減肥新發現 要想瘦吃辣椒

It's long been thought that chillies can help us lose weight.
很長時間以來大多數人都覺的辣椒能幫助減肥。

Now, new research has proved the fiery food can aid weight loss by speeding up metabolism.
目前一項最新研究確實證實了這種說法：辛辣類食物確實能通過加快新陳代謝來幫助減肥。

A study found capsaicin – the ingredient that gives chilli peppers their heat - could help burn off fat in the body.
該研究發現，辣椒中所含的辣椒素能夠幫助燃燒體內脂肪。

The temptation to eat fatty foods is often so strong that, for many, they can't resist eating fatty or sugary foods even if they are trying to cut down on calories.
脂肪含量高的食物通常都很有誘惑力，這讓正在減肥的人非常苦惱，因爲總會忍不住吃那些含糖量高或含脂肪量高的食物。

Now, researchers believe capsaicin could provide a solution to this problem; speeding up the metabolism without the need to restrict the diet.
現在，研究者們認爲辣椒素可以解決這苦惱：讓人在無需限制飲食的情況下加速體內新陳代謝過程。

University of Wyoming researchers found capsaicin may stimulate the body to burn energy and create heat (a process known as thermogenesis) – burning off calories in the process.
美國懷俄明州大學的研究人員發現，辣椒素能夠刺激身體消耗能量併產生熱量（這個過程叫做生熱作用），以此來燃燒卡路里。

It does this by activating receptors in the body which set off the process of energy burning.
這個過程是通過激活體內的感受器來完成的。

These receptors are found in white and brown fat cells.
這些感受器在人體的白色脂肪和棕色脂肪中都存在。

In the body, white fat cells soak up calories and store them as fat – the dreaded Type visible in pot bellies, love handles and wobbly thighs that is the enemy of dieters.
人體中的白色脂肪負責吸收卡路里並將其儲存爲脂肪，這些脂肪在我們的小肚子上、手臂上、大腿上等等地方都能看到，它們堪稱減肥者的天敵。

It is known as ‘bad’ fat for this reason.
所以，白色脂肪又被稱爲“壞”脂肪。

Brown fat, found in small amounts on the shoulders and neck, actually burns fat to heat the body – and is therefore known as ‘good’ fat.
而棕色脂肪，少量地存在於人的肩膀和頸部，功能是燃燒脂肪爲身體提供熱量，因此被稱爲“好”脂肪。

The researchers found that capsaicin in the diet was able to stimulate a receptor called potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) channel protein.
研究者們發現飲食中增加辣椒素的攝入能夠刺激一種叫做TRPV1的感受器。

Activating this receptor suppresses obesity associated with a high-fat diet, the researchers found.
這種感受器的激活能夠抑制因攝入過多脂肪而導致的肥胖。

They believe this is because it induces ‘bad’ white fat cells to become energy-burning ‘good’ brown fat cells.
研究者們認爲，這是因爲感受器的激活能夠誘導“壞”脂肪變成能夠燃燒熱量的“好”脂肪。

The researchers carried out the study on one group of wild mice, and another group of mice who had been genetically engineered to lack the TRPV1 Receptor.
這項研究是在一組野生小白鼠和一組通過基因技術去除其體內的TRPV1感受器的小白鼠身上進行的。

They fed both mice a high fat diet, 0.01 per cent was made up of capsaicin.
研究者給兩組小白鼠餵食脂肪含量較高的食物，其中辣椒素含量爲0.01%。

Capsaicin prevented the weight gain associated with eating a high fat diet in the wild mice, but not the mice that lacked TRPV1.
結果顯示，辣椒素抑制了野生小白鼠因攝入高脂肪量而增加的體重，但對缺少TRPV1感受器的小白鼠沒有效果。

It did this without having any effect on how much food or water the mice consumed.
而且這種結果與兩組小白鼠攝入的食物或水的量多少沒有關係。

‘It did significantly increase the metabolic activity and energy expenditure in wild type mice fed a high-fat diet, but not for mice that genetically lack TRPV1,’ researcher Vivek Krishnan, of University of Wyoming’s School of Pharmacy said.
俄明州大學藥學院的研究者維韋克·克里希納說：“野生小白鼠的新陳代謝活動及能量消耗過程明顯加快，但缺少TRPV1感受器的小白鼠卻沒有這種變化。”

This is because the fiery ingredient induces ‘bad’ white fat to become ‘good’, energy-burning brown fat and also stimulates the body to create heat, he added.
他表示，這就是因爲辣椒素促使“壞”的白色脂肪變成了“好”的、能夠燃燒能量的棕色脂肪，同時刺激身體產生熱量。

These steps burn off calories and counteract obesity.
這些過程燃燒了卡路里、阻礙了體重的增加。

This may help to prevent and manage obesity and other related health complications such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular diseases, the researchers said.
研究者稱，這還可以有效預防和控制肥胖及由肥胖引發的諸如二型糖尿病、高血壓、心血管等疾病。

However, they added this effect has not yet been demonstrated in carefully-controlled clinical trials.
但是，目前這項研究還沒有在嚴格控制的臨牀試驗中被證實。

Next, the researchers want to further understand the mechanism by which capsaicin prevents obesity, and carry out more trials to further prove that it can help manage weight.
下一步，研究者們會更加深入地研究辣椒素通過加速新陳代謝過程抑制肥胖的過程，並會進行更多的試驗來證明辣椒素確實能夠控制體重。