《中英對照讀新聞》Dairy product tie to having twins 乳類產品與懷雙胞胎有關

◎鄭寺音

New research suggests that a diet high in dairy products can greatly increase a woman、s chances of having twins.

新研究顯示，富含乳類製品的飲食，可大幅增加女性懷雙胞胎的機率。

A study in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine showed milk drinkers were five times more likely to have twins than women who ate no animal products.

生殖醫學期刊上的一項研究顯示，乳類飲者懷雙胞胎的可能，比不吃動物製品的女性高5倍。

The numbers of twins in the world has increased significantly in the past 30 years, in some countries by over 50%.

全世界的雙胞胎數量過去30年間大幅增加，在一些國家甚至增加了50%以上。

Scientists have suggested fertility treatments and women delaying pregnancy can help explain the rise. But this new research indicates that diet can also play an important part.

科學家認為，生育治療與女性延後懷孕，可能有助解釋這項增加。但這項新研究指出，飲食也可能扮演重要角色。

In the study, the twinning rates of women who ate a diet including milk were compared with women who followed a vegan, or no animal products diet.

這份研究比較了飲食包括牛奶的女性，與嚴守素食或無動物產品飲食的女性生雙胞胎的比率。

It is believed that a protein found in the livers of animals may be the cause. Called Insulin-like Growth Factor or IGF, it is found in cow、s milk and other animal products.

據信原因可能就是在動物肝臟中發現的一種蛋白質。這種稱為類胰島素生長因子的蛋白質，在牛奶與其他動物產品中都有。

In women it makes the ovaries more sensitive and increases the number of eggs produced. Higher levels of IGF improve the survival chances of an embryo in the early stages of development.

這種蛋白質讓女性卵巢更敏感，增加卵子產生的數量，較高的類胰島素生長因子值，增加胚胎在發展初期的存活機會。

新聞辭典

have：此處指「生育、懷胎」。例句：My mother had me at home. （我媽在家生下我。）

dairy：名詞，製酪場、牛奶及乳品業；形容詞，牛奶製的、乳品的。例句：He runs a dairy near Madison. （他在麥迪遜附近經營一家牛奶場。）

vegan：嚴守素食主義的。例句：She decided to turn vegan after watching a documentary about how poultry is raised. （她看到家禽飼養方法的紀錄片後，決定改吃素食。）