====== 纪录片:维生素的真相
我们每年要将3亿英镑花在药丸上面
We're spending three hundred
million pounds a year on pills,
有些人相信这些药丸是了不起的自然方式
以防止甚至治愈
that some believe to be an amazing
natural way to prevent, or even cure,
一些对人类最为致命的疾病
some of our most deadly diseases.
而每一天
And every day,
成百上千万的人们在补充着维生素
millions of people take
vitamin supplements,
坚信其效力能使他们保持健康
convinced of their power
to keep them healthy.
如果你想要生活长寿而健康
If you want to lead a
long and healthy life,
再补充些
eat right and take supplements.
但科学家们有着不断增长的忧虑
But there is a growing
anxiety from scientists
即我们服用大剂量一些维生素的习惯
that our habit of taking
large doses of some vitamins
可能会有非常不同的后果
could have very different consequences.
对于大多数人来说服用大剂量的
For most people there's
absolutely no benefit
维生素补剂绝不会有益处
in taking high dose vitamin supplements.
最好的情况下也就是浪费金钱
At best, they're a waste of money
在最糟的情况下
那些可能会严重地影响你的健康
and at worst, they could
seriously affect your health.
今晚'地平线'将检视维生素革命
Tonight Horizon examines
the vitamin revolution,
并要调查国内最受欢迎的
and investigates the facts
维生素的事实情况
about the nation's favourite vitamins.
它们确实有效吗?
Do they work?
服用它们安全吗?
And are they safe?
Maddie Walford 33岁
Maddie Walford is thirty-three
过着积极的生活
and leads an active life.
吃得讲究
She eats well,
并经常做运动
and exercises regularly.
为确保她身体健康
And to make sure she stays healthy
她确信她需要每日
she's convinced that she needs to take
服用三片特别药丸
three special pills every day.
我绝对是个服药成瘾者
I'm definitely a pill-popper.
总是周围有很多别人开的玩笑
There have been so many
jokes going on about,
比如我在办公室的事
sort of, me in the office,
因为每天早上我都会将维生素罐排好
because I line up my
vitamin jars every morning
再服下所有药丸
and take all the pills.
有过笑话是说我会发出卡嗒卡嗒声
There have been jokes about me rattling
在走路时
when I walk.
我的一些家庭成员认为我是彻头彻尾的疯子
Some of my family members just
think I'm a complete maniac.
Dina West在伦敦教授说外语的学生
Dina West teaches foreign
language students in London.
这个单词里有多少个音节?
How many syllables in this word?
她的日程表很忙碌
She has a hectic schedule.
因此这是平房
So it's bungalow.
平房
Bungalow.
好极了 做得好
Perfect, ok well done.
她也确信要感觉良好
She too is convinced that to feel good
并保持健康
她就另外需要维生素药丸
and stay healthy she
needs extra vitamin pills.
我服用各种各样的维生素
I take a variety of vitamins,
像是维生素鸡尾酒
a cocktail of vitamins,
大概是每天11片
probably about eleven a day.
我服用它们已超过25年甚至更久
I have taken them over a period
of twenty-five or more years.
而这位是Carol
And then there's Carol,
她身材适中而健康
喜爱爬山及山间漫步
she's fit and healthy and
loves hill walking and climbing.
每天早上她都服用3片维生素丸
And every morning she
takes three vitamin tablets.
每日性的
On a daily basis,
我都服维生素C以及维生素E
I take vitamin C and vitamin E,
而且还服用不少各种各样的维生素
and I take a general
sort of multi-vitamin.
她甚至在她的手提包里还带着一些
She even carries some around
with her in her handbag
以应急
in case of emergencies.
她们所有人购入这些只因有同一个想法
And all of them have
bought in to the same idea
即维生素是一种简单的
that vitamins are a simple,
最重要的是纯天然的
是保持健康身材的方式
and above all natural, way
to stay fit and healthy.
就像在不列颠的数百万人一样
Like millions of people in Britain,
她们相信维生素补剂
they believe vitamin supplements
对于快乐而有活力的未来是至关重要的
are crucial to a happy
and vigorous future.
我希望这些维生素能保护我
不受任何癌症的侵扰
I hope my vitamins will protect
me from any form of cancer.
避免早衰
Premature ageing.
保持我的视力 听力
Keep my eyesight, hearing,
以及所有器官运转如常
all my faculties intact as well.
但是维生素确有如此这般神奇力量吗?
But do vitamins really
have such remarkable powers?
维生素充其量也就是
Vitamins are nothing more
在食物中自然生成的化学物质
than chemicals that
occur naturally in food.
我们的身体不能自己生成
Our bodies cannot
produce them themselves,
而大约在一个世纪前
and nearly a century ago
科学家才发现这些有多么重要
scientists discovered
just how vital they were
对于我们的健康
for our health.
维生素是健康的身体的基本条件
Vitamins are essential
for a healthy body,
如没有它们我们就不能生存
we can't exist without them.
他们发现相当多的疾病
They found that a whole host of diseases
不是起因于病毒或细菌感染
weren't caused by infections
from viruses or bacteria,
而仅仅是因为缺乏这些维生素
but simply by the
lack of these vitamins.
颇感到物有所值的就是当一个人来此
It's very rewarding
when a person comes in
是因为有身体上的状况
with a medical condition,
或是临床上的状况
or clinical condition,
而我们能判断出那是由于维生素缺乏
and we can identify that
as a vitamin deficiency,
于是开出维生素进行治疗
并看着他们好起来
treat them with vitamins
and see them get better.
只要确保人们服用的是正确的维生素
Just by making sure people
ate the right vitamins,
那么一系列逐渐得名为“缺乏症”的病症
a whole string of what became
known as deficiency diseases
就可彻底根除
could be eradicated.
维生素A存在于奶质品
Vitamin A, found in dairy products,
肝脏及鱼类中
liver and fish,
可防止失明以及畸性发育
prevents blindness
and growth deformities.
维生素C 存在于桔子和其它柑橘类水果中
Vitamin C, from oranges
and other citrus fruit,
可有效治愈坏血病
has all but ended scurvy.
而维生素D
And vitamin D,
存在于鱼类中
found in fish,
意味着孩子们不再需要在成长中遭遇佝偻病
means children need no
longer grow up with rickets.
科学家们发现我们的食物
Scientists have found our food
包含有一种便宜而简单的方式
contained a cheap and simple way
来终结数百万人正经受的痛苦
to end the suffering
of millions of people
在全世界的范围内
around the world.
维生素的发现
The discovery of vitamins
是现代医药史上的一个里程碑
was a landmark in modern medicine,
这是第一例让我们知道
it was the first
example where we learned
疾病可能并不仅仅是由感染媒介引起的
that diseases may be caused
not just by infectious agents
而仅仅是因为在我们的
but by the simple absence
食物当中简单地缺乏一种物质
of a single substance from our diet,
即一种维生素
a vitamin.
缺乏维生素可能是
That a vitamin deficiency
could be the cause
疾病及死亡的起因
of disease and death.
