SSS 2009-12-29
时间：2018-12-02 作者：英语课 分类：Scientific American(十二)月
Could there be a substance that both gives us the munchies and can help combat obesity 1? There may indeed be, according to research published in the Proceedings 2 of the National Academy of Sciences.
The Monell Center in Pennsylvania partnered with Kyushu University in Japan to study compounds called endocannabinoids. These occur naturally in our body and are similar to THC, the compound primarily responsible for marijuana’s psychoactive effects.
Researchers studied endocannabinoids in mice, and they say that the chemicals have a one-two punch—in your brain, they increase your appetite. And on your tongue, they enhance the response to sweet flavors. The compounds had no effect on salty, sour, bitter or umami tasting.
It turns out that sweetness receptors are present in the same cells as cannabinoid receptors on our tongues. But how could such an effect contribute to combating obesity? According to the scientists, there are similar sweet receptors in hormone-producing cells in the intestine 3 and pancreas. There, they affect metabolism 4 and the absorption of nutrients 5. Scientists say that if endocannabinoids also act on those receptors it could lead to new compounds to moderate metabolism. Which might stop the development of the pot belly 6.
- One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
- Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。
- He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
- to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼
- This vitamin is absorbed through the walls of the small intestine.这种维生素通过小肠壁被吸收。
- The service productivity is the function,including external efficiency,intestine efficiency and capacity efficiency.服务业的生产率是一个包含有外部效率、内部效率和能力效率的函数。
- After years of dieting,Carol's metabolism was completely out of whack.经过数年的节食，卡罗尔的新陈代谢完全紊乱了。
- All living matter undergoes a process of metabolism.生物都有新陈代谢。