新奇事件簿 婚姻可以缓解压力（在线收听）

A new study suggests that marital bliss has beneficial health effects. The research is from Carnegie Mellon University in the USA. It concludes that being married reduces your levels of a stress hormone called cortisol. Researchers tested for cortisol in the saliva of 572 adults aged 21-55 on three different, non-consecutive days. Multiple saliva samples were taken throughout each 24-hour period. The researchers found that the married people in the sample had less cortisol than people who were single, separated, divorced or widowed. The researchers said: "Married people tend to be healthier than both the previously and never married, but the mechanisms through which this occurs remain unclear."

一项新的研究表明，婚姻幸福有益健康。这是来自美国卡内基梅隆大学的研究。研究称，结婚会降低一种名叫皮质醇的压力荷尔蒙的水平。研究人员选取了不连续的三个日期检测了572名21岁至55岁的成年人唾液中皮质醇的水平。每24小时内采取多个不同的唾液样本。研究人员发现，已婚人士样本中的皮质醇水平低于单身，分居，离异或寡居人士。研究人员表示：“已婚人士比以前曾经结婚或从未结婚的人更健康，但是发生这种现象的机制仍然不清楚。”

The stress hormone cortisol has many different functions in our body. It regulates blood sugar levels, immune responses and inflammation and can increase the risk of heart disease. It also increases the chances of surviving cancer. High levels of cortisol have been linked to mental conditions such as anxiety and depression. Laboratory director Sheldon Cohen said: "These data provide important insights into the way in which our intimate social relationships can get under the skin to influence our health." Researcher Brian Chin added: "It is exciting to discover a physiological pathway that may explain how relationships influence health and disease."

压力荷尔蒙皮质醇对我们的身体有许多不同的作用，会调节血糖水平，免疫反应和炎症，增加心脏病风险，还会增加患癌症的机会。高水平的皮质醇与焦虑和抑郁等精神疾病有关。实验室负责人Sheldon Cohen表示：“这些数据为我们的亲密社交关系如何穿透皮肤影响我们的健康提供了重要的视角。”研究员Brian Chin补充说：“发现这种可能解释夫妻关系如何影响健康和疾病的生理通道，非常令人兴奋。”