健康生活:咖啡新功效 健腦抗抑鬱
Many of us depend on a mug of freshly brewed coffee to perk us up in the mornings.
我們中間的很多人早上都要靠一杯新鮮的現煮咖啡提神。
But its mood-boosting effect could well be lasting far longer than we realise, claim scientists.
但是據科學家稱，提神的效果將會比我們想象的還要長。
They have discovered that women who drink four or more cups a day are a fifth less likely to become depressed.
他們研究發現每天喝四杯咖啡的女士的抑鬱症的機率將會大大降低。
And those who drink between two or three reduce their risk by 15 per cent.
而那些喝兩到三杯的，得抑鬱症的概率則會降低15%。
Researchers at Harvard University compared the coffee intake and risk of depression amongst nearly 51,000 women over ten years.
在哈佛大學的研究者對比了在10年間大約5萬一千名女士們喝咖啡的量和患抑鬱症的概率。
They did not look at men—but other studies have found it has a similar effect.
他們並沒有做關於男士的研究，但是其他的一些研究發現結果是相似的。
The scientists, whose findings are published in the Journal of American Medicine Association, think that caffeine works like antidepressant pills by stopping the production of certain hormones such as serotonin.
那些將研究結果發表在美國醫學協會雜誌上的科學家認爲在停止分泌雌激素上面，咖啡因和某些抗抑鬱的藥物例如血清素的功能是一樣的。
Dr Michel Lucas, from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, said: 'Our results support a possible protective effect of caffeine, mainly from coffee consumption, on risk of depression.
來自波士頓哈佛大學公共衛生學方面米歇爾·盧卡斯博士說，“我們的結果支持咖啡因的積極作用，主要是從能抵制抑鬱方面說的。”
The scientists pointed out that caffeine had 'well-known psychostimulant effects' including 'increased sensations of well-being and energy'.
科學家們說咖啡因有顯而易見的刺激精神的作用，這其中還包括增加快感和能量感。
They think that in future coffee could be used as an antidepressant or as a means of preventing depression.
他們認爲在未來咖啡也許能用作防止抑鬱的藥物。
Only last year a study in Finland discovered that men who drank more than four cups a day were also far less likely to become depressed.
去年在芬蘭的一項研究表明一天喝超過四杯咖啡的男士同樣會遠離抑鬱。
And last month German researchers claimed that women are now twice as likely to suffer from depression compared with 40 years ago because they are trying to juggle families and careers.
上個月，德國的研究宣稱現在的女士們和四十年之前相比更容易得抑鬱，因爲他們現在需要操心家庭和工作。
It is already known that coffee can help stave off a range of illnesses including prostate cancer, gout and Alzheimer's and may even boost brain power.
現在已經知道咖啡能延緩前列腺癌，痛風和老年癡呆症，甚至還能健腦。
But it isn't entirely beneficial—and you can have too much.
但是這並不是全部的，有的可能比這個還多。
Scientists have also shown that can raise the blood pressure and increase the heart rate.
科學家們同樣發現了咖啡有可能會增加高血壓和心臟病的概率。
And pregnant women are advised to drink no more than two cups a day to reduce the likelihood of a miscarriage or their babies being underweight.
若是孕婦每天喝超過兩倍的咖啡，則將會大大增加流產的概率。
