The French paradox 法國矛盾。

原文出處

The French paradox refers to the fact that people in France suffer relatively low incidence of coronary heart disease, despite their diet being rich in saturated fats. The phenomenon was first noted by Irish physician Samuel Black in 1819. 「法國矛盾」提到，法國人比較不常罹患冠狀心臟病, 儘管他們的飲食裡富含了飽和脂肪。這個現象在1819年由愛爾蘭醫師 Samuel Black 首次注意到。

According to FAO data[1], the average French person consumed 108 grams per day of fat from animal sources in 2002 while the average american consumed only 72, a difference of 50 percent. The French eat four times as much butter, 60 percent more cheese and nearly thrice the pork. Although the French consume only slightly more total fat (171 g/d vs 157), they consume much more saturated fat because Americans consume a much larger proportion of fat in the form of vegetable oil and most of that as soybean oil[2]. However, according to data from the British Heart foundation [3], in 1999, rates of death from coronary heart disease among males aged 35-74 years was 230 per 100,000 people in the US but only 83 per 100,000 in France.根據糧食農業組織的資料，2002年，一般的法國人每天消耗108克動物來源的油脂，相較於一般美國人消耗的72克,多了百分之五十。法國人吃四倍多的奶油，並且多了百分之六十的乳酪，和幾乎三倍多的豬肉。雖然法國人消耗的油脂總量只多了少許(171 g/d 較於157), 但他們消耗比美國人更多的飽和脂肪，因為美國人消耗的油脂中，多半以菜油和大豆油為主。但是，根據英國心臟基金會的資料，1999年冠狀心臟病的死亡率，在35-74歲男性之中，美國每十萬人是230人，在但在法國每十萬人只有83人。

It has been suggested that France's high red wine consumption is a primary factor in the trend. This theory was expounded in a 60 Minutes broadcast in 1992. The program catalysed a large increase in North American demand for red wines from around the world. It is believed that one of the active ingredients in red wine is resveratrol.報導指出，法國紅葡萄酒的高消耗量是一個主因。1992年，一個60分鐘的節目提出這個理論。這節目摧化了北美洲對全球紅葡萄酒需求量的提升。據信紅葡萄酒裡含有一個有效成分resveratrol。

Resveratrol and other grape compounds have been positively linked to fighting cancer, heart disease, degenerative nerve disease, and other ailments. Although many people wrongly assume that red grapes have the most health benefits, the fact is that grapes of all colors have comparable benefits. Red wine has health benefits not found in white wine because many of these compounds are found in the skins of the grapes and only red wine is fermented with the skins.葡萄的Resveratrol和其它化合物無疑地與對抗癌症、心臟病、退化神經疾病和其它疾病有關。雖然許多人錯誤地假設，紅葡萄有較多數益於健康的好處，事實上，所有顏色的葡萄都有相當的優點。紅葡萄酒之所以擁有在白葡萄酒中沒被發現的健康成分，是因為這些成分來自葡萄皮，而紅葡萄酒是唯一帶皮發酵的酒類。

The first scientific study of the relationship between alcohol consumption and atheriosclerosis was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1904. The first epidemiological study to report that moderate drinkers exhibit greater longevity than abstainers or heavy drinkers was published in 1926 by Raymond Pearl. Hundreds of studies have followed in recent decades.與酒精的消耗量和動脈硬化症有關的第一個科學研究在1904年美國醫療協會學報出版。1926年由Raymond Pearl 出版的流行病學的研究報導說，適度飲用者比完全不喝酒的人或過渡酗酒者更長壽。最近幾十年，上百個相關的研究也接踵而來。

There is a lack of medical consensus about whether moderate consumption of beer, wine, or distilled spirits has a stronger association with longevity. Of ten major studies, one-third found stronger evidence for wine, one-third for beer, one-third for liquor, and one study found no difference between alcoholic beverages. Most researchers now believe that the most important ingredient is the alcohol itself.是否適度消耗啤酒、葡萄酒或蒸餾酒的量與長壽有關，仍缺乏醫療公論。在十項主要研究中發現，三分之一的有力證據為葡萄酒，三分之一為啤酒，三分之一為烈酒。並且有一項研究顯示，在酒精飲料之間沒有區別。多數研究員現在相信，最重要的成份是酒精本身。

The major cause of death in the U.S. is heart disease and most research finds that moderate consumption of alcohol reduces coronary fatalities in the range of 40% to 60%. The mechanisms by which alcohol reduces coronary events are becoming increasingly documented. Research has found that alcohol improves blood lipid profile (increases HDL and reduces LDL), decreases thrombosis (reduces platelet aggregation, reduces fibrinogen and increases fibrinolysis), reduces blood pressure, increases coronary blood flow, and reduces blood insulin levels.在美國，心臟病是主要死因，而且多數研究發現，酒精的適度消耗減少了40％到60％冠狀動脈疾病的致命率。越來越多的研究證實酒精減少了冠狀動脈的病變。酒精改進血液油脂外形（增加了HDL，減少了LDL） 降低了血栓的形成（減少血小板的群聚，減少纖維蛋白原生成，並促進纖維蛋白的溶解），降低了血壓，增加冠狀動脈的血流量，並減少血液中胰島素的含量。

Nevertheless, the medical causes of the French paradox are still not entirely clear and research continues.然而「法國矛盾」的醫學成因仍未被全盤瞭解，並且相關研究仍然持續當中。


（呼，翻譯文章真是件有趣的事啊，其實增進的多半是潤筆的能力。大功告成，我要喝杯酒去。）