無糖飲料沒你想的健康 或增加中風癡呆風險

Adults who have at least one diet drink a day are three times more at risk from a stroke or dementia, research shows lately.
最近的研究顯示，每天攝入1瓶以上無糖飲料的成年人中風或患癡呆症的風險要增加3倍。

Scientists say they should no longer be regarded as the healthier alternative and urge the public to stick to water or milk.
科學家們表示，無糖飲料不應該再被視爲更加健康的選擇，並呼籲公衆堅持喝水或牛奶。

Their study of almost 4,400 adults also suggests diet drinks are more likely to cause strokes and dementia than those full of sugar.
他們對約4400名成年人進行了研究，結果表明，無糖飲料比全糖飲料更容易導致中風和癡呆症。

There was no link between sugary beverages and either of the illnesses - although the researchers aren't encouraging us to drink them either.
含糖飲料和這兩種疾病之間並無關聯，不過，研究人員也不鼓勵人們喝含糖飲料。

The team of scientists from Boston University believe the artificial sweeteners including aspartame and saccharine maybe affecting the blood vessels, eventually triggering strokes and dementia.
來自波士頓大學的科學家團隊認爲，阿斯巴甜、糖精等人工甜味劑可能會對血管產生影響，最終引發中風和癡呆。

Diet drinks account for a quarter of the sweetened beverages market but there is growing evidence they are not as healthy as previously thought.
市面上1/4的甜味飲料是無糖飲料，但是越來越多的證據表明，它們並不像人們以前認爲的那樣健康。

A major review in January by Imperial College London researchers found they were no better at aiding weight loss than full fat drinks.
1月份，倫敦帝國理工學院的研究人員在對主要研究進行回顧總結時發現，與全脂飲料相比，無糖飲料在減肥方面並沒有更好的效果。

In fact the authors suggested they were encouraging obesity by triggering the sugar receptors in the brain, making us crave sweet food.
研究人員認爲，事實上，無糖飲料會刺激我們大腦中的糖分接受區域，讓我們更渴望甜食，從而導致肥胖。

In this latest study - published in the American Heart Association's journal Stroke - researchers looked at 4,372 adults over the age of 45.
這項最新的研究報告發表在美國心臟協會雜誌《中風》上，研究人員調查了4372名45歲以上的成年人。

They had filled in detailed questionnaires on their food and drink intake in the 1990s and were then tracked for ten years.
他們填寫了詳細的調查問卷，內容包括他們從上世紀90年代以來十年間的飲食攝入情況。

The results showed that adults who had one or more diet drink a day were 2.9 times more likely to develop dementia and 3 times more at risk of strokes compared to those who virtually none at all.
結果表明，那些每天攝入1瓶以上無糖飲料的成年人患癡呆症的機率比幾乎沒有攝入無糖飲料的人要高出2.9倍，而中風的風險要高出3倍。

Matthew Pase, senior fellow in the department of neurology at Boston University School of Medicine, said: 'Our study shows a need to put more research into this area given how often people drink artificially sweetened beverages.
波士頓大學醫學院神經病學系高級研究員馬修?佩斯說：“我們的研究表明，考慮到人們攝入人工增甜的無糖飲料的頻率，我們需要在該領域進行更多研究。

'Although we did not find an association between stroke or dementia and the consumption of sugary drinks, this certainly does not mean they are a healthy option.
“儘管我們沒有發現中風或癡呆症與攝入含糖飲料之間的關聯，但是這並不意味着它就是一種健康的選擇。”

'We recommend that people drink water on a regular basis instead of sugary or artificially sweetened beverages.'
“我們建議人們定時喝水，而不是喝含糖或人工增甜的無糖飲料。”

The researchers are still not sure whether diet drinks are causing strokes or dementia – or whether those who consume them are at higher risk anyway.
研究人員尚不能確定無糖飲料是否會導致中風或癡呆——又或者攝入無糖飲料的人患病風險到底是否更高。

Previous studies have shown they tend to be consumed by adults who are already overweight or obese.
此前的研究表明，已經超重或肥胖的成年人往往更喜歡喝無糖飲料。

Dr Rosa Sancho, Head of Research at Alzheimer's Research UK, said: 'This interesting new study has pointed to higher rates of dementia in people who drink more artificially-sweetened drinks, but it doesn't show that these drinks are the cause of this altered risk. '
英國阿爾茨海默氏症研究協會的研究主任羅莎?桑喬博士表示：“這項有趣的新研究發現，攝入更多無糖飲料的人患癡呆症的機率更高，但這並不表明無糖飲料是導致這種風險增加的原因。”

'Future studies will need to confirm these findings in other groups of people, and explore what might be underlying any link between artificially-sweetened soft drinks and dementia.'
“接下來的研究需要在其他人羣中證實這些發現，並探索無糖軟飲和癡呆症之間的潛在聯繫。”