可可饮料可提高大脑效率

译者 chiyaki

Cocoa linked to better brain 'efficiency'

可可饮料可提高大脑效率   

A new study suggests a cocoa drink a day could help boost the efficiency of your brain's working memory, but it's too early to say for sure.

The randomised double-blind placebo controlled trial, led by Dr David Camfield of the Centre for Human Psychopharmacology at Swinburne University, was funded by a large chocolate manufacturer.

一项新的研究表明每天一杯可可饮料能帮助你的大脑提高工作记忆的效率，但是目前还不能完全肯定这种说法。在一个大的巧克力制造商的赞助下，斯威本科技大学人类精神药理学中心的博士大卫康姆菲尔德进行了这项随机双盲安慰剂对照实验。

"It does provide preliminary evidence that [cocoa flavanols] can help people to do cognitive tasks more effectively," says Camfield, whose research is published in the journal Physiology & Behaviour.

“实验确实有初步证据显示可可黄烷醇能帮助人们更有效地完成认知任务”康姆菲尔德说。他的这项研究已在生理及行为学期刊上发表了。

Flavanols are chemicals found in plant foods, including grapes, apples, tea and cocoa and have been linked to a range of health benefits, says Camfield.

他说，黄烷醇是存在于葡萄、苹果、茶和可可这些植物性食物里的一种化学物质，并且和一系列的健康益处都有联系。

This latest study looked at the effect of cocoa flavanols on spatial working memory, which holds information in the brain and makes it available for further processing

这个最新的研究着眼于可可黄烷醇对空间工作记忆的影响，空间工作记忆能保存在大脑中的信息并作进一步处理。

Camfield says spatial working memory declines rapidly as people age.

康姆菲尔德说随着人们变老,空间工作记忆也在下降。

His study involved 63 middle-aged volunteers aged between 40 and 65 years, who were asked to drink a chocolate drink each day for 30 days before being tested.

他的研究涉及了63个年纪在40岁--65岁的中年志愿者,他们被要求在测试前30天每天喝一杯可可饮料。

"We looked at brain imaging while people were doing a spatial working memory task," says Camfield.

“我们看看当人们做空间工作记忆的任务时的大脑图像。”康姆菲尔德说。

Screen tests

屏幕测试

In the task, volunteers looked at dots displayed on a screen. Then for about 3 seconds, the screen went blank and during that time the participant had to hold in their memory the location of the dots.

在这项任务中，志愿者们看着屏幕上显示的一些点。然后大约有3秒钟，屏幕变空，在这个时间内参与者必须记住点的位置。

They were tested several times to see whether they could remember where the dots were.

这样测试几次来看看他们是否能记住点在哪。

The volunteers were divided into three groups. One group had a drink containing 500 milligrams of cocoa flavanols, a second group had a drink with 250 milligrams of cocoa flavanols and a third group had a placebo drink.

志愿者们被分成3个组。第一个组喝含有500毫克可可黄烷醇的饮料，第二组喝含有250毫克可可黄烷醇的饮料，第三组喝安慰剂饮料。

None of the groups knew exactly what they were drinking.

这些组都不知道他们到底喝的是什么。

The tests were carried out before and after the 30-day treatment period and each time the researchers carried out imaging to check the brain's activation.

测试在30天服用期之前和之后进行，每次研究人员进行成像检查大脑的激活。

"We didn't find any differences in terms of accuracy or reaction time in terms of task itself, but we found differences in the brain activity," says Camfield.

“从任务本身的准确性或反应时间看来，我们没有发现有什么不同，但是我们发现在大脑活动上的差异。”康姆菲尔德说。

Less brain power

减弱大脑能力

Camfield says the frontal and posterior parietal areas of the brain involved in the task were less active in those consuming the cocoa flavanols.

康姆菲尔德说，那些服用了可可黄烷醇的人，他们与任务有关的大脑额叶和后顶叶区域较不活跃。

"It's suggests that they were processing the tasks more efficiently when they were taking the cocoa flavanols," he says.

“这表明当他们服用了可可黄烷醇时，能更有效地完成任务，”他说，

"I guess you could say they weren't working as hard doing the same task."

“我猜你可能会说他们做同样任务时并不是同样努力。”

Camfield says the findings also suggest cocoa flavanols may guard against brain fatigue, but emphasises more research needs to be done.

康姆菲尔德说研究结果还表明可可黄烷醇可能防止大脑疲劳，但是他强调还要做更多研究。

The Centre for Human Psychopharmacology focuses on researching nutraceuticals, which are natural alternatives to pharmaceuticals, for an ageing population. The centre receives funding from industry as well as the Australian Research Council.

人类精神药理学中心致力于研究保健食品，由于人口老龄化，它们成为药品的天然替代品。该中心收到来自业界及澳大利亚研究理事会的资金赞助。

He says while the study was funded by a chocolate company, it had no influence on how the study was carried out.

他说，尽管这项研究是由一家巧克力公司赞助，但这并不会对如何进行研究产生影响。

"They didn't have a role in how we did the science or analysed the data," says Camfield.

“他们对我们如何进行研究和分析数据并没有起到作用。”康姆菲尔德说。

"Promising" findings

“有前途的”发现

Sydney-based nutrition consultant, Nicole Senior says the findings are "promising" and add to other evidence showing chemicals in cocoa are good for the heart, but she says it's important to remember the pros and cons of chocolate.

悉尼的高级营养顾问妮可说，这项研究结果是“有前途的”，并且添加了其他证据表明可可中的化学物质对心脏有好处，但是她说重要的是记住可可的好处和坏处。

"Chocolate carries with it a lot of kilojoules in a small and delicious package. Dark cocoa powder tops the list of cocoa foods with minimum nutritional downsides, which you can make into a drink," she says.

“在小而美味的外表下，可可携带了大量能量。黑可可粉是最少营养弊端的可可食物里面最好的，你可以用它冲饮料，”她说。

"Dark chocolate is better than milk chocolate because it contains higher cocoa solids and antioxidant content and is also stronger in flavour and more satisfying so you can be happier with a small portion."

“黑巧克力比牛奶巧克力更好，因为它含有更多的可可固体和更高的抗氧化剂含量，口味更强烈更令人满意，所以你能使用更少的含量获得更多快乐。”

Useful insights

有益的见解

Dr Garry Egger who is a professor of health and human sciences at Southern Cross University says the study does not prove that a cup of hot chocolate a day will boost your memory.

南克罗斯大学健康和人类科学的教授加里艾格说这个研究并不能证明每天一杯热巧克力能提高你的记忆。

"This is just a short-term study," says Egger.

“这只是一个短期研究。”艾格说。

In general, he is not a fan of the idea of people selectively eating particular foods to boost their health and abilities.

一般来说，他并不苟同人们有选择性地吃某种特定事物能增强身体健康和能力的这种看法。

But, he says, the research is part of general trend towards testing the impact of isolated foods on human health, which provides useful insights into what makes up a healthy diet.

但是，他说，这个研究是测试特定食物对人类健康影响的一般性趋势测试的一部分，他能为建立健康食谱提供有益的见解。

Egger says cocoa is an ancient food and has also been shown to reduce inflammation.

艾格说可可是一种古老的食物而且已经证明可以减少炎症。

He says recent evidence suggests unprocessed foods that humans have evolved with over the long term are generally showing better effects on the body when tested in isolation.

他说最近的证据表明，在隔离测试中，长期以来和人类一起发展的未经加工的食物一般表现出对身体更好的影响。