英国新闻听力 Omega-3脂肪酸与学习能力的关系

HOST: In 2005, Physiologist¹ Alex Richardson set up a detective hypothesis that the low level of omega-3 were detrimental². She devised a clinical trial amongst a group of school children suffering mood and behavioral disorders⁴. She believed they might benefit from food supplements. The trial, the Oxford⁵ Durum study would chart that progress.

ALEX RICHARDSON: What we did was to take almost 120 children from British primary schools that they range of 5, or 6 up to 11, and we gave them either a fatty acid supplement or a placebo⁶ demi-pill. And while we found with in three months there was a significant improvement in the behavior, but also in the reading and the spelling progress, the literacy skills of the children who got the fatty acid supplements.

HOST: Were these children just regular normal, healthy children? Or were these kids who have been struggling at school for whatever reason?

ALEX RICHARDSON: In fact, they all might try criterion for a condition called developmental coordination⁷ disorder³, dyspepsia as it's sometimes known, it also overlaps⁸ very strongly with birth dyspepsia, and a tension-deficit hypo-activity type problems.

HOST: Are you saying that after three months on supplement of the two key omega-3 fatty acid, you said the group who were taking them; there were improvements in their abilities, but by how much?

ALEX RICHARDSON: Well, their reading progress of those who got the active supplements improved by nine months in a three-month period. In the controlled group, they just made normal progress, their reading improved three month in three months, which is exactly what you expected from these age-norm tests. In spelling, the children who got the supplements made six-month progress in three, so two or three times the normal rate of progress from perfectly⁹ healthy normally performing children was what we saw.

HOST: This fact, this is because the children weren't having enough omega-3 of these particular types in their diet to starve at all. Did the extra omega-3 they were given, you know, help leave it the effects of different causes on their learning abilities?

ALEX RICHARDSON: We won't able in the study that had taken our blood samples to measure omega-3 in blood as has been done with some mental health patients, nor were we able to get a dairy record. We don't yet know that this is what we need to know, what intake¹⁰ is optimal¹¹ for the brain.

HOST: But might it not be the case that nutrients¹² other than the omega-3 are equally important? If scientists don't know the optimal level of this central fatty acid, how could they be so sure that their proof is so critical? They can't, but neurophysiologist professor John Stein of Oxford University believes they have good reason to feel confident.

JOHN STEIN: You have to start off with a theoretical basis, with the reason that I've got from chart derives¹³ from the importance of the fissions¹⁴ in your nerve membranes¹⁵ and it makes very plausible¹⁶, physiological¹⁷ sense. Now you've got to have that sort of prior evidence in order to really make in worthwhile to go for a trial, in my opinion. I mean, you could just work your way through thousands of things doing trials and cost a fortune and it would be extremely uneconomic. 

主持人：2005年，生理学者亚力克斯·理查森提出了一个试探性的假设，她认为缺少omega-3脂肪酸是对人体有害的。她设计了一个临床试验，实验对象是一群深受行为和情绪混乱折磨的在校学生。她相信食品补给品对这种疾病有积极作用。牛津硬质小麦研究小组会将此项试验的进展绘制成图表。

亚力克斯·理查森：我们从英国的一所小学里挑选了大约120个学生。这些小孩的年龄分布在5岁，6岁到11岁不等。我们将他们分成两组，给其中一组服用了脂肪酸，另一组是镇静剂。我们发现，在接下来的三个月里，服用脂肪酸补给品的学生不仅在行为有了显著的变化，他们的阅读能力，拼写能力以及读写能力都有很大的提高。

主持人：这些孩子本身是正常，健康的？还是他们因为别的什么原因才在学校表现失常呢？

亚力克斯·理查森：事实上，他们的症状被称为在一定条件下的发展性协调障碍。比如我们知道的消化不良，它通常与先天性的消化不良有很多共同点，与紧张多动症类似。

主持人：你是说在三个月后，那组服用含有两组关键omega-3脂肪酸成分的脂肪酸的学生行为都有所提高，提高程度都有多少呢？

亚力克斯·理查森：服用活性补给品组的学生，阅读水平在三个月内提高的程度相当于正常过程中九个月才能到达的程度。服用安慰剂组的学生，只达到了正常的程度，阅读水平在三个月内就只达到三个月的水平。这就是我们想在这个实验中得到的结果。在拼写方面，服用补给品的学生在三个月内就达到了在常情况下普通学生需要六个月才能取得的进步，也就是提高速度是正常情况的两到三倍。

