Eating citrus fruit could head off chronic diseases that are related to obesity， a growing health problem in many parts of the world， according to a new study。

　　一项最近研究表明，食用柑橘类水果，可以防治超重这一在世界各地越来越严重的健康问题所引发的慢性疾病。

　　Diabetes， heart disease and liver disease are increasing as more people pack on the kilos。 But there’s a substance in citrus fruits called flavanones， which are antioxidants that help people’s bodies reduce the amount of oxidative stress。 The diseases linked to obesity are caused by oxidative stress and its related inflammation。

　　随着人们发胖，糖尿病、心脏病和肝病的风险也越来越高。但是柑橘类水果中有一种叫作类黄酮的物质，是一种可以帮助人体减少氧化压力的抗氧化物，与发胖有关的疾病都是由氧化压力及其引发的炎症引起的。

　　When humans consume a fatty diet， their fat cells produce reactive oxygen species that harm cells。 When fat cells become too large， which they do in obese individuals， they produce higher levels of reactive oxygen species that overwhelm the body， causing inflammation and disease。

　　当人们摄入了过多的脂肪，脂肪细胞就会产生一种活性氧自由基，对细胞有损害。当脂肪细胞变得很大的时候(也就是人们变胖的时候)，它们产生的活性氧自由基就超出了人体可以承受的范围，就会引发炎症和疾病。

　　Researchers say antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables， such as citrus flavanones， help fight reactive oxygen species and reduce oxidative stress in animals that eat a high fat diet。

　　研究人员称，抗氧化物广泛存在于蔬菜和水果中，比如柑橘类水果中的类黄酮，可以帮助摄入高脂肪的动物对抗活性氧自由基并减轻氧化压力。

　　Paula Ferreira， a graduate researcher at the Universidade Estadual Paulist in Brazil conducted the research。 The month-long experiment by Ferreira and colleagues involved 50 mice， feeding them either a normal diet， a high fat diet， or a high fat diet with three flavanones。

　　宝拉·费雷拉是巴西圣保罗州立大学的研究生研究员，正在进行这项研究。费雷拉和同事们开展的这项研究长达一个月，观察了50只老鼠，分别喂它们吃正常的食物、高脂肪的食物以及含有三份类黄酮的高脂肪食物。

　　Investigators found the mice that ate a high fat diet， but no flavanones， had significantly higher levels of cell damage， than mice that ate a normal diet

　　研究人员发现，吃高脂肪食物的老鼠，其细胞损害程度比吃正常食物的老鼠高出很多。

　　Mice on the high fat died had 80 percent more cell damage markers in their blood and 57 percent in the liver compared to rodents fed a normal diet， report researchers。

　　研究人员报告，与吃正常食物的老鼠相比，吃高脂肪食物的老鼠血液中细胞损害的标志物达到了80%之多，肝脏损害达到了57%。

　　But mice fed a high fat diet plus the three flavanones - hesperidin， eriocitrin and eriodictyol - had a reduction in cell damage markers compared to mice on a standard diet。 Reductions in the liver ranged from 50 to 64 percent depending upon the flavanone given compared to those on a high fat diet alone。

　　但是吃含有三份类黄酮的高脂肪食物的老鼠——桔皮苷、圣草次苷和圣草酚——血液中细胞损害的标志物与吃正常食物的老鼠相比，却少了很多。视类黄酮的分量而定，肝脏损害照比只吃高脂肪食物的老鼠，减少了50%-64%。

　　Researchers said the obese mice became healthier consuming citrus flavanones even though they did lose any weight。

　　研究人员说，虽然这些超重的老鼠没有减肥，但是因为摄取了柑橘类水果中的类黄酮，它们变得更加健康了。

　　“Our results indicate that in the future， we can use citrus flavanones， a class of antioxidants， to prevent or delay chronic diseases caused by obesity in humans，” said Ferreira。

　　“我们的结果显示，我们在未来可以使用柑橘类黄酮——抗氧化物的一种，来预防或者延缓因为人体超重而引起的慢性疾病。”费雷拉说。

　　It’s also possible， said researchers， that citrus could be beneficial to people who are not obese but eat a fatty， Western-style diet， she said。 Ferreira said the best way to get flavanones is to drink them， like orange juice。

　　费雷拉说，柑橘类黄酮对不超重但是食用高脂肪西式食物的人来说也有好处。她说摄入类黄酮最好的方法就是喝下去，比如说喝橙汁。

　　“Many of the citrus juices， because citrus juice has high amounts of 。。。 these compounds。”

　　“要喝很多很多柑橘类的果汁，因为果汁里有很多很多的类黄酮。”

　　The researchers presented their findings at the American Chemical Society’s annual meeting in Pennsylvania， the largest scientific society in the world。

　　研究人员们把他们的成果发表在了世界最大的科学学会——美国化学学会在宾夕法尼亚州召开的年会上。

　　Investigators next plan to conduct human studies， to see whether it’s healthier to give citrus flavanones in juice or pill form， or whether they have the same effect。

　　研究人员接下来希望在人体上进行试验，看看类黄酮是用果汁还是用胶囊的形式比较好吸收，也可能二者功效是一样的。

（编辑：何莹莹）