如今 我们大多数人想当然地认为生活中
Today, most of us take
for granted a life free
没有由维生素缺乏而引起的疾病
from the diseases caused
by vitamin deficiency.
医生们现在相信
Doctors now believe
平衡的饮食 配合水果
that a balanced diet,
with a mix of fruits,
蔬菜 谷物和脂肪
vegetables, grains and fats,
就能向你提供微量维生素量
can give you the tiny
amounts of vitamins needed
以使你保持健康身体所需
to keep you in good health,
他们称其为'每日建议服用量'
they have called it the
recommended daily allowance.
只有在特别的情况下 比如怀孕期间
Only in special cases,
such as pregnancy,
医生通常建议服用高些的维生素剂量
do doctors normally recommend
taking higher doses of vitamins.
还有在若干情况下额外的维生素剂量可显出作用
There are times when extra
vitamin supplements are useful,
比如 叶酸
for example, folic acid
对于防止婴儿的天生缺陷极为重要
is important in preventing
birth defects in babies,
因此它对于正考虑怀孕的女士们极为重要
so it's very important for
women considering pregnancy
得要服用叶酸补充剂量
to take a folic acid supplement,
在她们怀孕前
before they're pregnant,
就在怀孕期的前十二周
and for the first twelve
weeks of pregnancy.
但在40年前
But forty years ago,
有个将会转变世人对于维生素
之理解的人出现了
someone came along who would transform
the world's perception of vitamins.
这个人影响力巨大
Someone so powerful
他将会把维生素带出医院
以及医生的执业范围
that he would take them out of the
hospital and the doctor's practice
而进入千百万人的家庭里和大街上
and into millions of
homes and high streets.
Linus Pauling是科学界的超级巨星
Linus Pauling was a
scientific superstar.
比如如果我们想到氦原子
For example if we consider a helium atom
一个有含核的原子
with the nuclear atom.
就像爱因斯坦所说的
As Albert Einstein remarked,
Linus Pauling是个天才
Linus Pauling was a genius.
他极富才气
He was so brilliant
是唯一的一个赢得了两次诺贝尔奖的人
that he is the only man to win
two individual Nobel Prizes,
一次是化学奖 一次是和平奖
once for chemistry and once for peace.
这两次诺贝尔奖使他拥有惊人的科学信度
Two Nobel Prizes gave him
astonishing scientific credibility.
还不只是位了不起的天才
In addition to being
an incredible genius,
他还是位非常迷人而富魅力的绅士
he was also a very charming
and charismatic man.
尽管他于十年前过世
Though he died ten years ago,
他对于分子结构的研究
his work on the structure of molecules
仍是现代科学的基石
is still the basis of modern science.
直到Pauling的出现来革新化学界之前
Until Pauling came along
to revolutionise chemistry,
将原子和分子联系起来的自然纽带
the nature of the bond that
held atoms and molecules together
还确实不为人知
really was not well known.
而Pauling提供了这个基础
And Pauling provided this foundation
为现代化学
for modern chemistry.
似乎他可以毫不费力地
It seemed he could go effortlessly
从科学的一个领域到另个领域
from one area of science to another.
他有着百科全书般的知识
He had an encyclopaedic
knowledge of chemistry,
对于化学 物理 生物和药学方面physics, biology, medicine.
作为化学家
As a chemist,
我有必要的背景知识
I have a background of knowledge
使我得以接受新思想
that permits me to
appreciate the new ideas,
但我也非常喜欢
but I also like very much
能有自己的新思想
having new ideas myself.
在20世纪60年代末期
And in the late 1960s,
这位伟人有了个重要思想
the great man had a huge idea.
Pauling逐渐确信
Pauling became convinced
维生素不仅能预防营养缺乏症
that vitamins could not only
prevent deficiency diseases,
还能起着其它大得多的作用
they could do something far, far bigger.
他相信维生素有能力来预防那些与
He believed they had the power to prevent diseases
营养缺乏症完全无关的疾病
that had nothing to do with deficiency at all,
那是些威胁着我们每个人的疾病
diseases which threatened
every one of us,
譬如癌症
like cancer.
心脏病
Heart disease.
它们甚至还能延缓衰老
They could even delay ageing.
据Pauling的说法 关键是
The key, according to Pauling,
要大剂量地服用
was to take them in huge doses.
这是个极具革命性的想法
It was a very revolutionary idea
因为在那时
because at the time
大多数传统的科学家和营养学家
most conventional
scientists and nutritionists
对维生素感兴趣
were interested in vitamins
是基于它们与营养缺乏症之间的关联
with respect to their
associated deficiency diseases,
要达到最佳健康状态的目的 不是
and not achieving optimal health
通过增加服用维生素剂量
by increasing the intake of vitamins.
当Pauling将他的看法传达给全世界时
When Pauling took his
message to the world,
大众欣然接受了
the public loved it.
这毕竟是在60年代It was after all the 60s,
看起来维生素针对我们最害怕的疾病提供了
and vitamins seemed to offer a safe, easy remedy
一种安全而简单的治疗方式
to the illnesses we most feel.
你不总是需要大医药公司以及药物
You didn't always need big
pharmaceutical companies and drugs,
你只需要药丸形式的天然疗方
you just needed nature's
remedy in pill form.
这个信息简单明了
The message was simple.
如果要预防佝楼病所需的维生素量为10毫克
If the amount of vitamin C required
to stave off scurvy was ten milligrams,
这在一片橙子中就能含有
and could be found in a slice of orange,
那么这个量的数千倍
then thousands of times more,
相当于100来个橙子
the equivalent of over one hundred oranges,
而比每日建议用量的要多上250多倍
and more than two hundred and fifty
times the recommended daily allowance
就更好了
was even better.
因为那就能让你预防感染上最气人的疾病
Because that could prevent you from
catching the most irritating of diseases,
即感冒
the common cold.
适当地服用维生素C有助于避免患上感冒
The proper intake of vitamin C
helps keep one from catching colds.
对于这种说法
Pauling所说的大剂量维生素C
To this claim, Pauling's claim
that huge doses of vitamin C
能让你避免患上感冒被大家认定为科学事实
can prevent you catching a cold
is popularly believed to be scientific truth.
有助于抵挡感冒
It helps ward off colds.
帮助你预防感冒
Helps you to prevent colds.
预防感冒和流感 那是我所认为的
Prevents colds and flu,
that's what I take it for.
一位诺贝尔奖获得者声称它能治愈感冒
A Nobel Prize winner says that it
cures the common cold.
Pauling对于服用大剂量维生素的信奉
Pauling's belief in taking
large doses of vitamins
激励了新一代的健康顾问
has inspired a whole new
breed of health advisors.
Patrick Holford是其中
最为大家熟知的一位
Patrick Holford is one of the
most popular and well known.
他是20多本书的作者
He is the author of
more than twenty books,
推广为了健康使用补充剂
promoting the use of
supplements for good health.
这是维生素A
This is vitamin A,
对你的皮肤极有益
it's great for your skin.
他已成立了一个最佳营养方面的机构
He has founded an institute
for optimum nutrition.
