真的嗎?辣椒可以治頭痛

Really?
The Claim: Cayenne Peppers Can Cure Headaches (原文連結)

現代人的生活忙碌似乎是沒有人能逃開的宿命,坦白說個人對於一些新商務書籍的理論私底下都有一定的反感,並不是我有比這些真知灼見更高明的意見,而是這些東西也許對事業或生涯有獨到見解,對於生活品質卻大多是負面的.整天到晚都在談"藍海""創新"的工作環境其實只是對庶民的折磨,大多數的人沒有因這些啟示而成為什麼創業楷模或是創新核心員工,反而是頭痛(headache)或偏頭痛(migraine)總是在暗處窺探,只等我們的壓力來到臨界點.

People who suffer from chronic headaches have been known to try all sorts of pills and home remedies. But cayenne peppers?
為經常性頭痛所苦的人會去嘗試各式各種的藥和家庭療法.但是紅辣椒?真的還假的?

chronic
adj.
1. Of long duration; continuing: chronic money problems.
2. Lasting for a long period of time or marked by frequent recurrence, as certain diseases: chronic colitis.
3. Subject to a habit or pattern of behavior for a long time: a chronic liar.

Behind the folk wisdom is capsaicin, the active ingredient in cayenne. It is said to bring relief by depleting Substance P, a neurotransmitter that helps transmit pain impulses. Sounds unlikely, but a number of studies have tested the claim, and most have found evidence to support it.
這個民間智慧的背後是辣椒素.辣椒中的有效成分.據說它會藉由消除P物質,一種傳送痛感的刺激神經傳導物質,來達到紓解疼痛的效果.聽起來不太可能,但是許多研究已經對這個傳言做測試,且大部分都找到證據來支持這個傳說.

de·plete (dĭ-plēt')
tr.v
To decrease the fullness of; use up or empty out.

One prominent study was published in 1998 in The Clinical Journal of Pain by researchers in the department of anesthesia and critical care at the University of Chicago. In it, the researchers analyzed data from 33 prior studies and found that capsaicin seemed to work better than placebos for headaches occurring in clusters.
有個廣為人知1998年由芝加哥大學神經學與重症部門所發表的研究,裡面針對之前33個研究資料分析,發現辣椒素針對連續性頭痛的效果比安慰劑要好.

prom·i·nent (prŏm'ə-nənt)
adj.
1. Projecting outward or upward from a line or surface; protuberant.
2. Immediately noticeable; conspicuous. See Synonyms at noticeable.
3. Widely known; eminent.

Placebo(plə-sē'bō)
1.
a. A substance containing no medication and prescribed or given to reinforce a patient's expectation to get well.
b. An inactive substance or preparation used as a control in an experiment or test to determine the effectiveness of a medicinal drug.
2. Something of no intrinsic remedial value that is used to appease or reassure another.

But simply eating hot sauce isn’t going to help. Most studies suggest that capsaicin works just when applied topically. A study by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital recruited sufferers of chronic headaches and randomly split them. One group had small amounts of diluted capsaicin applied inside the nose for a week. The other received placebo. The study found “a significant decrease in headache severity in the capsaicin group,” but not the placebo group. Other studies, including one this year, published similar results.
不過就直接吃辣椒醬並沒有幫助.大部分研究表示辣椒素只有針對局部使用才有功效.一個Massachusetts General Hospital的研究募集了經常性頭痛的患者把他們隨機分組.在一週的時間裡針對其中一組在鼻子裡用稀釋的辣椒素.另外一組則使用安慰劑.這個研究發現"辣椒素實驗組有明顯的頭痛症狀舒緩",而使用安慰劑的對照組則沒有.其他研究,包含今年的一組都呈現相似的結果.

top·i·cal (tŏp'ĭ-kəl)
adj.
1. Of or belonging to a particular location or place; local.
2. Currently of interest; contemporary.
3. Medicine
    a. Of or applied to a localized area of the body or to the surface of a body part.
    b. Of or relating to a drug applied topically.
4. Of, arranged by, or relating to a particular topic or topics.

di·lute (dī-lūt', dĭ-)
tr.v., -lut·ed, -lut·ing, -lutes.
1. To make thinner or less concentrated by adding a liquid such as water.
2. To lessen the force, strength, purity, or brilliance of, especially by admixture.
3. To decrease the value of (shares of stock) by increasing the total number of shares.
adj.
    Weakened; diluted.


THE BOTTOM LINE

Studies have found that capsaicin may help relieve headaches.
結論
研究發現辣椒素對紓解頭痛症狀也許有功效.

我個人曾經是辣椒膏的愛用者,不過不是用在頭痛(德國辣椒膏完全不是稀釋的),貼在鼻腔裡應該頭痛會好,因為鼻子根本就燒起來了吧.有位中醫師推薦一種讓睡眠品質變好的方法,我用過還不賴,在這裡跟大家分享.文中提的痠痛貼布我用辣椒膏剪小丁用,效果不錯.
失眠 按按合谷穴,也可用痠痛貼布貼在耳神門穴一整天，幫助入眠
網址已被移除
簡單摘錄如下:

利用痠痛貼布穴位敷貼也很有效。方法是先將痠痛貼布、金絲膏、痠痛活血膏等，撕成適當大小，大約1公分左右，貼在「耳神門穴」（位於耳上方三角窩處）。貼了一整天後再撕下，晚上一定一夜好眠，因為，耳神門穴連接到腦部睡眠中樞，白天刺激耳神門穴後，晚上可以助眠。


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