主持人：事实说明，就算孩子没有摄取足够的这种特别类型的omega-3脂肪酸，他们也不至于饿死。你知道，当他们摄取份外的omega-3脂肪酸时，会对他们的学习能力产生不同的影响吗？

亚力克斯·理查森：我们不能在这项研究中采集血液样品去测量omega-3脂肪酸在血液中的含量，像以前我们曾经对精神状况正常的人这样试验过的那样，而且我们也无法每天做记录。因此，我们现在还无法得知，但是我们需要弄清楚，大脑要摄入多少omega-3脂肪酸才能达到最佳状态。

主持人：但是，在这个案例里，有没有可能起作用的是那些营养元素而不是omega-3脂肪酸，如果科学家不知道这种中枢脂肪酸的最佳状态，他们如何能确定他们的证据是关键的呢？他们是无法做到，但牛津大学的神经生理学教授约翰·斯坦相信他们有足够的证据支撑他们的论点。

约翰·斯坦：你必须从理论依据开始，因为我从由神经膜裂变的意义得出的图表显示，人的神经膜会带来似是而非的生理感觉。我认为，现在你已经得到了那种为做一次真正有价值的试验的重要证据。我是说，你可以通过其它成百上千种方式来做试验碰碰运气，但没有理论基础的试验花费甚大，很不经济。

1 physiologist   

n.生理学家

参考例句：

• Russian physiologist who observed conditioned salivary responses in dogs (1849-1936). （1849-1936）苏联生理学家，在狗身上观察到唾液条件反射，曾获1904年诺贝尔生理学-医学奖。
• The physiologist recently studied indicated that evening exercises beneficially. 生理学家新近研究表明，傍晚锻炼最为有益。

2 detrimental   

adj.损害的，造成伤害的

参考例句：

• We know that heat treatment is detrimental to milk.我们知道加热对牛奶是不利的。
• He wouldn't accept that smoking was detrimental to health.他不相信吸烟有害健康。

3 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

4 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

6 placebo   

n.安慰剂；宽慰话

参考例句：

• The placebo has been found to work with a lot of different cases.人们已发现安慰剂能在很多不同的病例中发挥作用。
• The placebo effect refers to all the observable behaviors caused by placebo.安慰剂效应是指由安慰剂所引起的可观察的行为。

7 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

8 overlaps   

v.部分重叠( overlap的第三人称单数 )；（物体）部份重叠；交叠；（时间上）部份重叠

参考例句：

• The style in these two books largely overlaps. 这两本书的文体有许多处是一致的。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The new office overlaps the functions of the one already in existence. 新机构的职能与那个现存机构的职能部分重叠。 来自辞典例句

9 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

10 intake   

n.吸入，纳入；进气口，入口

参考例句：

• Reduce your salt intake.减少盐的摄入量。
• There was a horrified intake of breath from every child.所有的孩子都害怕地倒抽了一口凉气。

11 optimal   

adj.最适宜的；最理想的；最令人满意的

参考例句：

• What is the optimal mix of private and public property rights in natural resources?私人和国家的自然资源产权的最适宜的组合是什么？
• Optimal path planning is a key link for the sailing contest.帆船最优行驶路径规划是帆船比赛取胜的关键环节。

12 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 derives   

v.得到( derive的第三人称单数 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取

参考例句：

• English derives in the main from the common Germanic stock. 英语主要源于日耳曼语系。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He derives his income from freelance work. 他以自由职业获取收入。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 fissions   

（原子的）分裂，裂变( fission的名词复数 )； 分裂生殖

参考例句：

• The free neutrons can bombard other nuclei, leading to a series of fissions a chain reaction. 自由中子可以轰击其它的核，导致一系列的裂变，称为链锁反应。

15 membranes   

n.（动物或植物体内的）薄膜( membrane的名词复数 )；隔膜；（可起防水、防风等作用的）膜状物

参考例句：

• The waste material is placed in cells with permeable membranes. 废液置于有渗透膜的槽中。 来自辞典例句
• The sarcoplasmic reticulum is a system of intracellular membranes. 肌浆网属于细胞内膜系统。 来自辞典例句

16 plausible   

adj.似真实的，似乎有理的，似乎可信的

参考例句：

• His story sounded plausible.他说的那番话似乎是真实的。
• Her story sounded perfectly plausible.她的说辞听起来言之有理。

17 physiological   

adj.生理学的，生理学上的

参考例句：

• He bought a physiological book.他买了一本生理学方面的书。
• Every individual has a physiological requirement for each nutrient.每个人对每种营养成分都有一种生理上的需要。