is true. And it actually - makes us smell worse!

它實際上讓大家問起來更難受！

Hey guys, Tara here for Dnews, and for most of us - antiperspirant is as much a part of

大家好，這裡是Dnews的Tara， 對於大多數人—止汗劑是我們每天生活必須使用的生活用品

our daily routine, as brushing our teeth. 90% of Americans use some form of it every

，就好像刷牙一樣。 百分之九十的美國人每天使用不同形式的止汗劑

single day - but what if it’s doing more harm than good? Aside from all the potential

—但是如果它是壞處多於好處呢？ 先拋開我們聽過對健康有影響的副作用

health side effects we hear about, could it actually be making us smell WORSE? Well, according

，它真的可以讓我們聞起來更加臭？ 根據一項

to a new study published in the Archives of Dermatological Research - that’s exactly what it does.

在皮膚研究檔案上發表的研究，研究表明止汗劑的確讓我們聞起來更加臭。

Before we get into this, let’s examine what actually causes body odor. It all starts with

在我們深入之前，先看一下究竟什麼引起腋臭。腋臭是有排汗開始。

sweat. The sweat we secrete through our armpits, contains lipids and amino acids - that get

我們分泌的汗水包含脂質和氨基酸會經過腋下，然後被細菌分解

broken down by bacteria, and that process is what creates the distinctive body odor smell.

而這個過程就區別性腋臭的味道。

Deodorants contain antimicrobial agents that kill off that bacteria, but they also contain

防臭劑含有抗菌成分所以它可以殺死細菌，但是他們也添加

chemicals that replace the bad odors with good ones. Antiperspirants work the opposite

的化學成分，利用香味來掩蓋臭味。止汗劑運作原理就恰好相反

way, by physically plugging up our sweat glands with aluminum-based compounds. So where deodorants

，它原理是把含有鋁離子成分的化學物質塗到我們的汗腺上，堵住汗腺

can only mask the smell, antiperspirants actually prevent the sweat that causes it. Of course

進而無法排汗來達到除臭的目的。 當然，

most antiperspirants are also deodorants - so as far as body odor goes, they’re effectively working double duty.

很多的止汗劑也是除臭劑——只要有腋臭， 他們都會有效地起到雙重保護作用

It seems too good to be true, and like most things - it probably is. Messing with our

它可能不是真的有效，和大多數東西一樣——它很可能是。把我們身體本來細菌的組成搞亂。

body’s natural composition of bacteria, typically comes with side effects. So to test

通常伴隨副作用。為了測試

how these products affect us, a team of researchers at the University of Ghent in Belgium, asked

這些產品如何影響我們，根特大學的一隊研究人員要求

6 men and 2 women to stop using any kind of deodorant and antiperspirant for an entire

6個男人和2個女人停止使用任何的止汗劑或者除臭劑一個月。

month. Specifically, 4 of the subjects stopped using deodorant - and the other 4 stopped using antiperspirant.

特別是，他們中4個停止使用除臭劑，另外4個人就停止使用止汗劑。

As a control, they recruited another subject who didn’t use either one regularly - and

為了對比，他們招募另外一組不定期使用止汗劑或者除臭劑的實驗對象。而且要求

asked them to start using deodorant for the duration of the month.

他們開始持續使用除臭劑一個月

At several points, before, during, and after the trial, researchers analyzed each subject’s

在實驗前，進行中，實驗後，研究人員分析每個實驗對象腋下的細菌

armpit bacteria - and found that switching hygiene habits significantly altered the bacterial

發現改變衛生習慣每個人的細菌群落都有顯著的改變。

communities of each and every person. Specifically, they noticed one common trend among every

具體一點，研究人員發現實驗對象有個共同的趨勢：

subject: which is that antiperspirants led to a clear increase of Actinobacteria.

趨勢是止汗劑導致放線菌數量明顯增加。

Actinobacteria is just one of many kinds of bacteria living in the armpit, but it also

放線菌只是眾多細菌中生活在腋下的一種，但是它也

happens to be the smelliest kind, and it’s predominantly associated with BO. Meaning

氣味最大的細菌中的一種。，它主要與腋臭相關。 意思是

the very substance that’s supposed to prevent body odor, is actually making us smell worse.

很多本來阻止腋臭的東西，實際上讓我們腋臭更加嚴重。

Now, why on earth would something like this happen?

