Yes, death is inevitable, but we have the capability either to delay or hasten it depending on the choices we make such as the way we live our lives. For example, common habits like smoking and not exercising regularly are known to decrease life expectancy significantly. However, there are some surprising things that we wouldn't have guessed can actually cause us to have an early appointment with death.
人生的终点是死亡。没错,死亡是无法回避的,或早或晚,我们终究会与之相遇。但是,生命的长度会因为生活方式的不同而不同。我们都知道:吸烟、不定期健身非常不利于身体健康。可是你是否听说过,有这样一些意想不到的事情竟会加速你的死亡。
10.傲人的胸围
I know this claim sounds absurd, but science can back it up. Many women want bigger breasts for a number of reasons such as looking more attractive, increasing self-confidence, or simply pleasing their men. If you have an average breast size, then you should be grateful. Why? New studies show that having big breasts can cause numerous health ailments and even early death. It's been reported that women with big breasts suffer from a great deal of back, arm, and neck pain. In addition, some also report that they experience friction rash, headaches, and spine deformity due to their large breasts. The pain associated with having big breasts is so extreme that some women have to take medications everyday just for the pain to subside.
这种说法听起来很荒诞对吗?那我们就用科学研究来为其正名吧。生活里,为了增加魅力、多几分自信或者出于"女为悦己者容"的心态,多数女人都渴望拥有傲人的双峰。可是姐妹们,如果你的胸围只停留在平均水平,就可真应该去偷着乐了。新的研究表明,胸部过大会引发很多疾病,甚至会加速女性死亡。据报道,胸部丰满的女性常会出现背部、手臂、脖子疼痛的症状,有些还深受皮疹、头痛、脊椎畸形等病症的困扰。为了缓解病痛,胸围丰满的女性们甚至需要每日服药,真是让人心疼。
This might come as a surprise to you but a survey conducted recently showed that one in ten women have low self-esteem because of their big breasts. In addition, a third of those surveyed said that their big breasts give them a great deal of pain while working out. But perhaps the worst consequence of having large breasts is dying prematurely. Women with big breasts are more likely to die five years earlier than their expected lifespan.
最近的一项研究结果也许会让你大呼意外:有十分之一的女性会因为其傲人的胸部而心生自卑,在接受调查的女性中,竟有三分之一的人觉得傲人的胸围给其日常外出带来诸多不便。比起下面的结果,以上的种种结论也许并不算糟糕:胸围丰满的女性,其寿命往往比正常女性的平均寿命短五年之久。
9.Drinking Too Much Coffee
9.咖啡摄入量过大
Drinking coffee is perfectly fine. It even has numerous health benefits. However, consuming too much of this beverage can cause you numerous health conditions and even premature death. A study published in the Journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings showed that people under the age of 55 who consume four or more cups of coffee everyday or 28 cups or more per week increase their risk of dying prematurely by as much as 56%.
喝咖啡对健康好处多多,但喝太多会损害健康,甚至引起过早死亡。发表在Mayo Clinic Proceedings杂志上的一项研究显示,未满55岁的人如果每天喝四杯或每周喝28杯以上的咖啡,会使过早死亡的风险提高百分之五十六。
This study is quite big, involving 43,729 people—9,827 of them were women and 33,900 were men. Moreover, this study evaluated the information gathered from filled up medical and personal history questionnaires between the years 1979 and 1998. How can the overconsumption of coffee cause premature death? According to the experts who conducted the study, coffee has the capability to increase blood pressure, activate the production of epinephrine, and stop insulin activity. All of which can wreck havoc to your body. However, it should be noted, though, that the direct link between drinking too much coffee and premature death is not yet fully understood. But just to be safe, if you're under 55 and would like to live longer, then make sure to lessen your coffee consumption starting today.
这项研究声势浩大,多达43729位人接受了调查,其中有9827名妇女和33900名男性。此外,这个研究对1979年到1998年间收集的所有医疗个人史信息进行了评价。过度饮用咖啡是如何造成过早死亡的呢?根据专家的研究,咖啡能使血压升高,促进肾上腺素的生成,并且停止胰岛素的活性。所有这一切都可以摧毁你的身体。当然,咖啡摄入量过多和过早死亡之间的直接联系尚未完全明确。但为了安全起见,如果你尚未满55岁,希望能享受更长久的生命时光,那么一定要从今天开始减少你的咖啡摄入。
8.全谷物
I'm pretty sure you're saying right now, "But whole grains are healthy!", "They're recommended by medical experts!", "I've been eating them my whole life!" etc. Before you call me a liar, consider these facts first.