这是维生素B
This is vitamin B,
益于补充能量
it's good for energy
而且有助于使你保持情绪平稳
and it helps to keep your mood even.
他相信最佳健康状态
He believes that optimum health
来自于运动
comes from physical activity,
好的精神状态
a good state of mind,
以及营养饮食
and a nutritious diet.
所有这些
All topped up
再加上每日大剂量
with large daily doses
维生素
of vitamins.
我相信服用维生素补充剂
I believe that taking
vitamin supplements,
不仅能增加生命年限
not only adds years to your life,
还能在有生之年增加活力
but also adds life to your years.
在他们之间
Between them,
Pauling和营养学家们
Pauling and the nutritionists,
帮助兴起了一个巨大的产业
have helped spawn a vast industry.
在超市里
In supermarkets,
健康食品店和药店里
health food shops and chemists,
你都能买到维生素补充剂
you can buy vitamin supplements.
所有的均标明为安全的
All marketed as a safe,
天然的方式来助你保持感觉良好
natural way to help
you stay feeling good,
看上去漂亮
looking beautiful,
而且身体健康
and being healthy.
仅在不列颠
In Britain alone,
我们一年花在这些药丸上就有
we spend three hundred
million pounds a year
3亿英磅
on these pills.
Carol Reed是位典型顾客
Carol Reed is a typical customer.
她购买了总价达2千万英磅的维生素C中的一部分
She buys some of the twenty million
pounds worth of vitamin C tablets
每年所销售的
that are sold every year.
这无疑是最普遍的维生素
It is far and away the
most popular vitamin,
她每天服用500毫克
and she takes five
hundred milligrams a day,
是每日建议用量的近9倍
nearly nine times the
recommended daily allowance.
都是因为
And all because
她对于Linus Pauling的理论全然相信
she has complete faith in
the theory of Linus Pauling.
我服用维生素C
I take vitamin C
因为我相信它确实将我的免疫系统构筑至
because I believe it actually
builds my immune system
使我能够到那种程度 抵抗
to the extent that I can fight off
感冒
the common cold.
但维生素C能预防感冒吗?
But does vitamin C really
prevent the common cold
当真如Pauling相信的那样吗?
as Linus Pauling believed?
确实的科学证据是什么?
What is the actual scientific evidence?
位于美国的西海岸的
On America's west coast
是俄勒冈州立大学
is Oregon State University.
它是Linus Pauling研究所所在地
It is home to the
Linus Pauling Institute,
这个研究所的建立是为了
继续他对维生素的研究
which was founded to continue
his research in to vitamins.
我认为Linus Pauling
I think Linus Pauling
是首个真正
was one of the first to really
理解维生素所扮演的角色
understand the role of
vitamins above and beyond
在预防营养缺乏症方面
preventing deficiency disease.
他称之为“分子矫正医学”
And he called that
orthomolecular medicine,
即合适的分子在适度的浓度
so the right molecule at
the right concentration,
就能提供最佳健康度
which can provide optimum health,
而不仅仅是预防营养缺乏症
and not just prevent deficiency disease.
Balz Frei教授
Professor Balz Frei
是一位世界顶尖的研究
is one of the world's leading experts
维生素C的专家
on vitamin C.
他已进行了研究
He has studied the evidence
包括数千自愿者在内的医疗试验方面的证据
from clinical trials involving
thousands of volunteers
他们来自世界各地
from across the world,
这些试验用来调查Pauling关于
designed to investigate Pauling's claim
大剂量的维生素C
that large doses of vitamin C
可抵御感冒的这一主张
fights the common cold.
起初看起来
And at first it seems
Pauling确实有道理
that Pauling really was on to something.
维生素C确有效果
Vitamin C does have an effect
对于感冒
on the common cold,
只要你已染上的话
once you've already caught it.
我认为维生素C
I think there is a role for vitamin C
对于缩短感冒症状出现的持续时间能起到一定作用
in shortening the duration of
the symptoms of the common cold,
可缩短约20%
by about twenty per cent.
症状缓和了
And ameliorating the symptoms,
你就不会像没有服用维C补充剂时那么难受了
so you're not as sick as without
taking vitamin C supplements,
我认为那方面他是正确的
and I think he was right with that.
但接着Frei教授检验了Pauling的主要断言
But then Professor Frei
examined Pauling's central claim,
即首先发起了维生素革命的观念
the idea that first sparked
the vitamin revolution.
恰到好处地服用维生素C有助于
The proper intake of vitamin C helps
使人避免染上感冒
keep one from catching colds.
而对于此断言
And for this claim,
即大剂量的维生素C可使你避免染上感冒
that huge doses of vitamin C
can prevent you catching colds
首先一开始
in the first place,
检验结果很不一致
the results are very different.
我已查看了关于
I've looked at the evidence
维生素C可预防感冒的证据
that vitamin C can
prevent the common cold,
但对于普通大众来说
but for the general population
还确实没有科学研究方面的证据显示
there is really no evidence
from scientific studies
维生素C可以降低感冒的发生率
that vitamin C can lower the
incidence of the common cold,
或是首先能预防
or prevent it in the first place.
因此服用维C补充剂将不会有助于
So taking vitamin C
supplements is not going to help
预防染上感冒
prevent the common cold.
换而言之
In other words,
这个专门设立以继续从事Linus Pauling工作的
研究所的主管
the director of the very institute
set up to pursue Linus Pauling's work,
如今相信那位伟人是错的
now believes that the
great man was wrong.
服用大剂量的维生素C
Taking large doses of vitamin C
不会使你避免染上感冒
does not prevent you from
catching the common cold.
当然了
那将不能阻止像Carol这样的数百万人
Of course, that won't stop
millions of people like Carol
继续服用
from taking it.
那些试验结果将不会影响
The results of those trials
are not going to influence
事实上我经常性地去购入维生素C
the fact that I go out and buy
vitamin C on a regular basis,
以及服用维生素C
and take vitamin C,
因为对我来说 服用一片维生素C会对我的身体有帮助
because for me taking a vitamin
C tablet will help my body,
使我身体得以避免染上感冒
prevent my body catching a cold.
尽管Carol未必在对她自身造成危害
And while Carol is unlikely
to be doing herself any harm,
但事实仍然为:压倒性的科学证据主体
the fact remains that the overwhelming
body of scientific evidence
表明对不列颠的大多数人来说
says that for most people in Britain,
服用高剂量的维生素C以预防染上感冒
taking high doses of vitamin
C to prevent getting colds,
就是浪费钱
is a waste of money.
当然
人们决定要服用维C补充剂
Of course, there are other
reasons why people decide
还有其它的原因
to take vitamin C supplements.
有一个特别的维生素族称为抗氧化剂
It's one of a special group of
vitamins called antioxidants.
维生素的如此效力
Vitamins of such power,
信奉者们将确实卓越的功能
the believers ascribe to them properties
归于它们
that are truly remarkable.
