基因作祟 歐美人天生愛吃漢堡
在遙遠而又寒冷的冰河時期，我們的祖先需要從食物中獲取大量的脂肪，以用來保持溫暖，不過生活在現代社會的人們似乎依舊繼承者祖先們的這一遺傳基因。
For British scientists have discovered a DNA switch in the brain that they believe makes Europeans far more likely to binge on fatty food than those living in the East.
最近，英國的科學家們通過研究發現，人體大腦中的某種DNA作用之下，與生活在東方的人們相比，歐洲人更加熱衷於高脂肪高熱量的食物。
The researchers from Aberdeen University made their discovery after comparing the DNA of people with the genetic code of birds and mice.
英國阿伯丁大學的研究者們將人體的DNA與鳥類和鼠類的遺傳代碼進行比較之後，提出了這一發現。
They found a switch – a piece of DNA that turns genes on or off within cells – which controls the galanin gene.
他們發現了在細胞內部的一種“開關”——一段DNA片段，它的“開啓”和“關閉”直接控制着促生長激素神經肽基因。
This gene is switched on in the part of the brain called the hypothalamus and regulates appetite and thirst.
這種基因可以“開啓”人體大腦中被稱爲下丘腦的區域，並且調節食慾和是否口渴等感受。
The switch comes in different varieties. A weaker version was found in 16 per cent of Europeans – compared with 30 per cent of Asians studied.
不過這種“開關”效應的強弱在不同人羣的身上是有差別的。研究發現，有百分之十六的歐洲人身上發現了這種效果並不明顯，而在亞洲人身上則有百分之三十的體現。
Dr Alasdair MacKenzie, who led the study, published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, said: ‘The switch controls the area of the brain which allows us to select which foods we would like to eat and if it is turned on too strongly we are more likely to crave fatty foods.
主要這項研究的Alasdair MacKenzie博士說：“這項‘開關’控制着大腦的某個區域，這個區域讓我們選擇了自己喜歡吃的食物，如果‘開關’開啓過於強烈，我們則更傾向於喜愛高熱量高脂肪的食物。”
‘The fact that the weaker switch is found more frequently in Asians compared with Europeans suggests they are less inclined to select such options.
“事實上，與歐洲人相比，亞洲人的‘開關’效果體現更弱一些，這也就導致他們對於食物的選擇。”
‘These results give us a glimpse into early European life. A preference for food with a higher fat content would have been important for survival.
“這些研究結果給我們提供了一個機會，一窺早期歐洲人的生活狀態。在食物方面，高脂肪含量的食物是生存的重要保障。”
'The negative effects of fat and alcohol we see today would not have mattered so much then as life expectancies were between 30 and 40 years.'
“我們今天所看到的高脂肪和酗酒所導致的副作用可能在當時並不是一個問題，因爲當時人類的壽命僅僅是在三十到四十歲之間。”
The researchers say the study could pave the way for obesity treatments.
“研究者稱，研究結果能夠爲我們提供治療肥胖症新的方法。”
