一詞：國外掀起新的咖啡“健康喝法”，科學家說別亂搞

n. [生化]膠原蛋白; 膠原質

圖片來源：視覺中國

People Keep Putting Collagen in Their Coffee, And Scientists Have Weighed In.

人們一直在往咖啡里加膠原蛋白，而科學家們也討論起這種喝法。

Collagen products are popping up everywhere. While collagen is probably most well known for its touted skin care benefits and as a major component of lip enhancers and injections, some celebrities, like Kourtney Kardashian, are suggesting that people drink it.

膠原蛋白產品如今隨處可見。膠原蛋白最廣爲人知的功效可能是它被吹捧的護膚功效，而且它還是豐脣膏和脣部注射脣蜜的主要成分，而考特妮·卡戴珊等部分名人則建議人們喝膠原蛋白。

Products derived from collagen are not just in skin creams and dietary supplements but even in pillow covers and clothing. Kardashian is even selling collagen supplements.

膠原蛋白衍生品不僅存在於護膚霜和膳食補充劑中，甚至還存在於枕套和服裝中。甚至連卡戴珊都在賣膠原蛋白補充劑。

Collagen is the body's most abundant protein, made up of amino acids, or peptides. It literally glues our bones, cartilage, skin and blood vessels together. It's what makes our tissues grow, mature and move. Its presence under your skin can keep it from sagging over time.

膠原蛋白由氨基酸或多肽構成，是人體內含量最多的蛋白質。其實是它把我們的骨骼、軟骨、皮膚和血管粘合在了一起，也是它使我們的組織發育、成熟、轉變。隨着時間的推移，存在於皮膚之下的膠原蛋白可以防止皮膚下垂。

Because our bodies begin to lose collagen in our 20s, skin creams and treatments made from the connective tissues of animals seem like an effective way to combat age. And, it has few side effects.

我們的身體在20多歲時開始失去膠原蛋白，由動物結締組織製成的護膚霜和護理產品似乎是抵抗衰老的有效方法。而且，它幾乎沒有副作用。

But there's a catch – or two. As a female interested in aging gracefully and as a scientist who studies collagen, I have found the plethora of collagen-based products to be interesting. I have been involved with studying collagen for over a decade as our lab is working to develop a collagen made solely in a laboratory instead of sourcing from animals.

但還是有一個或兩個問題。作爲一名對優雅地衰老感興趣的女性，以及一名研究膠原蛋白的科學家，我發現大量基於膠原蛋白的產品非常有趣。我從事膠原蛋白研究已有十多年了，我們的實驗室一直致力於開發一種完全在實驗室中合成的，而不是從動物身體上提取的膠原蛋白。

I have asked other collagen-knowledgeable colleagues what they think of everyone putting it in their coffee, and I get some smirks.

我問過其他了解膠原蛋白的同事，他們對於人們往咖啡中加入膠原蛋白有什麼看法，而他們傻笑着看着我。

The collagen molecule itself is too large to penetrate the surface of the skin when applied in a cream or lotion. It just sits there until it's washed off. Soluble or hydrolyzed collagen, which is broken down into smaller fragments, does penetrate the skin, but these fragments are likely too small to do any good.

膠原蛋白分子本身很大，在用於面霜或乳液時，它無法穿透皮膚表面，只是浮在皮膚上，直到被洗掉。可溶性或水解的膠原蛋白被分解成更小的碎片，確實能穿透皮膚，但這些膠原蛋白碎片似乎太小了，對皮膚並沒有任何好處。

Likely, a skin improvement is due to additional ingredients in your topical cream or simply additional proline, an amino acid found in collagen.

皮膚的改善很可能是由於你的局部面霜中添加了額外的成分，或者僅僅是添加了在膠原蛋白中發現的一種氨基酸——脯氨酸。

In addition, collagen falls apart at temperatures above body temperature, turning it into plain gelatin – yes, the stuff in Jell-O. At these higher temperatures – when added to hot coffee, for example – collagen's molecular structure melts, diminishing or even negating the desired health benefits.

另外，膠原蛋白在高於體溫的溫度下會分解，變成普通的明膠——沒錯，就是果凍中的那種物質。例如，當加入熱咖啡中時，在這樣的高溫下，膠原蛋白的分子結構會融化，減少甚至不再有期望中的那種有益於健康的療效。

collagen injections

膠原蛋白注射劑

The collagen that is included in face creams comes from animal skin.  

面霜中的膠原蛋白取自動物皮層。