我相信它们能保护你的大脑
I believe they can protect your brain,
你的身体 你的动脉
your body, your arteries,
不仅可以延缓衰老过程
and not only slow
down the ageing process
还可以使你远离疾病
but keep you free of diseases,
不会得心脏病 癌症 阿尔茨海默症
from heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's,
所有那些21世纪生灵遭受的灾难
all the tragedies of
twenty first century living.
这些卓效声明都是因为
抗氧化剂如何对于我们
These huge claims are all
because of how antioxidants work
身体中称为自由基的物质产生作用的缘故
on something in our body
called free radicals.
自由基是存在于我们身体细胞内的
Free radicals are unstable molecules
不稳定的分子
that exist in our cells.
它们攻击邻近的分子
They attack other nearby molecules,
窃取一个电子以及一个原子
stealing an electron and with it an atom
以变得再度稳定
to become stable again.
而当遭受攻击的分子失去那个电子时
When the attacked
molecule loses that atom,
它自身就变成了一个自由基
it becomes a free radical itself,
开始连锁反应
beginning a chain reaction.
通常身体能处理这些自由基
Normally the body can
handle these free radicals,
但如果数量过多
but if there are too many,
细胞就会遭到全然损坏
cells can be damaged with
devastating consequences.
自由基损害和一些疾病相关
Free radical damage is associated
with a number of diseases,
如心脏病和癌症
like heart disease and cancer,
以及黄斑病变
and macular degeneration,
但我们也认为自由基对细胞和组织的损害
but we also think that free
radical damage to cells and tissues
是老化过程本身 即我们为何变老的
is a fundamental part of
the ageing process itself,
一个基本部分
why we grow old.
这部分是归因于
It's in part due
自由基的活动
to the activity of free radicals.
但抗氧化剂
But antioxidants,
特别是指维生素A C和E
in particular vitamins A, C and E,
会痛击自由基
mop up the free radicals
并阻止它们攻击我们的细胞
and stop them from attacking our cells.
一个简单的演示
A simple demonstration,
只要用上一块牛排
with nothing more than a piece of steak,
就能显示维生素E
can show just how good vitamin E is
防止自由基损害
at preventing free radical damage,
或是氧化过程
or oxidation.
当你在食品店里看见它时
When you look at it in the grocery store
它的红色很漂亮
it's red and beautiful.
那是维生素E在保护着肉不致氧化
That's the vitamin E that's
protecting the meat from oxidation.
我要向你们展示的
What I'm going to show you
所发生的事
is what happens
是当你破坏了维生素E后
if you destroy the vitamin E.
那么我们就取用这个化学物质
So we're going to take this chemical
放在肉的表面上
and place it on the surface of the meat.
它确实将会破坏掉维生素E
That's going to actually
destroy vitamin E.
一旦维生素E给破坏掉
Once the vitamin E is destroyed
肉中的细胞就会被自由基所吞没
the cells in the meat are
swamped by free radicals.
只要几分钟时间
Within just a few minutes
肉就开始变成棕色并发臭
the meat starts to
turn brown and rancid,
细胞遭到致命损毁
the cells have been fatally damaged.
而同样的事可能会发生在你身体中
And the same thing
would happen to your body
如果你没有维生素E的保护效果
if you didn't have the
protective effect of vitamin E.
许多大型研究已表明
Many large studies have shown
食用富含抗氧化剂食物
that people who eat a
diet rich in antioxidants,
比如水果 蔬菜 谷物和脂肪的人
found in foods such as fruits,
vegetables, grains and fats,
会更长寿 也更健康
live longer, healthier lives.
对于所进行的
The studies that have been done
食物研究
in respect of food
表明那些有着高质量饮食
indicate that individuals
with a good quality diet,
即含很多具抗氧化作用的维生素的人
with lots of anti-oxidant
vitamins present
对于染上主要疾病会有低些的风险
have a decrease incidence
of the major diseases.
但有些人认为
But some people think
你能得到的抗氧化性维生素的数量
that the amount of antioxidant
vitamins you can get,
如果仅依靠平衡饮食
simple by eating a balanced diet,
是不够的
are not enough.
他们相信你得要摄入多得多
They believe that you
need to take much more,
那意味着要服用大剂量的药丸
and that means popping high dose pills.
Dina West就是其中一位
Dina West is one of them,
她每天都要服用大量的维生素E胶囊
she takes a high dose
vitamin E capsule every day,
是建议每日摄入量的40倍
it contains forty times the
recommended daily allowance.
维生素E是一种抗氧化剂
Vitamin E is an antioxidant,
它有助于抵抗讨厌的自由基
and it helps to fight
the nasty free radicals,
那些是毒素
which are toxins.
我喜欢那样
And I like that,
我可不想有什么讨厌的东西
在我身体里到处窜
I don't want anything nasty
racing around in my body
非常感谢
thank you very much.
而它们 它们帮了我大忙
And they help, they help me a lot.
但最近有一份研究出来
But recently there's
been a piece of research
表明Dina可能未能从她的
that suggests Dina could
be missing any benefit
维E补充剂内得到任何益处
from her vitamin E supplements.
这都是因为
And it's all because
她的服用方式
of how she takes them.
她经常是急急忙忙地
She's often in a rush,
省去了早餐
skips breakfast,
只是用杯水吞下那些药丸
and so swallows her pills
with a glass of water
空腹服用
on an empty stomach.
Dina可能未能获取任何潜在益处这看法
The idea that Dina could be
missing any potential benefit
关于维生素E的
from vitamin E
来自于Linus Pauling机构的Maret Traber
came from Maret Traber at
the Linus Pauling Institute.
维E是一种脂溶性维生素
Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin,
意味着它得要和一些脂肪同时服下才会被吸收
that means it has to be eaten
with some fat to be absorbed.
因此像Dina所做的那样用杯水空腹服用药丸
So popping a pill just with water
on an empty stomach like Dina does,
可能根本没有效用
might be almost no good at all.
在一个实验中 Traber教授给了志愿者
In an experiment Professor
Traber gave volunteers
一颗维生素E丸以及一杯去脂牛奶
a vitamin E pill and a glass of
virtually fat free skimmed milk.
然后她分析了他们的血液
She then analysed their blood
查看有多少维生素E
to see just how much vitamin E
被吸收了
had been absorbed.
分析结果惊人
The results were striking.
当实验人员就着一杯牛奶服用维生素E时
When the subjects took their
vitamin E pill with a glass of milk,
几乎没有被吸收
hardly any was absorbed.
我认为我们的研究表明
I think the implication of our study
如果你要服用维生素E丸
is that if you take a vitamin E pill,
你最好是同时吃一些食物
you'd better take it with some food,
你最好是同时吃一些有
you'd better take it with some food
脂肪在内的食物
that has fat in it,
不然对你自己就不会产生任何益处
or you're not doing yourself any good.
换而言之
In other words,
如果Traber教授是对的
if Professor Traber is right,
那么对于那些不同时吃下
含脂肪食物的维E服用者来说
then anyone who takes
vitamin E without a fatty meal
可能就是在浪费时间
could be wasting their time.
但她的实验中也有些不寻常的部分
But there was something
unusual about her experiment.
