From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语的《健康与生活方式报道》。
A new study provides more evidence that there is a deep connection between our gut and our brains.
一项新的研究为证明我们的肠道和大脑之间存在着深刻的联系提供了更多的证据。
The findings suggest that probiotics -- so-called "good" bacteria that aid in digestion -- may also help to lessen symptoms of depression.
研究结果表明，益生菌——有助于消化的“好”细菌——也可能有助于减轻抑郁症症状。
There are about 300 to 500 bacterial species that live in the human gut. Many help with digestion and keep the gastrointestinal system working right.
人体肠道中大约有300到500种细菌,大部分有助于消化和保持胃肠系统正常工作。
Scientists say these probiotics play a part in neural activity that controls digestion. In addition, there is also new evidence that shows probiotics can also affect a person's mental state, or mood.
科学家表示，这些益生菌在控制消化的神经活动中发挥作用。此外，还有新的证据表明，益生菌还可以影响人的精神状态或情绪。
Premysl Bercik is a researcher at Ontario Canada's McMaster University. Bercik is interested in the connection between the gut and the brain through the millions of bacteria that live in the gastrointestinal tract.
普雷米斯·贝尔西克是加拿大安大略省麦克马斯特大学的研究员。他对肠道和大脑之间通过生活在胃肠道中的数百万细菌的联系很感兴趣。
Bercik notes that between 40 and 90 percent of people with irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, also suffer from symptoms of anxiety and depression.
贝尔西克指出，40%到90%的肠易激综合症患者会同时伴有焦虑和抑郁的症状。
Doctors do not yet know what causes IBS. It causes stomach pains and can interfere with the body's waste removal process. The difficulty and discomfort of the condition alone might cause depression.
医生们还不知道肠易激综合征的病因。它会引起胃痛，并会干扰身体的废物清除过程。这种困难和不适本身就可能导致抑郁。
However, research led by Bercik suggests that the presence or lack of gut bacteria may affect a person's mood.
然而，贝尔西克领导的研究表明，肠道细菌的存在与否，可能会影响人的情绪。
What we found was that the patients who were treated with this probiotic bacterium improved their gut's symptoms, but also surprisingly decreased their depression scores. That means their mood improved. And this was associated also with changes in the brain imaging.
“我们发现，接受益生菌治疗的患者不但改善了肠道症状，还出人意料地降低了抑郁评分，也就是说他们的情绪改善了。这也与大脑成像的变化有关。”
The study
该研究
What Bercik describes is a small, early study of 44 IBS patients who also had anxiety or depression.
贝尔西克调查的是一项对44名患有焦虑或抑郁的肠易激综合征患者进行的小型早期研究。
Half of the patients received a daily probiotic. The other half received an inactive substance called a placebo. The patients were then followed for 10 weeks.
其中一半的患者每天服用益生菌。另一半接受了一种被称为安慰剂的非活性物质。随后对患者进行了10周的随访。
At the start of the study, the researchers scored the levels of depression and anxiety in the patients. Then the patients looked at a mix of happy and sad images. At the same time, imaging devices recorded the brain reactions to those images. It showed the researchers what parts of the brain were active in connection with the images.
在研究开始时，研究人员对患者的抑郁和焦虑水平进行了评分。然后让病人看一些快乐和悲伤的混合图像。与此同时，成像设备会记录大脑对这些图像的反应，并向研究人员展示大脑的哪些部分与图像有关。
At six weeks, 64 percent of patients taking the probiotic had a decrease in their depression scores. The depression scores also dropped in 32 percent of the patients taking placebos.
六周后，服用益生菌的患者中有64%的抑郁评分下降。在服用安慰剂的患者中，32%的人抑郁评分也有所下降。
A second imaging study showed changes in multiple brain areas involved in mood control, in the patients who felt better.
第二项成像研究显示，在感觉更好的患者中，与情绪控制有关的多个大脑区域发生了变化。
Bercik says larger studies are needed to confirm the findings.
