| 簡介：人處在壓力或緊張情緒時，容易腸胃不適；
而現在研究顯示，我們的腸子也會傳遞
訊息至大腦而影響我們情緒喔，因此腸道
健康，心情就好！
Gut Feeling
As scientists have long known, the brain sends signals to our digestive systems. This is why we get butterflies in our stomachs when we're nervous. However, recent studies suggest that our guts may also influence our emotions by sending signals to our brains.
A test using mice showed that rodents without stomach germs suffer less from anxiety. Normal mice and germ-free mice were kept inside a dark box and allowed to go at will to bright areas outside. Mice that spent more time outside were considered to be less anxious. As the test indicated, the germ-free mice spent more time outside the box, compared to mice with germs.
A second test was performed on a group of women. Some were regularly given yogurt containing bacteria known to help digestion, while others weren't. The study revealed clear differences in brain functions related to emotions between women who ate the bacteria-containing yogurt and those who didn't.
Knowing that gut signals to the brain can be modified by our diet opens a window of possibilities for medical studies on mental and physical health. More tests need to be done, but doctors have a gut feeling that they're going to get positive results!
腸保健康給你好心情
科學家長久以來已知大腦會傳遞訊息至消化系統。這就是當我們緊張時胃會翻騰的原因。然而，近期的研究顯示，我們的腸子或許也會傳遞訊息至大腦而影響我們的情緒。
一個用老鼠所做的實驗顯示胃部沒有病菌的囓齒類動物較不受焦慮所苦。一般的老鼠和胃沒有病菌的老鼠被放置在一個黑色箱子裡，且被允許可隨意到外面明亮的區域。花較多時間在外面的老鼠被認為比較不焦慮。如實驗所示，與有病菌的老鼠相比，胃無病菌的老鼠花較多的時間在箱子外面。
第二個實驗是在一組女子身上進行。其中一些人經常被給予含有已知能幫助消化的細菌的優格，而其他人則沒有。該實驗顯示食用含菌優格的女子和那些未食用的女子之間，在與情緒相關的大腦功能上有明顯差別。
知道腸子對大腦的訊息傳遞可由飲食習慣改變，為身心健康方面的醫學研究開啟了一扇可能性的窗。雖仍需要進行更多的測試，但醫生們直覺會得到正面的結果！
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