Traber教授用的是特别制作的药丸
Professor Traber used
specially manufactured pills,
她没有使用商品化的产品
she did not use a
commercially available product.
'地平线'决定要更进一步地
研究Traber教授的看法
Horizon decided to investigate
Professor Traber's ideas further.
究竟有多重要?
Just how important was it
服下维生素E丸要与含脂肪食物一起
to take a vitamin E
pill with a fatty meal?
我们委托伦敦国王学院
We commissioned King's College London,
这世界上最顶尖的维E研究中心之一
one of the world's leading
research centres on vitamin E,
来进行实验
to run the experiment.
牵头的是Frank Kelly教授
In charge was Professor Frank Kelly.
他将测试的药丸是从一个大街上的药店买来的
The pills he would test had been
bought in a high street chemist.
Dina以及其他四名志愿者
Dina and four other volunteers
同意参与一个突破性的研究
agreed to take part in
a ground-breaking study.
每位志愿者被告知要确保空腹
Each volunteer was told to make
sure they had an empty stomach,
然后给他们每人一粒维E丸
then they were given a vitamin E pill
以及三种不同的饮料
with three different drinks.
第1天 是一杯不含任何脂肪的水
Day 1, a glass of
water and no fat at all.
四天后
Four days later,
是一杯全脂牛奶
a glass of full fat milk.
又过了四天
After another four days
我们再次增加了脂肪含量
we upped the fat content again
给他们的是一杯含脂肪量超过40%的奶昔
and gave them a milkshake
containing over forty per cent fat.
在服完每粒药丸后
After each pill was taken,
志愿者们每四天回到这儿
the volunteers returned every four hours
抽取血样
to give a blood sample
这样我们就可以知道他们吸收了多少维E
so we could see how much of
the vitamin E they had absorbed.
如果Traber教授的理论是对的
If Professor Traber's theory was right,
志愿者们所吸收的维生素E量会极少
the volunteers should absorb
very little of the vitamin E
在用水服药丸时
when the pill was taken with water,
而他们会吸收得相当好时
and they should absorb it very well
是用高脂奶昔服药丸
when it was taken with
the fatty milkshake.
在血样测试完成后
With the blood samples complete,
Kelly教授分析了数据
Professor Kelly analysed the data.
经过数周紧张的等待
And after several weeks
of nervous waiting,
Dina回来取实验结果
Dina returned to get the results.
好了 是时候得知真相了
So, it's time for the, the truth.
好
Good.
这是结果
你在研究中实际上是'实验人员5号'
Here are the results. You were
actually subject number 5 in the study.
好的
Ok.
这儿是用水服用的结果
And you can see here
that this is with water.
是的
Yes.
这是用全脂牛奶服用的结果
这是用奶昔的
This is with full fat milk,
and this is with the milkshake.
好了 和我们的预期相反
So, contrary to our expectations.
是的
Yes.
实际上你的吸收量
You actually have absorbed
用水
as much with water
和用其它两种饮品的是一样的
as with either the other two diets.
因此 对于你来说
用水服和用牛奶及奶昔服是同效的
So, the water was as good for
you as the milk and the milkshake,
我得说在我们看来是个令人惊奇的结果
which as I say was a
surprising result to us.
与Kelly教授的所有预期正相反
Contrary to every thing
Professor Kelly expected,
与药丸同时服下的脂肪量
the amount of fat taken with the pill
对Dina来说不会造成什么差异
had made very little difference to Dina.
而且不只是Dina的测试结果令人惊奇
And it wasn't just Dina's
results that were a surprise.
整个实验小组显示了相似的模式
The group overall
showed a similar pattern.
当Kelly博士寻求解释时
When Dr Kelly looked for an explanation
他发现在'地平线'实验中的使用的胶囊
he found that the capsules
used in the Horizon experiment
含有微量的脂肪
contained a tiny amount of fat.
脂肪常被加入
The fat is often added
以使维生素E更具流动性
to make the vitamin E more runny
并更易处理
and easier to handle.
但他未曾想到
But he hadn't suspected
这足以使吸收得以进行
that it was enough to allow absorption,
而这可能能解释意外的实验结果
and it might explain
the unexpected results.
就目前我所掌握的唯一可能的解释是
The only possible explanation
I have at this point is
在维生素E补充剂中有足量的脂肪
that there was enough fat
in the vitamin E supplement
使吸收作用得以发生
to allow that absorption to occur.
换言之
In other words,
意味着Dina可以像她目前所做的
那样服用维生素E
it means that Dina can carry on taking
her vitamin E just as she does today.
但不管如何 大多数医生建议人们
However, most doctors recommend people
从食物中获取所需的维生素E
to get the vitamin E
they need from food.
因为这个'地平线'研究项目范围小
而且只测试了一种产品
And because the Horizon study was
small and tested only one product,
对于那些决定要服用维E补充剂的人来说
for people who decide to
take vitamin E supplements,
仍建议他们在进食后再服用
it may still be advisable to take them
以使得他们自己有更好的机会来
after a meal to give
themselves the best chance
吸收维生素E
of absorbing the vitamin E.
但有另外一种抗氧化性维生素
But there is another antioxidant vitamin
更为常用
which is popular
而对这种维生素 科学家们
and about which scientists
要谨慎小心得多
are much more cautious.
即维生素A
Vitamin A.
在蔬菜中 有种称为β胡萝卜素的化学成分
In vegetables there is a
chemical called beta-carotene,
你的身体可将它转化为维生素A
which your body
converts in to vitamin A.
这成分在胡萝卜以及阔叶绿色蔬菜中均能找到
It is found in carrots
and leafy green vegetables.
似乎它具有非同一般的健康益处
And it's seen to have an
extraordinary health benefit.
研究显示
Studies have shown
常吃富含β胡萝卜素的人
that people who eat a
diet rich in beta-carotene
得肺癌的机率要小得多
are much less likely
to develop lung cancer.
而这似乎提供了
And this seemed to offer
一个真正的突破
a genuine breakthrough.
Demetrius Albanes
是一位美国顶尖的癌症专家
Demetrius Albanes is one of the
leading cancer experts in America.
他希望β胡萝卜素药丸
He hoped that beta-carotene pills
会是抵抗我们所面临最大杀手之一的简单方式
could be a simple way to fight
one of our biggest killers.
因此他和他的同事们组织了一个研究
So he and his colleagues
organised a study
以验证大剂量的药丸
to confirm that high dose pills
确实能拯救数百万条生命
really could save millions of lives.
我们非常期待看到肺癌病发率的降低
We were thoroughly expecting to see
a reduction in lung cancer incidents.
我们设计的这个研究确实能够检测到
We designed the study
actually to be able to detect
有至少25%的减少量
at least a twenty
five per cent reduction
而我会说目前我们中大多数人
and I would say many of us at the time
估计应该会观察到有25%至50%的减少量
would have estimated we might observe a
twenty five to fifty per cent reduction
在肺癌方面
in lung cancer.
