Inside our guts is a diverse ecosystem of bacteria： the microbiome. But the makeup of the community can depend on what we eat. Emulsifiers are food additives that extend the shelf life of processed foods. And now research with mice finds that consuming emulsifiers may throw off the microbiome’s delicate balance and thereby contribute to obesity and inflammatory bowel disease.
微生物组，是我们的肠道内多样的细菌系统。但这个系统的结构取决于我们吃什么。乳化剂是食品一种添加剂，它延长加工食品的保质期。但是据对老鼠的调查显示：消化的乳化剂可能会打破微生物的平衡，从而会导致肥胖症和炎症性肠病。
In the study, mice were fed doses of common emulsifiers in their water and mouse chow. The substances appeared to make it easier for gut bacteria to chew through the layers of mucus that typically line the intestine. The result was the triggering of chronic colitis in mice with impaired immune systems that predispose them to the condition.
在这项研究中，研究人员给老鼠喂含有普通剂量的乳化剂水和食物。这种物质明显使肠道菌通过粘液更加快的被消化。这个结果引起了已经破坏了免疫系统的老鼠患上慢性结肠炎。
And even in mice with normal immune systems, emulsifier consumption appeared to trigger mild intestinal inflammation. These mice then tended to overeat and become obese and insulin resistant. The study is in the journal Nature. [Benoit Chassaing et al, Dietary emulsifiers impact the mouse gut microbiota promoting colitis and metabolic syndrome, direct link to come]
即使有正常免疫系统的老鼠，只要食用乳化剂也会引起轻微的肠道炎。这些老鼠会过多的饮食。以至于变得肥胖，而且会产生胰岛素的抗体。这项研究发表在《自然》杂志上。
Could emulsifiers cause the same health consequences in humans and be behind some of the obesity trend? The researchers hope to find out in future studies. If nothing else, they write that their new finding suggests that there should be improved testing on the total health effects of chemicals in our food.
乳化剂真的能使人们患有肥胖症，引起健康问题吗?调查者希望在进一步的研究中能够找出结果。如果什么结果也没有，他们希望他们新的研究可以改善在我们饮食中对化学物质的检测。
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