這裡是VOA慢速英語健康生活報導！
新研究發現，人類大腦老化速度不盡相同。
From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.
這裡是VOA慢速英語健康生活報導。
The brain, like any other body part, gets old.
大腦跟身體的其他部分一樣，都會變老。
However, not all brains age the same way.
不過，並非所有大腦都會以同樣的方式老化。
For example, women’s brains may age more slowly than men’s.
比如，女性的大腦，其老化速度可能慢於男性。
That is the finding of a U.S. study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri.
這是美國的一項研究發現，研究方是位於密蘇裡州聖路易斯的華盛頓大學醫學院。
Researchers there wanted to find out how the brain uses sugar.
該大學的研究者希望找出大腦使用糖分的方式。
To do that, they studied just over 200 brains of men and women aged 20 to 80.
為了實現這個目標，他們研究了200名對象的大腦，男女不一，年齡從20-80歲不等。
They used PET scans to look at the flow of oxygen and sugar in the brains.
他們通過正電子發射層析掃描來查看大腦中氧元素和糖分的流動情況。
The researchers found that the brains of women looked nearly four years younger than the brains of men who were born in the same year.
研究人員發現，女性的大腦看起來比男性大腦年輕了4歲，雖然他們都是同年出生的。
Their findings suggest that the brains of men and women may use sugar differently as they age.
他們的發現結果表明，男性和女性的大腦在老化過程中使用糖分的方式不盡相同。
But the researchers do not know why.
但研究人員不知道其中的原因。
Some scientists suggest that hormones could play a part.
一些科學家認為，荷爾蒙可能起到了一定的作用。
The lead author of the study, Manu Goyal, is an assistant professor of neurology and of neuroscience.
該研究的牽頭作者摩奴·戈亞爾是神經學和神經系統科學領域的助理教授。
In a statement published on the website Science Daily, Goyal explained why the work is important.
在發布於《每日科學》官網的一份聲明中，戈亞爾闡釋了這項工作的重要性。
How the brain uses fuel, he wrote, might help us understand some of the differences we see between men and women as they age.
他在聲明中寫道，大腦使用養分的方式可能有助於我們了解男女性老化方式的一些不同。
On its website, the National Institute on Aging describes an aging brain.
國立老化研究所在官網上描述了大腦老化的進程。
Parts of the brain get smaller, especially those important to learning and other complex mental activities.
部分大腦會萎縮，對學習等複雜精神活動重要的大腦區域尤為如此。
Communication between neurons may decrease.
神經之間的聯繫會減少。
Blood flow may lessen and inflammation may increase.
血流速度會變慢，炎症會加劇。
All these changes slow our cognitive abilities.
這些變化都會讓我們認知能力下降。
We have trouble remembering things, finishing complex tasks or paying attention.
我們寄東西、完成複雜的任務或者集中注意力的時候會遇到困難。
Given what scientists already know about aging, the recent study about sex differences in the brain has raised some questions.
結合科學家對於老化已經了解的情況，最近這項關於大腦老化時性別差異的研究也讓人們產生了幾個疑問。
For one, if women’s brains age more slowly than men’s, why do more women get Alzheimer’s disease?
其一，如果女性大腦老化速度慢於男性大腦，那麼為什么女性患老年痴呆的病例更多呢？
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that cannot be stopped.
老年痴呆是一種漸次性的腦失調，是無法遏制的。
It slowly destroys memory, thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest of tasks.
老年痴呆會慢慢損壞記憶力、思考能力，並最終導致人失去完成最簡單任務的能力。
Alzheimer’s does not have a cure.
老年痴呆無藥可治。
However, doctors say that between 50 to 60 percent of Alzheimer’s cases can be prevented by simple lifestyle changes.
不過，醫生表示，五成到六成的老年痴呆病例都可以通過生活習慣的簡單改變來預防。
Whether you are a man or a woman, here are some things you can do to keep your brain young and healthy.
無論性別如何，大家都可以通過下面這幾件事來讓大腦保持年輕健康。
Sleep is the easiest and best thing you can do keep your brain young.
睡覺是最簡單也是最好的方法，可以讓大腦保持年輕。
Experts say to try to get around seven hours of sleep each night.
專家建議大家每晚儘量最少睡7小時左右。
Get aerobic exercise for 30 to 40 minutes three to four times a week.
做30-40分鐘的有氧運動，每周3-4次。
Exercise helps you grow brain cells and improves blood flow in the brain.
運動可以幫助腦細胞的發育，同時加快血液流速。
Eat a healthy diet.
健康飲食。
Doctors say any diet that is good for the heart is also good for the brain.
醫生們都說，對心臟有益的食譜對大腦也是有益的。
One example is the Mediterranean diet with lots of vegetables (especially leafy greens),
一個例子就是地中海型飲食，每餐都有很多蔬菜（尤其是綠葉蔬菜）、
fruits (especially blueberries), nuts, whole grains, red wine (in moderation) and fish.
水果（尤其是藍莓）、堅果、全穀物、紅酒（要有節制）、魚類。
Do activities that make you excited and happy.
做讓你興奮和開心的活動。
Spend time with family and friends.
跟親朋好友聚聚。
The researchers of the brain study published their findings in February in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
2月，該研究的科學家將研究結果發表在了《美國科學院論文集》上。
Goyal and his team plan to continue researching this topic.
戈亞爾及其團隊計劃繼續研究這個主題。
Currently, they are following a group of adults to see if people with younger-looking brains are less likely to develop problems with their thinking over time.
目前，他們正在跟進一組成年人，想了解有著看起來更年輕頭腦的人，隨著時間的推移，其思考能力出現問題的可能性是否更低。
And that’s the Health & Lifestyle report.
以上是健康生活報導。
I’m Anna Matteo.
我是安娜·馬泰奧。
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