Eating citrus fruit could head off chronic¹ diseases that are related to obesity², a growing health problem in many parts of the world, according to a new study.

一项最新研究表明，食用柑橘类水果，可以防治肥胖这一在世界各地越来越严重的健康问题所引发的慢性疾病。

Diabetes³, heart disease and liver disease are increasing as more people pack on the kilos. But there's a substance in citrus fruits called flavanones, which are antioxidants that help people's bodies reduce the amount of oxidative stress.

随着越来越多的人们发胖，糖尿病、心脏病和肝病的风险也越来越高。但是柑橘类水果中有一种叫作类黄酮的物质，是一种可以帮助人体减少氧化压力的抗氧化物。

The diseases linked to obesity are caused by oxidative stress and its related inflammation.

与发胖有关的疾病都是由氧化压力及其引发的炎症引起的。

When humans consume a fatty diet, their fat cells produce reactive oxygen species that harm cells.

当人们摄入了过多的脂肪，脂肪细胞就会产生一种活性氧自由基，对细胞有损害。

When fat cells become too large, which they do in obese⁴ individuals, they produce higher levels of reactive oxygen species that overwhelm the body, causing inflammation and disease.

当脂肪细胞变得很大的时候，也就是人们变胖的时候，它们产生的活性氧自由基就超出了人体可以承受的范围，就会引发炎症和疾病。

Researchers say antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables, such as citrus flavanones, help fight reactive oxygen species and reduce oxidative stress in animals that eat a high fat diet.

研究人员表示，抗氧化物广泛存在于蔬菜和水果中，比如柑橘类水果中的类黄酮，可以帮助摄入高脂肪的动物对抗活性氧自由基并减轻氧化压力。

Paula Ferreira, a graduate researcher at the Universidade Estadual Paulist in Brazil conducted the research. The month-long experiment by Ferreira and colleagues involved 50 mice, feeding them either a normal diet, a high fat diet, or a high fat diet with three flavanones.

宝拉·费雷拉是巴西圣保罗州立大学正在进行这项研究的研究生。费雷拉和同事们开展的这项研究长达一个月，观察了50只老鼠，分别喂它们吃正常的食物、高脂肪的食物以及含有三份类黄酮的高脂肪食物。

Investigators⁵ found the mice that ate a high fat diet, but no flavanones, had significantly higher levels of cell damage, than mice that ate a normal diet

研究人员发现，吃高脂肪食物的老鼠，其细胞损害程度比吃正常食物的老鼠高出很多。

Mice on the high fat died had 80 percent more cell damage markers in their blood and 57 percent in the liver compared to rodents⁶ fed a normal diet, report researchers.

研究人员报告称，与吃正常食物的老鼠相比，吃高脂肪食物的老鼠血液中细胞损害的标志物达到了80%多，肝脏损害达到了57%。

But mice fed a high fat diet plus the three flavanones - hesperidin, eriocitrin and eriodictyol - had a reduction in cell damage markers compared to mice on a standard diet.

但是吃含有三份类黄酮的高脂肪食物的老鼠——桔皮苷、圣草次苷和圣草酚——血液中细胞损害的标志物与吃正常食物的老鼠相比，却少了很多。

Reductions in the liver ranged from 50 to 64 percent depending upon the flavanone given compared to those on a high fat diet alone.

视类黄酮的分量而定，肝脏损害照比只吃高脂肪食物的老鼠，减少了50%-64%。

“Our results indicate that in the future, we can use citrus flavanones, a class of antioxidants, to prevent or delay chronic diseases caused by obesity in humans,” said Ferreira.

费雷拉说道：“我们的研究结果显示，我们在未来可以使用柑橘类黄酮——抗氧化物的一种，来预防或者延缓因为人体超重而引起的慢性疾病。”

Investigators next plan to conduct human studies, to see whether it's healthier to give citrus flavanones in juice or pill form, or whether they have the same effect.

研究人员接下来希望在人体上进行试验，看看类黄酮是用果汁还是用胶囊的形式比较好吸收，也可能二者功效是一样的。