現在，為什麼會有這種事情發生？

Well, the author of the study believes the aluminum compounds in antiperspirant - are

研究的作者相信在止汗劑裡面的鋁化合物殺死了好細菌

killing off all of the good bacteria, and allowing the bad, more smelly ones to dominate.

導致壞的，更臭的細菌佔了主導地位

Which explains why only antiperspirant is to blame. By comparison, the study found that

這樣就解釋了為什麼止汗劑會受到責備了。通過對比，研究發現那些使用除臭劑的實驗對象

subjects who used deodorant - actually experienced a decrease in Actinobacteria.

其實經歷了放線菌數量的減少。

So, what’s the take home message here? Should we all just forgo antiperspirant, and start

那麼，我們從這個實驗學到了什麼？我們應該放棄止汗劑，和開始使用

wearing deodorant instead? Well… yes and no. In the long run, deodorant is probably

除臭劑做替代？ 是和不是。長遠看來，除臭劑可能

better for you - but it still doesn’t address the root cause of the issue, which is the

對你更好——但是它依然無法把這個問題解決，問題就是

bacteria that causes odors. All deodorant does is mask them. So really, it’s the lesser

細菌產生氣味。 所有的除臭劑只是遮住他們而已。這真的是兩害取其輕。

of 2 evils. But there’s gotta be a better solution out there, right?

但是肯定有更好的解決辦法不是嗎？

Well, there is - and it’s exactly what the author of this study is working on: armpit

確實有，研究的作者正在努力中：汗腺

bacterial transplantation. It’s when you take away the bad bacteria from someone with

細菌移植。 從有腋臭的人身上拿走他身上的壞細菌——並且從他沒有腋臭的親戚裡面

body odor - and replace it with the good bacteria from a relative of that person, who doesn’t

取出好的細菌，然後把好的細菌放到有腋臭的人身上。

have body odor. So far, they’ve tried it on over 15 people,

到目前為止，他們已經在15人身上嘗試過，

and for most subjects - they say it brings immediate improvement, that’s often times

而且多數實驗對象表示汗腺細菌移植帶來進步， 而且是永久性的。

permanent. Obviously, a procedure like this would be used for only the most extreme cases

顯而易見，這個過程只會對那些腋臭極其嚴重的人才會是用。

- but for now, it seems like a natural - and more effective - alternative to deodorant

但是現在， 除臭劑和止汗劑 看起來很自然而且有效。

and antiperspirant. I’ll say this much - and it’s probably

我會說這麼多——可能是太多信息了

TMI - but I stopped using antiperspirant regularly a couple years ago - now I use it maybe 2,

-但是我一年前我已經沒有定期使用止汗劑——現在一個禮拜我會用2到3次。

3 times a week - and I’ve actually noticed that even though I sweat slightly less on

我已經發覺到即使我出汗比平常少，

the days I use it, I also smell more. So, I’m not entirely convinced it’s really

我腋臭卻加重了。 因此，我不是完全被說服止汗劑

done a whole lot to improve my life. That’s just me though - I’m sure some of you out

讓我的生活更加美好， 只是剛好我的情況是這樣— 我肯定你們肯定有人會比我

there do a lot more strenuous activities than I, so maybe consult your significant other

做更多的劇烈運動，或許在你把你的除臭劑扔到垃圾桶之前諮詢一下重要的人

before you throw your deodorant in the trash. It is a courtesy, after all.

畢竟這是禮貌。

[YOUTUBE] Now to completely switch gears for a second,

現在我要稍微題外話一下，

I wanna mention another show we have here at Discovery, called TestTube - that’s hosted

我想說一下我們Discovery另外一個節目叫TestTube—由Trace和我一起主持。

by Trace and myself. It’s a daily show, like Dnews - but geared towards current events.

它是一個每天秀

Trace did an episode earlier this week on why the US and China are investing so much

這個星期前，Trace做了一集關於“為什麼美國和中國投資那麼多錢在非洲上”，

money into Africa, and it’s a fascinating angle on that whole discussion. So if you’re

那一集整個討論中有引人入勝的角度。 如果你有興趣想

interested in learning more about that, just head over to youtube.com/testtubenetwork - and

知道更多的話，請前往youtube.com/testtubenetwork， 還有

you can watch all of our episodes in one neat webpage.

你可以在一個乾淨整齊的網頁上觀看我們所有的集數。