If you've got a sweet tooth, you'll know all too well the temptation to reach for the biscuit jar. But help could soon be at hand, thanks to a new study that has identified a way to 'switch off' sugar cravings.

如果你喜欢吃甜食，那你就知道饼干罐的诱惑力有多大了。但你很快就能得到帮助，因为一项新研究发现了一种抑制甜食渴望的方法。

Researchers from Columbia University discovered a way to remove cravings for sugar in mice, and say that the technique could one day be applied¹ to humans. The study builds upon previous research in which the researchers revealed that when the tongue encounters one of the five tastes - sweet, bitter, salty, sour or umami - cells on the tongue send signals to regions of the brain so as to identify the taste, and trigger the appropriate actions.

哥伦比亚大学的研究员发现了一种能消除老鼠对甜食渴望的方法。研究建立在先前研究的基础之上，此前研究人员揭示：当舌头尝到5种味道--甜、苦、咸、酸或鲜味时--舌头上的细胞会向大脑区域发送信号以识别味道，同时触发适当的动作。

In this follow-up study, the researchers focused on sweet and bitter tastes and the amygdala - a brain region that is key for making judgements about sensory² experience. Dr Li Wang, who led the study, said: "Our earlier work revealed a clear divide between the sweet and bitter regions of the taste cortex.

在后续研究中，研究员着重研究甜味和苦味以及扁桃体--这是对感官体验做出判断的关键大脑区域。该研究的首席研究员Li Wang博士说道："我们的早期工作揭示：味觉皮层的甜味区和苦味区存在明显差异。"

"This new study showed that same division continued all the way into the amygdala. This segregation³ between sweet and bitter regions in both the taste cortex and amygdala meant we could independently manipulate these brain regions and monitor any resulting changes in behaviour."

"这项新的研究表明：这种差异一直延伸至扁桃体。味觉皮层和扁桃体中甜味区和苦味区的差异意味着我们可以独立操纵这些大脑区域、监测由此产生的行为变化。"

The team performed several experiments in which the sweet or bitter connections to the amygdala were artificially switched off. When the sweet connections were turned off, the mice could still recognise and distinguish sweet from bitter, but lacked the basic emotional reactions, like preference for sugar or aversion to bitter.

该小组进行了多次实验，并人为地关闭甜味或苦味与扁桃体的之间的联系。当甜味被关闭时，小鼠仍能识别、辨别甜味和苦味，但缺乏基本的情绪反应，比如喜欢甜味或厌恶苦味。

Dr Wang said: "It would be like taking a bite of your favourite chocolate cake but not deriving⁴ any enjoyment from doing so. After a few bites, you may stop eating, whereas otherwise you would have scarfed it down."

Wang博士说道："就像是咬了一口你最喜欢的巧克力蛋糕，但却没有从中感受到乐趣。吃了几口后，你也许就不吃了，或者是狼吞虎咽的吃完。"

The researchers believe that the technique could one day be applied to humans, and could be used to treat people with obesity⁵ or eating disorders⁶.

研究员认为这项技术或将有一天被用于人类，甚至可用于治疗肥胖或饮食失调。