打破健康补品的医学童话

Energy beverages, vitamin pills, beauty drinks. We have swallowed bucketloads of “antioxidant-rich products” in a belief that the antioxidants they contain could improve our health and turn back the aging clock.

能量饮料，维生素药片，美容饮品。我们吞下许多的“富含抗氧化物的产品”，相信它们所含的抗氧化物可以改善健康，延缓衰老。

But sadly, researchers now say the antioxidant myth could be just another medical fairy tale.

但遗憾的是，研究者表明抗氧化剂神话可能只是又一个医学童话。

“There is little to no data supporting the use of antioxidants to protect against disease,” said Toren Finkel, a health professional at the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

“几乎没有什么数据可以支撑使用抗氧化物来预防疾病这一说法，”美国国家心肺和血液研究院的健康专家托伦•芬克尔说道。

What’s even sadder, large doses of antioxidant supplements could promote the very problems they are supposed to stamp out.

而更令人感到悲哀的是，大剂量的抗氧化物补充剂会反而会恶化它本应该解决的问题。

A recent review of the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial showed long-term, regular use of Vitamin E supplements increase the risk of prostate cancer in healthy men.

最近，一项针对硒和维生素E抗癌试验的报告显示，长期规律服用维生素E补充剂会增加健康男性患前列腺癌的风险。

However, antioxidants have long since acquired a reputation as miracle health supplements.

然而，抗氧化剂作为一种神奇健康补品的名声在外已久。

As long ago as the 1950s, scientists discovered that many diseases – including heart diseases, strokes and cancer – are linked to free radicals, destructive chemicals that can destroy cell membranes and disrupt crucial processes in the body.

早在20世纪50年代，科学家就发现包括心脏病，中风和癌症在内的诸多疾病与自由基有关，这类具有破坏性的化学物质会破坏细胞膜，并扰乱对人体至关重要的生理过程。

Then in the early 1990s, they noticed that people who eat foods rich in antioxidants, often found in fruits and vegetables, have lower rates of cancer and heart disease.

后来，在20世纪90年代初，科学家发现那些食用富含抗氧化物（常常会在水果和蔬菜找到）食物的人患癌症和心脏病的几率较低。

A hypothesis was thus born: antioxidants, including Vitamins C and E, beta-carotene and polyphenols, are a weapon against free-radical damage.

于是一项猜想就此诞生了：包括维生素C、E，β-胡萝卜素和多酚在内的抗氧化物是对抗自由基损害的有利武器。

Manufacturers have since emblazoned “antioxidants” on everything. Nestle’s Glowelle Beauty Drink connects to beliefs about antioxidants’ skin benefits with its message about being “the highest antioxidant beauty drink”. Coca Cola’s Vitamin Water-XXX boasts “triple antioxidants”. Even Starbucks introduced its “antioxidant-rich” Blueberries & Crème Frappuccino.

生产厂商自此就将所有产品标有“抗氧化物”。雀巢公司就标榜其抗氧化美容饮品Glowelle是“最强抗氧化美容饮品”，从而将产品本身与抗氧化剂对皮肤有好处联系起来。可口可乐公司推出的维他命水饮料就夸耀自己含有“三倍抗氧化物”。就连星巴克咖啡也推出“富含抗氧化物”的蓝莓奶油星冰乐。

Last year alone, hundreds of products with antioxidant claims were launched, said Carlotta Mast, editor-in-chief of Newhope360.com, which tracks the market in natural, organic and healthy products.

Newhope360.com网站主编卡洛塔•玛斯特说，单单去年一年，数百种声称富含抗氧化物的产品上市出售。据悉，该网站一直致力于追踪自然有机健康产品的市场情况。

Advertisement campaigns aside, athletes have been driving the “antioxidant” bandwagon.

广告大战也参与其中，运动员一直是“抗氧化剂”潮流的领跑者。

Elite marathon runner Wesley Korir of Kenya swears by antioxidant supplements, which he believes have kept him healthy, allowing him to do faster workouts and recover more quickly.

肯尼亚著名马拉松运动员卫斯理•科利尔十分信赖抗氧化补充剂，他深信这类产品让他保持健康，帮助他在训练中取得更快的成绩，恢复得也更快。

Korir, winner of the last two Los Angeles Marathons, takes several supplements, including a liquid product with acai, a fruit that contains antioxidants.

科利尔是前两届洛杉矶马拉松比赛的冠军，他服用多种补充剂，其中之一就是从富含抗氧化物的巴西苺果中提取出来的液体饮品。

But experts warn that supplementing with antioxidants may blunt the beneficial effects of working out.

但专家也发出警告，补充抗氧化物可能会减弱训练所带来的益处。

“To fight oxidative stress, exercise. And eat your fruits and vegetables,” professor David Neiman at Appalachian State University, US gives his timeworn advice.

美国阿巴拉契亚州立大学教授大卫•雷曼还是给出他一贯的老观点：“想要打败氧化作用，那就运动吧。同时多吃水果和蔬菜。”