1万5千人要求服用大剂量的β胡萝卜药丸
Fifteen thousand people were given
high dose beta-carotene pills,
每颗药丸含有6根胡萝卜的量
each one containing the
equivalent of six carrots.
为更好地观察这些药丸是否真能预防肺癌
To have the best chance of seeing whether
the pills really could prevent lung cancer,
因此将药丸给予那些最可能染疾的人
they were given to people
most likely to develop it,
即吸烟者
smokers.
八年来 一组安全专家
For eight years a team of safety experts
监察着志愿者的健康状况
monitored the volunteer's health.
看起来一切进展顺利
And it seemed that everything
was progressing normally.
但就在试验接近尾声的时候
But then, just before
the trial was due to end,
他们给召到一个突然会议上
they called a surprise meeting.
关键的调查人员给召集到委员会上
The key investigators were
called in to the committee,
他们告知我们
and they informed us that we had some
对于β胡萝卜素有一些状况发生了
effect happening with
respect to the beta-carotene.
他们告诉我们
实际上得肺癌的机率有些许升高
They informed us that we in fact
had a small increase in lung cancer
在使用的β胡萝卜素的小组
in the beta-carotene group.
看起来β胡萝卜素药丸
It seemed that beta-carotene pills,
大家都指望会御防肺癌发生
which every one had hoped
would prevent lung cancer,
起到的是完全相反的效果
were having the exact opposite effect.
我认为在起初阶段会有大范围的惊慌
I think there was a
mass panic to begin with
因为这确实就是我们指望科学起作用的方式
because this is really the way
we expected the science to work.
这是个推翻了一切的结果
It was a devastating result.
服用了药丸的人显示出
The people taking the pill had shown
得上肺癌的机率升高了18%
an eighteen per cent
increase in lung cancer.
我听到这些结果的第一个反应
My first response on
hearing these results
是惊呆了 还不敢相信
was being stunned and
not really believing it.
我想这结果是个意外
I thought the results were a fluke.
但它不是意外
But it was no fluke,
18个月后关于β胡萝卜素的消息
eighteen months later the
news about beta-carotene
越发糟糕了
got even worse.
另一个相似的研究在两年前停止了
Another similar study was
stopped two years early.
期间的分析
An interim analysis
显示有28%的增长率
showed that there was a
twenty eight per cent increase
得肺癌的数量
in the number of lung cancers
在那些服药的人中间
in those taking the intervention.
科学家们仍没能完全明白
Scientists still do not fully understand
为什么β胡萝卜素在食物中显得如此有益
why beta-carotene appears
so beneficial in food
但在服用高剂量的情况下似乎对
but seemed to have such a
devastating effect on smokers
吸烟人士有着如此恶劣的作用
when taken in a high dose pill.
但正因为这些研究
But because of these studies,
在2003年 英国的健康安全专家
in 2003 safety experts in the UK
建议吸烟人士不要服用β胡萝卜素补充剂
advise smokers not to take
beta-carotene supplements.
并建议大家
And advised everyone
限制他们每日服用的大剂量药丸
to limit their daily
intake from high dose pills.
这些研究是有益的教训
These studies were a salutary lesson
即维生素补充剂
that vitamin supplements
不单单是一些无害的天然药物
were not just some
harmless natural remedy.
高剂量的它们会有出人意料的
In high doses they could have unexpected
并危险的后果
and dangerous consequences.
当β胡萝卜素的负面效果在以后的研究中
得到证实后
When the results of the adverse effects of
beta-carotene were confirmed in later studies,
我们开始理解大剂量
we began to understand that high doses
对于特定人群及特定环境之下
in certain populations and
under certain circumstances
确实可能有害
really could be harmful.
我认为我们大受教益
I think we learned a great lesson.
对于大剂量维生素可能有害的担心如此强烈
So great is the fear that large doses
of some vitamins can be dangerous,
而如今一些科学家们发布了警示
that some scientists are
now sounding the alert
是关于维生素A的另一种常见形式
about another common form of vitamin A.
称为视黄醇
It's called retinol.
Maddie Walford是众人中的一员
Maddie Walford is one of the many people
每天都服用这种维生素A补充剂
who take this type of vitamin A supplement every day.
她服用的高强度药丸
She takes a high strength pill
含有近三倍于
containing nearly three times
每日建议服用量
the recommended daily allowance.
我服用高强度维生素的原因
The reason I take a
high strength vitamin,
老实说我不很清楚
to be honest I'm not quite sure,
但我想可能是因为它更有效力吧
but I thought it was probably
because it had more potency.
也就因此
And would therefore,
因此就值得所花的钱
therefore be you know worth the money.
但这种你服用越多的维生素A就越好的想法
But the idea that the more
vitamin A you consume the better
如果无节制就会导致可怕的后果
can lead to terrible
consequences if taken to excess.
Rob Goldin博士是位病理学家
Doctor Rob Goldin is a pathologist
他在伦敦的圣玛丽医院
at St Mary's Hospital in London.
他专门研究了肝病起因的诊断
He specialises in diagnosing
the cause of liver disease
而最近他进行了一位三十来岁
and recently he was given a biopsy
病人的活组织切片检查
from a sick patient in his thirties.
给我展示了一些肝脏活组织检查的幻灯片
I was referred some
slides on a liver biopsy
来自于另一家医院的病人
from a patient of another hospital
要试着确定这肝病的起因
to try and ascertain the
cause of liver disease
因为还没有明显的起因
because there was no obvious cause.
我对这肝脏活组织检查进行审视时
The first thing I did when I examined
所做的第一件事是要寻找病毒性肝炎或者
the liver biopsy was to look
for evidence of viral hepatitis,
酗酒性肝病的症状
or alcoholic liver disease,
这两者是肝损害最常见的起因
the commonest cause of liver damage.
而都看不到
I couldn't see any of these.
因此Goldin博士得要
So Doctor Goldin had to look
寻求另外的解释
for another explanation,
而他知道维生素A
and he knew that vitamin A
可能掌握着答案
might hold the answer.
如果你每天摄入的维生素A
If you consume more vitamin A each day
比你身体所真实需要的多
than your body actually require
那么维生素A就会在你体内累积
then the vitamin A will
accumulate in your body
因为并不容易将它排泄出体外
because there's no
easy way of excreting it
而它所累积的地方就是肝脏
and the place where it
accumulates is the liver.
Goldin博士接着检查了取样
Doctor Goldin then examined the sample
以寻找维生素A造成损害的迹象
to look for the telltale
signs of vitamin A damage.
在屏幕上这一半
On this half of the screen
你可以看到正常的肝组织
you can see some normal liver
有着正常的肝细胞
with normal healthy liver cells.
在屏幕上的这一半
On this half of the screen
可以看到从病人体内取得的肝切片
you can see the liver
biopsy from the patient,
在这幻灯片中疤痕组织给染成蓝色
and in this slide the
scar tissue stains blue,
你可以看到有疤痕组织
and you can see there's blue scar tissue
环绕着肝细胞
surrounding the liver cells.
