BRAIN SCIENTIST WAS INTERVIEWED

　　对一位大脑专家进行的采访

　　by Faith Hickman Brynie

　　Eric Chudler at the University of Washington is an expert on the human brain and nervous system.

　　How does what we eat affect our bodies and brains?

　　Your body is like a car. A car needs gasoline, oil, brake fluid, and other materials to run properly. Your body also needs materials to run properly: glucose, vitamins, and minerals, to name a few. For example, the brain needs fuel. That fuel is the glucose that comes from carbohydrate foods.

　　What foods provide the starting materials for making neurotransmitters in the brain?

　　If the diet is deficient in raw materials, then the brain cannot produce the neurotransmitters it needs. For example, vitamin C from orange juice, tomatoes, cabbage, and potatoes helps make serotonin and dopamine.

　　Is fish brain food?

　　Certainly fish contains many nutrients that are essential for proper brain function.

　　But I don’t know of any evidence that shows eating fish every day will turn you into a genius.

　　Is it a good idea to take supplements?

　　Nutritional supplements should be prescribed by a doctor. Real foods contain the nutrients we know about and many more that we do not. There is no substitute for the rich mix of raw materials that whole foods provide.

　　What’s your best advice for readers who want to improve their minds or moods with food?

　　First, eat a balanced diet. Avoid fads, crashes, or binges, and always talk to your doctor before starting a new diet. You can’t feel your best if your body is starved for nutrients. Beyond that, some people believe that specific foods affect their moods, and they may be right. We need more research to find out.

　　华盛顿大学的埃里克·查德勒是人类大脑和神经系统专家。他是这样告诉我们关于情绪与食物的关系的。

　　我们的饮食是如何影响我们的身体和大脑的呢？

　　你的身体就像一辆汽车。如果要正常运行，汽车需要汽油、润滑油、刹车液和其他的东西。你的大脑要正常工作也需要一些物质：葡萄糖、维生素和矿物质等许多物质。例如，大脑需要燃料，这种燃料就是来自于碳水化合物的葡萄糖。

　　哪些食物能够提供构成大脑中神经递质的基本材料？

　　如果饮食中缺少某些原料的话，大脑就不能生成它所需要的神经递质。例如，来自橙汁、番茄、白菜和马铃薯中的维生素Ｃ能够帮助生成血清素和多巴胺。

　　鱼是对大脑有益的食物吗？

　　的确，鱼肉当中包含许多对大脑正常工作必不可少的营养素。但我没找到任何证据能说明每天吃鱼会把你变成一名天才。

　　吃一些营养补品好吗？

　　营养补品应当按医生的处方使用。正常的食物包括了我们所知的营养素和许多我们不知道的营养素。没有任何东西能替代均衡的饮食所提供的各种丰富的建造身体的原料组合。

　　你对那些希望通过饮食改善其思维和情绪的人的最佳建议是什么？

　　首先，饮食要均衡。不要吃新奇的食物，不要过分节食，不要暴饮暴食。在开始一个新的饮食计划前，总要先找医生谈一谈。如果你的身体非常缺乏营养素的话，你是不会感觉自己处于最佳状态的。除了这些外，有些人认为某种特定的食物影响他们的情绪。或许他们是对的。我们还要进行更多的研究才能找到答案。

　　To learn more about neurotransmitters and the brain, visit Dr. Chudler’s Web site, “Neuroscience for Kids,” at

　　http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurok.html.

　　For more on “Nutrition and the Brain,” go to

　　http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/nutr.html.