collagen

正文

Are there benefits to collagen supplements?

胶原蛋白补充剂有效果吗？

It will make your skin look dewy and fresh, your bones and nails strong, and your joints pain-free. These are the claims made by the countless manufacturers of collagen supplements that come in the form of powders, pills and creams. For that reason, it’s no surprise that collagen has become a widely sought-after ingredient in the wellness and beauty communities. But collagen’s efficacy is still pretty up in the air. Frustrated? Here’s what we know.

它会让你的皮肤看起来水润清新，让你的骨头和指甲变得结实，让你的关节不再疼痛。这是无数胶原蛋白补充剂生产商的声明，这些产品有粉状，有药丸状，还有乳霜状。因此，胶原蛋白成为健康和美容界广受欢迎的成分也就不足为奇了。但其实，胶原蛋白的功效仍然是个未知数。苦恼吗？以下是我们对胶原蛋白的了解。

What is collagen?

什么是胶原蛋白？

Collagen is “the main structural protein that forms the connective tissue throughout our body, from skin to bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments,” said Dr. Shari Marchbein, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York.

莎莉·马克拜因博士是纽约一位获得委员会认证的皮肤科医生，她表示，胶原蛋白是“构成我们全身结缔组织的主要结构蛋白，包括皮肤、骨骼、肌肉、肌腱和韧带”。

But as we age, our bodies naturally start reducing collagen production. Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Whitney Bowe described our body’s collagen as “ropes of protein in the skin.” When we’re young, the rope remains tight, but as we age, the ends begin to fray.

但是随着年龄的增长，我们的身体产生的胶原蛋白自然开始越来越少。获得委员会认证的皮肤科医生惠特尼·鲍博士将人体的胶原蛋白描述为“皮肤中的蛋白绳”。当我们年轻的时候，绳子还很紧，但是随着年龄的增长，绳子的两端开始磨损。

Does collagen work?

胶原蛋白有用吗？

Some studies show that taking collagen supplements for several months can improve skin elasticity as well as signs of aging. Others have shown that consuming collagen can increase density in bones weakened with age. But many of these studies are small and funded by companies that make the product, increasing the opportunity for bias in the results.

一些研究表明，连续几个月服用胶原蛋白补充剂可以改善皮肤弹性、延缓衰老。另一些研究表明，摄入胶原蛋白可以增加骨密度，骨密度会随着年龄增长而下降。但这些研究中有许多规模较小，而且是由生产这种产品的公司资助的，因此研究结果可能会有失客观。

So, should you try collagen?

那么，你应该试试胶原蛋白吗？

Maybe! But get ready for a very committed relationship. If collagen does work, and you’re looking for long-lasting effects, you’ll have to take supplements for the rest of your life. Why? The answer is collagenase. Our bodies are constantly producing this enzyme and it eats away at our natural collagen. So if collagen supplements improve your skin, bones and joints, you’ll need to keep taking them.

也许吧！但必须要持之以恒。如果胶原蛋白真的有效，而且你想要达到持久的效果，那你以后的余生都要一直服用这种补充剂。为什么？答案是胶原酶。我们的身体不断地产生这种酶，它会侵蚀我们天然的胶原蛋白。因此，如果胶原蛋白补充剂能改善皮肤、增强骨骼、修复关节，你也将需要一直不断地服用。

主编：Karen

品控：Karen

审核：Jack

重点词汇

collagen

/ˈkɑː.lə.dʒən/

n. 胶原蛋白

supplement

/ˈsʌp.lə.mənt/

n. 补充剂

词性拓展：supplement（v. 补充）

例句：He supplements his regular salary by doing extra jobs.

搭配短语：dietary/vitamin supplements

dewy

/ˈduː.i/

adj. 带有露水的；（皮肤）湿润的，润泽的

词性拓展：dew（n. 露珠）

搭配短语：a dewy meadow；dewy skin

sought-after

/ˈsɑːt ˌæf.tɚ/

adj. 争相获得的；吃香的；广受欢迎的

相关词汇：seek（v. 寻找，追求）

搭配短语：to seek after sth（追求某物，利用某物）

例句：She is a much sought-after actress.

efficacy

/ˈef.ə.kə.si/

n.（尤指药物或治疗方法的）功效，效验，效力

近义词：effectiveness

词义辨析：efficacy, effectiveness

和 effectiveness 相比，efficacy 是一个更加学术的医学用语，指的是药物或者医疗设备等医疗干预措施产生疗效的能力，所以经常用于药物类语境，如 the efficacy of the treatment/the drug。

up in the air

悬而未决

英文释义：not yet settled or decided

例句：Our travel plans are still up in the air.

connective tissue

/kəˌnek.tɪv ˈtɪʃ.uː/

n. 结缔组织（如肌肉等）

相关词汇：connective（adj. 连接的，起连接作用的）

词性拓展：connect（v. 连接，联系）

相关词汇：tissue（n. 人或动植物细胞的组织）

文化补充：结缔组织由细胞和大量细胞间质构成，结缔组织的细胞间质包括液态、胶体状或固态的基质、细丝状的纤维和不断循环更新的组织液，具有重要功能意义。细胞散居于细胞间质内，分布无极性。广义的结缔组织，包括血液、淋巴，松软的固有结缔组织和较坚固的软骨与骨；一般所说的结缔组织仅指固有结缔组织而言。结缔组织在体内广泛分布，具有连接、支持、营养、保护等多种功能。

tendon

/ˈten.dən/

n.（连接肌肉和骨头的）腱，肌腱

ligament

/ˈlɪɡ.ə.mənt/

n. 韧带

board-certified

/bɔːrd ˈsɝː.t̬ə.faɪd/

adj. 在某专业领域通过了委员会验证（主要指医生）

相关词汇：board（n. 委员会）

相关词汇：certify（v. 认证，授予合格证书）

相关词汇：board certification

dermatologist

/ˌdɝː.məˈtɑː.lə.dʒɪst/

n. 皮肤病医生；皮肤病专家

词根词缀：derma（希腊语：皮肤）

词根词缀： -ologist（......学家)

派生词：biologist

fray

/freɪ/

v. 磨损

例句：The cuff of my shirt has started to fray.

elasticity

/ˌi.læsˈtɪs.ə.t̬i/

n. 弹性

词性拓展：elastic（adj. 有弹性的；灵活的，能变通的）

近义词：flexible

例句：Our perception of time is elastic.

例句：There is elasticity in our perception of time.

density

/ˈden.sə.t̬i/

n. 密度

词性拓展：dense（adj. 密集的）

例句：This is an area with a dense population.

例句：The area has a high population density.

enzyme

/ˈen.zaɪm/

n. 酶

eat away at

侵蚀；使消耗殆尽

英文释义：to gradually destroy something

例句：Her father's constant criticism ate away at her self-confidence.