现在这位病人体内的这种疤痕组织
Now the pattern of this
scar tissue deposition
沉积样式使得我认为
in this patient made me think
他的肝病可能是由维生素A引起的
that the liver disease
could be caused by vitamin A,
这可能就是他的肝脏问题的解释
and that this could be the
explanation of his liver problems.
但令人惊奇的是
But surprisingly
病人的医疗记录
the patient's medical records
没有提到过他在服用维生素A补充剂
made no mention of him
taking vitamin A supplements.
我联系了病人所在医院的临床医生
I contacted the clinician
at the referring hospital,
看看他的病人是否一直在服用超乎常量的维生素A
to check whether his patient had been
taking excessive amounts of vitamin A.
他回去询问了病人
He went back to the patient.
细察之下 病人说他们的确一直在大量服用
On close examining the patient said
they had been taking excessive amounts
但之前没有提及
but hadn't mentioned this earlier
是因为他不认为维生素A是一种药
because he didn't consider
vitamin A to be a drug.
像这样的案例极为罕见
Cases like this are extremely rare,
通常还包括那些服用与许多相当量
they normally involve
taking the equivalent
高强度维生素A药丸的案例
of many high strength vitamin A pills,
每天 经年
every day, for years.
但这些案例提醒我们所有人
即维生素A
But they serve to remind
us all that vitamin A,
以视黄醇的形式
in the form of retinol,
尽管不是药
although not a drug,
仍是强效化学品
is a powerful chemical.
而如今 维生素A的安全摄入水平
And today, the safe level
of vitamin A consumption
是激烈争论的课题
is the subject of fierce debate.
Patrick Halford建议
Patrick Halford recommends
人应摄入2500微克
people take 2500 micrograms,
而这是每日建议服用量的三倍多
that's over three times the
recommended daily allowance,
因为他确信
because he is convinced
这样会达成更好的健康
that it will lead to better health.
维生素A是绝对必不可少的
Vitamin A is absolutely essential
对身体内的每个细胞
for every single cell in the body.
它帮助保护你的DNA
It helps to protect your DNA,
帮助使你的皮肤健康
it helps to keep your skin healthy,
帮助保护你的身体细胞免受感染
it helps to protect your
body cells from infection.
因此它是一种基本的维生素
So it's an essential vitamin,
你每天都需要它
you need it every day.
但在近些年
But in recent years
一些证据开始显示出来
evidence has emerged that suggests
即使是这样的量也可能有害
even this amount could be harmful.
而每个人都需要认真考虑
And everyone needs to think carefully
他们所消耗的维生素A的量
about the amount of
vitamin A they consume.
瑞典是个富裕的国家
Sweden is a prosperous country,
那里的人们长寿而健康
where people live
long and healthy lives.
但令人惊异的是它有着世界上最高的一种
But surprisingly it has one
of the world's highest rates
令人衰弱的疾病-骨质疏松症的发病率
of a debilitating disease, osteoporosis.
这种病大多影响年龄在50以上的妇女
It most often affects women over fifty.
而它致病的情况
And its crippling condition
会逐渐削弱你的骨头并使之变细
gradually thins and weakens your bones,
增加了骨折的发生率
increasing the risk of fracture.
但多年来这个病为何如此普遍
But for years it has been a mystery
一直是个谜
why the disease is so common.
当我们审视骨质疏松症的已知致病因素时
When we look at known risk
factors for osteoporosis,
比如年龄 吸烟 身体活动
such as age, smoking, physical activity,
这些能部分解释
they can partly explain
在瑞典为何骨质疏松症和
骨折如此普遍
why it's so common with osteoporosis
and bone fractures in Sweden,
但还不能解释一切
but that can not explain everything.
而接着 更令人惊异的是
And then, even more surprising,
我们的饮食中富含钙
is that we have a diet rich in calcium,
这应该会保护我们的骨骼
which should protect our bones.
因此Melhus教授开始寻求另外的解释
So Professor Melhus began to
look for another explanation.
在瑞典饮食中有一些特别的东西
And there was something in
particular about the Swedish diet
引起了他的怀疑
that made him suspicious.
即异乎寻常高的维生素A含量
It was exceptionally high in vitamin A.
我们食用奶制品
We eat dairy products,
油性鱼类
oily fish,
像是鲱鱼和鲑鱼
such as herring and salmon,
我们服用鳕鱼肝油
we consume cod liver oil,
维生素补充剂
vitamin supplements,
所有这些都含有高含量的维生素A
all which contain high
levels of vitamin A,
而更为突出的是
and on top of that
我们是唯一一个欧洲国家
we are the only European country
在低脂奶制品中添加了维生素A
which fortifies low fat
dairy products with vitamin A.
这引起了Melhus教授的警惕
This triggered an alarm
for Professor Melhus.
因为有证据显示
Because there was evidence
大剂量的维生素A会损害动物骨骼
that huge doses of vitamin
A damaged animal bones.
自从我们了解到这些维生素A有害效应
Since we knew about these
harmful effects of vitamin A
对于动物骨骼
on animal bones,
我们就想了解这是否也会发生在人类身上
we wanted to see if this also
could be occurring in humans.
因此Melhus教授展开了他自己的调查
So Professor Melhus launched
his own investigation.
在6万6千名年逾40岁妇女的数据库中
From a database of sixty six
thousand women aged over forty,
他寻找着有骨折的人数
he looked for cases of bone fracture.
然后他检查了这些女性的饮食
He then checked the diet of these women
以查验她们的维生素A摄取量
to see if their vitamin A intake
是否特别高
was particularly high.
而结果看来是验证了他的怀疑
And the results seemed
to confirm his suspicions.
当我看到研究得出的结果时
When I saw the results from our study
我确实大吃一惊
I was really surprised,
尽管我对于在动物中所做的实验很了解
although I knew the
experiments done in animals,
仍难以接受维生素A
作为维生素
it was hard to accept
the fact that vitamin A,
对于人类骨骼有负效应这一事实
a vitamin, had negative
effects on bone in humans.
Melhus教授进一步探究
Professor Melhus then went further.
他进行了一系列骨骼扫描来弄清楚
多少维生素A量
He did a series of bone scans to
work out what level of vitamin A
会与更脆弱的骨骼相关联
was linked to weaker bones.
他的结论表明
His results suggested
长期摄入即便是相对来说少量的维生素A
that long term consumption of even
relatively small quantities of vitamin A
也会有戏剧性效果
were having a dramatic effect.
我们看到的是每日摄入超过1.5毫克的维生素量
What we saw was that a vitamin
intake above 1.5 milligrams per day,
这大约是每日建议服用量的两倍
which is approximately twice
the recommended daily intake,
会造成骨骼密度减少大约10%
there was a reduction in bone
density about ten per cent,
而髋部骨折的发生率翻倍
and the risk of hip
fracture had doubled.
如果Melhus教授是正确的
If Professor Melhus was right
那么其中涵义令人惊愕
then the implications were staggering.
每日1.5毫克的摄入量
An intake of 1.5 milligrams per day
是单单从食物中就能获取的水平
is a level that can be
reached from food alone.
