科学研究：吃辣能延长寿命，但同时也让人失眠……

There are few things in the food world that evoke stronger opinions than spices like peppers and chilies.

Capsaicin is the chemical in peppers that provides that burn you know and love.

Eating spicy food six or seven days a week — even just once a day — lowered mortality rates by 14 percent, according to a large 2015 study by Harvard and China National Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

哈佛大学和中国国家疾病控制和预防中心2015年的一项大型研究表明，每周吃六到七天的辛辣食物，甚至每天只吃一次，死亡率降低14%。

"It seems to rev up the body's fat-burning mechanisms," says Patricia Bridget Lane, a registered dietitian/nutritionist. "That can help with weight loss and weight management."

营养师莱恩指出，辣椒素能促进身体的脂肪燃烧，加速代谢，从而帮助减肥和控制体重。

A 2012 review article published in the journal Chemical Senses mentioned that those who eat spicy foods like cayenne pepper noticed a reduction in their cravings for fatty, sweet, and salty foods.

2012年发表在Chemical Senses期刊上的一篇文章提到，那些吃辣椒等辛辣食物的人注意到，他们对高脂肪、多糖和盐分高食物的渴望有所减少。

If you're dousing your food in too much hot sauce—or you're eating entirely too many meals that are ultra-high in spice levels—you could be damaging your body as well.

According to one scientific study in the National Library of Medicine, capsaicin consumed in abundance can irritate the lining of your stomach after you eat it. The resulting symptoms of too much capsaicin include "nausea", "vomiting", "abdominal pain", and "burning diarrhea".

根据一项发表在美国国家医学图书馆上的科学研究，大量摄入辣椒素会在食用后刺激我们的胃黏膜，导致“恶心”、“呕吐”、“腹痛”和“灼热性腹泻”等症状。

Rebecca Tung, MD, a Florida-based dermatologist said, "When spicy food creates inflammation in the gut—from an upset stomach, acid reflux, or other symptoms—sometimes this inflammation can also be seen on the skin with flushing, acne breakout, or even eczema."

佛罗里达州的皮肤科医生、医学博士丽贝卡·董说：“当辛辣食物引起肠道炎症时，会出现胃部不适、胃酸反流或其他症状。有时这种炎症也会在皮肤上出现，如发红、痤疮爆发，甚至湿疹。”

"Spicy foods can also kill sleep efforts because they cause heartburn. Lying down makes heartburn worse, and the discomfort from heartburn hinders sleep," said the health experts at WebMD.

美国互联网医疗健康信息服务平台的健康专家指出，辛辣食物也会影响睡眠，因为它们会导致胃灼热。躺下会加重胃灼热，带来的不适会妨碍睡眠。

▌It's spicy!

这真辣！

▌It's got a kick!

这个有点辣！

"Kick"作名词泛指“事物给人带来的刺激或突然的乐趣”，可形容“味道刺激的”食物、酒精饮料等。在这里我们可以理解为“有点辣”。

▌It's fiery.

这有种火辣的感觉。

形容词“fiery”是火“fire”的形容词，可以特指食物“非常辣的，火辣的”比“spicy”和“hot”要辣得多。

“Fiery”描述颜色时指“火红的，像火的”，形容情感时的意思是“激烈的，激昂的”。

▌My mouth is on fire!

辣得我满嘴冒火！

“Someone's mouth is on fire”指“某人被辣得嘴里像火烧一样”，即食物非常辣。

▌This just blew my head off.

这把我的头都辣掉了。

如果有一道菜能把你的头都辣掉了，“blow your head off”，那么这盘菜肯定辣到了极致。这是五个说法中“辣度”最高的一个。

实习生：黎咏欣

来源：Eat This, Not That; healthshots; healthline; WebMD