饭后困的解释来了
享用过美味午餐之后，你或许会对接下来所要发生的事感到不安。没错，我们今天要说的就是可怕的「食物昏迷」，科学术语为「餐后嗜睡」(Postprandial somnolence)。
You start feeling a bit tired and sleepy and you find that your concentration starts to waiver a bit.
午餐之后，你往往会感到些许疲惫与困倦，注意力也会有点儿涣散。
Let’s take a look at what causes this dreaded food coma:
而导致「食物昏迷」的原因推论，主要有以下几种：
1. Carbs
1。碳水化合物
A majority of us believe that the cause of our sleepiness is carbs.
大多数人都会认为导致自己嗜睡的原因为碳水化合物。
Here’s a simple explanation on how it works:
下面我们就来简单介绍一下其工作原理：
Our bodies are equipped to break down simple carbohydrates like rice or bread into sugars that we use for energy.
人体能够将简单的碳水化合物如大米或面包分解成为糖，以便补充能量。
they have a high glycemic index, our blood sugar level increases.
血糖指数升高时，我们的血糖水平就会上升。
Consuming a high amount of these foods boosts our energy but because we usually can’t produce insulin fast enough, other chemicals called tryptophan and serotonin can overwhelm us.
大量消耗这些食物会增加我们的能量，但我们却无法快速生产出足量胰岛素。因此，其他化学物质如色氨酸和血清素就会过量，
This makes us feel sleepy.
从而让我们感到疲惫。
2. Digestion of foods rich in protein and salt
2. 消化富含蛋白质与盐分的食物
Recently, there was an interesting bit of research that looked at fruit flies as subjects.
最近，一些研究表明，人体可能需要很努力去消化富含蛋白质与盐分的食物。
The study suggests that the human body may need to work hard to digest foods rich in protein and salt. Dr. Robert Huber, who is part of the research team, mentions that, “If sleep increases your ability to resorb it (protein), that would be a possible reason. It’s the same thing with salt.” The quoted article also mentions, “Carbohydrates, on the other hand, are much easier to come by in nature, so might not call for such dedicated digestion.”
该研究团队成员Robert Huber博士表示：「或许睡眠可以提高人体吸收(蛋白质)的能力，盐分亦是如此。」 另一方面，碳水化合物在自然界中更易获取，或许不必专门去努力消化。
3. Huge portion size
3. 餐量过多
The portions that you eat can also play a factor in enabling your food coma. The logical explanation behind this is because of the volume that you’re eating.
「食物昏迷」也有可能取决于你用餐的分量。
David Levitsky, a professor at Cornell University, states that, “The parasympathetic nervous system or ‘the rest and digest system’ is activated when you eat, but (the extent to which it induces sleepiness) depends on the magnitude of the meal.” Meaning that size of your lunch can definitely have a huge impact.
康奈尔大学教授David Levitsky指出：「当你吃东西时，副交感神经系统，或称‘休息与消化系统’会被激活，但 (引起嗜睡的程度)取决于用餐的分量。」
4. Change of blood flow
4. 血流量变化
Levitsky also theorises that food comas relate to changes in circulation. When we consume food, it activates the gastrointestinal tract and “blood flow shifts from the muscles and brain into the stomach and intestines”. This leads to low blood volume in the brain, which is why we get woozy and tired.
Levitsky教授还推论「食物昏迷」与血液流通有关。当我们用餐时，胃肠道会被激活，血液从肌肉和大脑转移到胃部和肠道。这会导致大脑血量减少，从而使我们感到头晕与疲倦。
After eating, our heart rates also slows down as intestinal activity increases. This leads to the blood shifts mentioned.
吃完饭后，随着肠道活动增加，我们的心率也会减慢。因而导致了上述的血液转移。
5. The dip of your circadian rhythm
5. 昼夜节律下降
Our circadian rhythm experiences a normal decrease in the early to mid-afternoon, that contributes to sleepiness and it gets worse when coupled with a meal.
从下午刚开始至3点左右，我们的昼夜节律会发生正常下降，从而导致嗜睡。
Dr. William Orr from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center explained that, “Around 1 or 1:30 p.m. is right about when that dip occurs, where we are a little more drowsy,”. He continues to say that, “Even if you don’t eat lunch, you would still get sleepy due to the circadian rhythm. But when we eat at this time, it’s a double whammy.”
俄克拉荷马大学健康科学中心的William Orr博士解释说：「大约在下午1点或1点半左右，节律就会开始下降，我们就会感到更为疲倦。」他还补充道：「即使你不吃午餐，仍然会因为昼夜节律而感到困倦。但如果我们吃了之后，就会受到双重打击。」
So either way, you’re definitely going to feel sleepy around that time…
所以说，无论出于以上任何原因，你都注定会在那段时间感到困倦。
How not to end up in a food coma
如何避免「食物昏迷」?
Avoid overeating
避免暴饮暴食。
If you can, opt for liquids like soup over solid meals to reduce the effect.
避免暴饮暴食。
Have a balanced meal – Protein and carbohydrates ideally in a one-to-two proportion. Choose plant-based or marine-based fats over animal-based saturated fats and don’t overlook the other major food groups.
膳食平衡——蛋白质与碳水化合物的理想比例为1：2。选择植物脂肪或海洋生物脂肪，而非动物的饱和脂肪，也不要忽视其他主要食物类别。
Light physical activity – Wait about 30 minutes then taking a quick walk could do a lot to help keep you more alert, as it will help increase circulation and stimulate your muscles.
轻微身体活动——用完餐30分钟之后快速散步，可以让你保持更为警觉。因为它有助于增加血液循环和刺激肌肉。
Have an apple – the action of chewing will help keep you focused and it has a similar effect to caffeine.
吃一个苹果——咀嚼的动作将有助于保持你的注意力，效果与咖啡因的作用类似。
Keep hydrated – When your body is dehydrated, it will slow down and your energy levels are more likely to drop.
保持水分——当你的身体脱水时，就会放慢速度，能量水平也更有可能下降。
Conclusion
结论
Besides the study on carbs, there’s no conclusive evidence yet about what food could really lead you down the path of a food coma. The best thing that you can do is eat wisely to ensure that you don’t keep falling into the after meal sleep trap repeatedly.
目前，除了针对碳水化合物的研究之外，尚无确切证据表明什么食物会真正让你产生「食物昏迷」。但是为了避免反复陷入「食物昏迷」，大家最好还是明智选择饮食。