而只服从一粒就足以超过这个水平的
And it will be exceeded by
taking just a single capsule
高强度维生素A补充剂胶囊
of some high strength
vitamin A supplements.
因此 人们每日服用的本意
So, tablets that people take every day
要增进他们健康的药片可能实际上在缓慢地
to improve their health
might actually be slowly,
暗暗地损害他们的骨骼
silently, weakening their bones.
在Melhus教授看来
For Professor Melhus,
其中含意很清楚
the implication is clear.
基于我们的研究
Based on our research
我认为人们应继续进行健康
I think people should
continue to eat a healthy,
而普通的平衡饮食
normal balanced diet.
但因为含高浓度维生素的补充剂
But since supplements containing
high levels of vitamin A
可能有负效应
may have adverse effects,
我不能建议人们常规性地服用它们
I cannot recommend people
to take them routinely.
Melhus教授现已进行了另一项研究
Professor Melhus has
now done another study
显示出同样的风险也适用于男性
that suggests the same
risk also applies to men.
自他独创性研究开展以来
And since his original work,
来自美国的研究成果也支持了他的发现
studies from America have
supported his findings,
但还有一些其它的研究
but there has been some other research
并没有找到同样的关联
which has not found the same link.
将骨质疏松症的证据
The evidence linking osteoporosis with,
和相对小量的维生素A摄入量关联起来
with relatively small amounts
of vitamin A consumption,
我还不能被它说服
I'm not convinced by it.
还有 还有些研究没有显示如此关联
There are, there are studies
that show no such link,
而且它就是讲不通
and it simply doesn't make sense,
因为我们在谈论的这个量
because we're talking about levels
很容易就能摄入 而且数百万年来
一直就是这样食用的
that we could easily eat and
have eaten for millions of years.
所在当前 我还不能信服
So at the moment I'm
simply not convinced.
但一些科学家们以很不一样的视角
看待这个研究
But some scientists see the
research very differently.
Andrew Renwick教授
Professor Andrew Renwick
是一位临床药理学家
is a clinical pharmacologist
他在南安普顿大学
at Southampton University,
是英国一位维生素安全方面顶尖的专家
and one of Britain's leading
experts on vitamin safety.
四年来他是一个独立委员会的成员
For four years he was part
of an independent committee
对政府提出维生素安全方面的建议
advising the government
on the safety of vitamins.
他对于所出现的维生素A方面的证据很是重视
He takes the emerging evidence
about vitamin A very seriously.
我关注的是
I am concerned,
尽管证据还不是完全一致
although the, the evidence
is not totally consistent,
已经有一些研究显示出一种关联
there have now been a number
of studies showing a link,
而我确信维生素A的高摄入量
and I'm convinced that a
high intake of vitamin A
会增大骨折的罗患风险
will give an increase
risk of bone fracture.
在2003年 Renwick教授所在的安全委员会
In 2003, the safety committee
Professor Renwick was part of
报告道他们还未能界定
reported that they could not yet define
维生素A的最大安全摄入量
a safe maximum intake of vitamin A.
但他们确发布出警告
But they did sound a warning.
我们评估了所有的数据
We evaluated all the data,
结果就是 每日摄入多于1500微克的
and concluded that an intake of more
than fifteen hundred micrograms per day,
维生素A可能是不适宜的
of vitamin A, could be inappropriate.
主要是因为会增加患骨折的危险
Primarily because of an
increased risk of bone fracture.
1500微克这个量比一些
Fifteen hundred micrograms is
less than the amount found in some
高剂量维生素A补充剂中的含量要少
high dose vitamin A supplements,
这些在柜台上就可获得
available over the counter.
Maddie Walford已服用含量超过
2000微克的
Maddie Walford has been taking a pill
containing over two thousand micrograms
维生素A药丸一年多
of vitamin A for more than a year.
我们请Catherine Collins
We asked Catherine Collins,
伦敦圣乔治医院的首席营养学家
chief dietician of St
George's Hospital in London,
对她的饮食进行分析并建议如何做
to analyse her diet and
advise her what to do.
从我们的饮食分析你可以看到
What you can see from
our dietary analysis
实际上你的饮食结构非常健康
is that you've actually
got a very healthy diet.
当我们查看你维生素A的水平时
When we look at your vitamin A level,
可以看到你在饮食当中就可获取你所需要的
we can see that you're
getting the full amount of
全部的维生素A
vitamin A you need in your diet,
就来自于少量的动物性食源
from your small amount of animal source
以及其它你食用的水果及蔬菜
and the rest of the fruits
and vegetables that you eat.
是的
Right.
引起注意的是你正在服用高剂量
What is of concern is the
fact that you're taking
维生素A补充剂这一情况
a very high dose
supplement of vitamin A.
哦 是的
Oh right.
而在这样的水平下 会有潜在的危险
使你患上骨质疏松症
And at this level there is a potential
risk of you developing osteoporosis
和骨折 如果长期服用的话
and fracture risk with long term usage.
好的
Right.
你认为我这段时间以来一直在服用的
Do you think that with the
amount of vitamin I've been taking
这些维生素量是不是已对自己造成了
for the length of time I've been
taking it I will have done myself any,
一些身体上的损害?
any physical damage?
如果你只是服用这个一年左右的时间
If you've only been taking
this for a year or so
可能不会有事
it's probably fine.
但这不是我们建议你长期服用的一种补充剂
But it's not a supplement we'd
recommend you take long term.
它确实和增长的患骨折风险相关
It certainly is associated
with an increase fracture risk.
我很感惊异
对于骨质疏松症的关联
I was very surprised about
the link between osteoporosis
和维生素A之间
and vitamin A
还有和骨折的关联
and risk of fracture,
因为我从未将维生素A和骨质疏松症联系起来
because I'd never associated
vitamin A with osteoporosis.
这绝对改变了我对服用它的想法
It's definitely changed
my mind about taking that,
实际上从今天开始我就停用它
I'm actually going to be
stopping it as of today,
因为很明显它不能对我自身有什么好处
because it clearly doesn't
do any good for me personally,
可能反而是更多坏处
and it might do more harm than good.
无疑维生素
Vitamins without doubt
对于我们的健康至关重要
are vital to our health.
而仍有可能
And it remains possible
高剂量的维生素
that high dose vitamin supplements
某一天证明补充剂能保护我们免受诸如心脏病
will one day be proven to
protect against illnesses
及癌症等疾病的侵袭
like heart disease and cancer.
但就目前来看 这些主张的证据
But so far, definitive
evidence for these claims
仍甚难找到
remains largely elusive.
而当我们对一些维生素了解得越多
And as we discover more
about some vitamins,
就愈加明显
it is increasingly clear
即大剂量情况下就会产生
that in large doses
they can have unexpected,
有时是危险的后果
and sometimes dangerous consequences.
在我们对于这些强大的化学物质
有更多的了解之前
Until we understand more
about these powerful chemicals,
大多数医生会建议大家
most doctors would advise everybody
在添加高剂量维生素之前
先寻求指导
to seek advice before joining
the high dose vitamin revolution.