我猜诸位看到这个标题肯定会说:"谷物是健康的啊!","它们可是医学专家极力推荐的食物!","我一辈子都在吃它!",等等。在你称我骗子之前,请先考虑下以下几个事实:
Whole grains contain phytates which block the absorption of certain essential minerals like iron, magnesium, zinc, and calcium. Studies show that eating grains can block the absorption of iron by as much as 50%. In addition, magnesium, which is a vital mineral capable of staving off type 2 diabetes as well as calcium which is needed for preventing osteoporosis, are also blocked by phytates. And worst of all, eating grains can decrease your sex drive since it inhibits the absorption of zinc. Even if you take supplements, they still won't be absorbed and used by your body properly if you continue eating whole grains. Not convinced yet? How about this: studies show that whole grains, particularly wheat, have been linked to the development of certain autoimmune diseases. Lectins, which are present in wheat, can potentially cause lupus, hypothyroidism, eczema, and other autoimmune diseases.
全谷物包含的植酸会阻碍人体对铁、镁、锌、钙等必需的矿物元素的吸收。研究表明,食用谷物对吸收铁元素的阻碍率高达50%。此外,作为人体必不可少的重要元素,镁能够有效避开2型糖尿病,同时,钙能够预防骨质疏松症。最糟糕的是,食用谷物抑制了人体对锌的吸收会减少你的性欲。即使你食用一些补充物,只要你继续食用全谷物,它们依旧不会被有效吸收和合理被人体使用。还不信服?那接着看看这个:研究表明,全谷物,尤其是小麦,与某些自身免疫性疾病的发展有关。存在于小麦中的植物凝集素可能导致红斑狼疮、甲状腺功能减退症、湿疹,或者其他自身免疫疾病。
7.服用安眠药
Many people these days are suffering from insomnia, and to treat this problem doctors often prescribe sleeping pills. However, a certain study shows that taking sleeping pills can cause premature death. To be more specific, people taking sleeping medications are five times more likely to die prematurely than non-users. And worst of all, even if the dosage is low like 4 to 18 pills a year the risk doesn't diminish. In fact, people who take this number of pills annually are 3.6 times more likely to die prematurely than those who are not taking any sleeping medication.
如今的人们大多都遭受着失眠的困扰。为了治疗这个问题,医生们会开一些安眠药给病人。然而,一项研究表明,服用安眠药会导致过早死亡。更具体点就是,人们服用安眠药过早死的几率是没有服用者的5倍。更为糟糕的是,尽管每年用量减少至4-18粒安眠药,其早死的风险并不会因此降低多少。事实上,那些每年平均服用这个数量的人早死的几率是从未服用安眠药的人的3.6倍。
Alarmingly, those who are taking 18 to 132 pills annually increase their risk of dying prematurely by as much 4.4%. Those who take 132 or more pills annually are 5.3 times more likely to experience an untimely death. The bad news doesn't end there. Those who take 132 pills a year increase their risk of developing cancer by as much as 35%. If you don't want to die prematurely, then ditch the pill the next time you find yourself awake and irritated at 2 o'clock in the morning.
惊人的是,每年平均服用18-132粒安眠药的人 ,其死亡风险会增加4.4%。服用超过132粒安眠药的人的死亡几率甚至会是未服用者的5.3倍。这还没完,这些服用安眠药每年达到132粒的人患上癌症的风险高达35%。如果你不想英年早逝,赶紧把你的安眠药扔掉吧。
6.Consuming Too Much Salt
6.摄入过多的盐
If you're addicted to fast foods and processed foods, then you should definitely do your best to stop, not because they are rich in fat but because of their high sodium content. The Texas Medical Association (TMA) warns that eating foods that are high in salt can cause early death.
如果你沉迷于吃快餐和加工食品,那么你一定要尽自己最大努力去停止这种习惯。不仅是因为他们饱含脂肪,更由于这些食物的高钠含量。德克萨斯医学协会警告说,吃高盐食物会导致过早死亡。
Aside from causing kidney stones, salt can also cause hypertension, which can lead to stroke and heart attack. The American Heart Association strongly encourages people to limit their sodium intake to 2,300 milligrams per day. Those who are suffering from hypertension should only take 1,500 milligrams of salt daily. But AMA admits that doing so is virtually impossible. Why? Consider this. One McDonald's Quarter Pounder with Cheese has 1,190 mg of salt. On the other hand, One Wendy's Chicken BLD salad with no dressing has 1,280 mg. No wonder 65 million Americans have hypertension and 500,000 people die each year due to stroke and heart disease.
除了会引起肾结石,盐还会引起高血压,从而导致中风和心脏病发作。美国心脏协会大力鼓励人们减少钠盐的摄入,推荐每天摄入2300毫克。而高血压患者则每天只需要摄入1500毫克的盐。但AMA承认这样做几乎是不可能的。为什么呢?这需要考虑到,一个麦当劳1/4磅的奶酪就含有1190毫克的盐。另一方面,一个没有调味料的温迪鸡BLD沙拉含盐1280毫克。这就难怪6500万的美国人患有高血压,每年有50万人死于中风和心脏病了。TMA估计,如果食品制造商和餐馆减少他们产品中的钠盐含量,15万的人会免于因高血压引起的并发症而导致过早死亡。