鱼油功效再拓展 竟有助根除酗酒恶习

Fish oil supplements have been hailed as a wonder treatment for conditions ranging from autism to dementia. 众所周知，鱼油保健药品对于健康有着神奇疗效，可以治疗包括自闭症到老年痴呆等多种疑难杂症。

Now new evidence suggests the omega 3 fatty acids could tackle alcohol abuse as well.

据一项最近的研究发现，鱼油中富含的omega-3脂肪酸还有抑制酒精上瘾的效果，可以缓解酗酒的问题。

Scientists from the Indian University School of Medicine made the discovery by chance when studying whether fish oil had any benefit for bipolar disorder.

来自印度医科大学的科学家们在一项研究关于鱼油是否有益于双相情感障碍的试验中，意外发现了omega-3脂肪酸控制酒精依赖的功效。

Lead author Dr Alexander Niculescu found that the fatty acid DHA, which is the main ingredient of fish oil, 'normalised' behaviour of mice with the condition.

主导该项研究的亚历山大·尼古列斯库博士发现，脂肪酸中含有DHA有这样一种功效，摄入DHA之后，小白鼠的双相情感障碍的症状得以“正常化”。

'They are not depressed and when subjected to stress they do not become manic,' Dr Niculescu said.

尼古列斯库博士说：“它们不再表现出抑郁的症状，在施加压力的情况下，柏树也不再显得焦躁不安。”

However, an unexpected finding of the research was that the fatty acid also reduced the desire for alcohol.

尽管如此，这项实验还意外地发现，鱼油中的DHA还缓解了白鼠对于酒精的依赖。

'These bipolar mice, like some bipolar patients, love alcohol,' Dr Niculescu said.

尼古列斯库博士表示，“一些躁郁症患者的情况就如同这些小白鼠，它们都沉迷于酒精之中。”

'The mice on DHA drank much less, it curtailed their alcohol abusive behaviour.'

“摄入DHA后的白鼠对于酒精的依赖程度降低，这有助于抑制滥用酒精的行为。”

The researchers then gave DHA to alcohol-preferring rats and noted a similar effect.

研究人员在一些对酒精上瘾的老鼠身上实验了DHA的作用，并取得了类似的效果。

'We believe a diet rich in omega 3 fatty acids may help the treatment and prevention of bipolar disorder, and may help with alcoholism as well,' Dr Niculescu said.

“我们相信，在日常膳食中增加omega-3的摄取将提高治疗和预防双相情感障碍，同时也会对缓解酗酒有所疗效，”尼古列斯库博士表示。

He said there was now substantial evidence at the molecular level that omega-3 fatty acids worked on the brain in a similar way to psychiatric drugs. He added that the next step would be clinical studies in humans.

他表示，从分子的角度来说，有证据表明omega-3脂肪酸对与大脑的功效类似于精神病药物，接下来将展开人体的临床饰演。

'A lot more work needs to be done in this area,' Dr Niculescu said.

“不过在这方面还有许多的工作要做。”