打破健康補品的醫學童話大綱

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.

能量飲料，維生素藥片，美容飲品。我們吞下許多的“富含抗氧化物的產品”，相信它們所含的抗氧化物可以改善健康，延緩衰老。

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

但遺憾的是，研究者表明抗氧化劑神話可能只是又一個醫學童話。

“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.

“幾乎沒有什麼數據可以支撐使用抗氧化物來預防疾病這一説法，”美國國家心肺和血液研究院的健康專家託倫•芬克爾説道。

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，大劑量的抗氧化物補充劑會反而會惡化它本應該解決的問題。

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，一項針對硒和維生素E抗癌試驗的報告顯示，長期規律服用維生素E補充劑會增加健康男性患前列腺癌的風險。

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

然而，抗氧化劑作為一種神奇健康補品的名聲在外已久。

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世紀50年代，科學家就發現包括心臟病，中風和癌症在內的諸多疾病與自由基有關，這類具有破壞性的化學物質會破壞細胞膜，並擾亂對人體至關重要的生理過程。

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.

後來，在20世紀90年代初，科學家發現那些食用富含抗氧化物（常常會在水果和蔬菜找到）食物的人患癌症和心臟病的機率較低。

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

於是一項猜想就此誕生了：包括維生素C、E，β-胡蘿蔔素和多酚在內的抗氧化物是對抗自由基損害的有利武器。

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.

生產廠商自此就將所有產品標有“抗氧化物”。雀巢公司就標榜其抗氧化美容飲品Glowelle是“最強抗氧化美容飲品”，從而將產品本身與抗氧化劑對皮膚有好處聯繫起來。可口可樂公司推出的維他命水飲料就誇耀自己含有“三倍抗氧化物”。就連星巴克咖啡也推出“富含抗氧化物”的藍莓奶油星冰樂。

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

網站主編卡洛塔•瑪斯特説，單單去年一年，數百種聲稱富含抗氧化物的產品上市出售。據悉，該網站一直致力於追蹤自然有機健康產品的市場情況。

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

廣告大戰也參與其中，運動員一直是“抗氧化劑”潮流的領跑者。

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.

肯尼亞著名馬拉松運動員衞斯理•科利爾十分信賴抗氧化補充劑，他深信這類產品讓他保持健康，幫助他在訓練中取得更快的成績，恢復得也更快。

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

科利爾是前兩屆洛杉磯馬拉松比賽的冠軍，他服用多種補充劑，其中之一就是從富含抗氧化物的巴西苺果中提取出來的液體飲品。

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

但專家也發出警告，補充抗氧化物可能會減弱訓練所帶來的益處。

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

美國阿巴拉契亞州立大學教授大衞•雷曼還是給出他一貫的老觀點：“想要打敗氧化作用，那就運動吧。同時多吃水果和蔬菜。”