血清素水平下降。

Problem Foods

Foods that contribute to blood sugar spikes should be minimized or avoided. Limit your intake of sugar, corn syrup and other sugar like substances. Also avoid excessive intake of foods that are high in fat. Along with the obvious cardiac issues, these foods can cause inflammation in the body and lead to a feeling of sluggishness.

問題食物

減少或避免食用能讓血糖迅速升高的食物。限制你的糖、玉米糖漿和其他類似糖的食物的攝入。同時也要避免攝入太多高脂肪的食物。這些食物不僅容易引起心臟問題，還能夠引起身體的發炎，導致人感覺萎靡不振。

Vocabulary

glycemic 血糖的

carbohydrate 碳水化合物

simple sugar 單糖

amino acid 氨基酸

tyrosine 酪氨酸

dopamine 多巴胺

tryptophan 色氨酸

serotonin 血清素

neurotransmitter 神經傳遞素

inflammation 發炎；炎癥

sluggishness 呆滯、懶洋洋

（來源：英語學習雜志）