贝尔西克说，还需要更大规模的研究来证实这一发现。
However, I think that it shows a great promise. I mean new treatments, not only for patients with functional bowel disorders like irritable bowel syndrome, but also it may offer some new treatments for patients with primary psychiatric disorders like depression or anxiety.
“然而，我认为这是一个巨大的前景。我指的是新的治疗方法，不仅适用于肠易激综合征等功能性肠道疾病患者，而且可能为抑郁症或焦虑症等原发性精神疾病患者提供一些新的治疗方法。”
The researchers published their findings in the journal Gastroenterology.
研究人员在《胃肠病学》杂志上发表了他们的发现。
And that's the Health & Lifestyle report.
以上就是本期《健康与生活方式报道》的全部内容。
I'm Anna Matteo.
安娜·马特奥报道。
From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.
A new study provides more evidence that there is a deep connection between our gut and our brains.
The findings suggest that probiotics -- so-called "good" bacteria that aid in digestion -- may also help to lessen symptoms of depression.
There are about 300 to 500 bacterial species that live in the human gut. Many help with digestion and keep the gastrointestinal system working right.
Scientists say these probiotics play a part in neural activity that controls digestion. In addition, there is also new evidence that shows probiotics can also affect a person's mental state, or mood.
Premysl Bercik is a researcher at Ontario Canada's McMaster University. Bercik is interested in the connection between the gut and the brain through the millions of bacteria that live in the gastrointestinal tract.
Bercik notes that between 40 and 90 percent of people with irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, also suffer from symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Doctors do not yet know what causes IBS. It causes stomach pains and can interfere with the body's waste removal process. The difficulty and discomfort of the condition alone might cause depression.
However, research led by Bercik suggests that the presence or lack of gut bacteria may affect a person's mood.
"What we found was that the patients who were treated with this probiotic bacterium improved their gut's symptoms, but also surprisingly decreased their depression scores. That means their mood improved. And this was associated also with changes in the brain imaging."
The study
What Bercik describes is a small, early study of 44 IBS patients who also had anxiety or depression.
Half of the patients received a daily probiotic. The other half received an inactive substance called a placebo. The patients were then followed for 10 weeks.
At the start of the study, the researchers scored the levels of depression and anxiety in the patients. Then the patients looked at a mix of happy and sad images. At the same time, imaging devices recorded the brain reactions to those images. It showed the researchers what parts of the brain were active in connection with the images.
At six weeks, 64 percent of patients taking the probiotic had a decrease in their depression scores. The depression scores also dropped in 32 percent of the patients taking placebos.
A second imaging study showed changes in multiple brain areas involved in mood control, in the patients who felt better.
Bercik says larger studies are needed to confirm the findings.
"However, I think that it shows a great promise. I mean new treatments, not only for patients with functional bowel disorders like irritable bowel syndrome, but also it may offer some new treatments for patients with primary psychiatric disorders like depression or anxiety."
The researchers published their findings in the journal Gastroenterology.
And that's the Health & Lifestyle report.
I'm Anna Matteo.
______________________________________________________________
Words in This Story
gut - n. digestive tract; also : part of the digestive tract and especially the intestine or stomach
probiotics - n. a microorganism that when consumed (as in a food or a dietary supplement) maintains or restores beneficial bacteria to the digestive tract
depression - n. a serious medical condition in which a person feels very sad, hopeless, and unimportant and often is unable to live in a normal way
gastrointestinal tract - n. medical : the part of the digestive system that consists of the stomach and intestines
neural of, relating to, or involving a nerve or the nervous system
mood - n. the way someone feels : a person's emotional state
anxiety - n. fear or nervousness about what might happen
discomfort - n. an uncomfortable or painful feeling in the body
associated - v. When one thing is associated with another, they happen together or are related or connected in some way.
placebo - n. a pill or substance that is given to a patient like a drug but that has no physical effect on the patient
psychiatric disorder - n. a diagnosis by a mental health professional of a behavioral or mental pattern that may cause suffering or a poor ability to function in life
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