【科普/双语】为什么假期时你的便便会不正常 Why your poop gets weird on vacation
你千里迢迢到了心仪的旅游胜地，随处可见异国风情，但你却在马桶上愁眉不展。太太，你也不想这样吧。有可能是因为你在游轮的自助餐上吃到了变质的扇贝，但旅行本身也可能会影响排便。因为当你旅游时，你的肠道微生物群也踏上了旅程。
No one wants to travel to a fun or exotic location only to be stuck on the toilet. While bad shellfish from a cruise buffet could be the source of tummy trouble, taking a trip itself is also a factor that can change bowel movements. That’s because when you travel, so does your gut microbiome.
你的消化道是数万亿的细菌、病毒、真菌的快乐老家。当你到了新的地方，它们可能会被影响。微生物科学公司Seed Health的联合首席执行官拉贾·迪尔（Raja Dhir）表示，“它们和人一样，会被多种因素影响，比如睡的少了、吃的变了、接触的微生物不一样了，还有压力太大了。”这些微生物受影响后，就可能导致肠道问题。
Your digestive tract is home to trillions of different bacteria, viruses, and fungi—all of which might be disturbed by a jaunt to a new locale. “Just like you, they’re affected by shifts to your sleep schedule, changes in diet, exposure to new microbes, and excess stress,” explains Raja Dhir, the co-CEO of the microbiome company Seed Health. How these microbes respond to those shifts can lead to overactive bowels.
但好消息是，旅行导致的腹泻或其他肠道问题是可以预防的。以下的几点小建议可以有效的保护你的后门。
The good news is that traveler’s diarrhea or other complications can be prevented. There are a few tried-and-true ways to put a firm stop to this backdoor problem.
粪便方面 Feces factors
来自肯塔基州路易斯维尔市胃肠健康护理病院（Gastroenterology Health Partners）的胃肠病学家书那纳·索希（Sunana Sohi）表示，旅游时会有很多因素导致肠道问题，无论是便秘还是腹泻，只要你的生活恢复正常，基本就会迎刃而解。
Many aspects of traveling can increase the chances for bowel movement issues, says Sunana Sohi, a gastroenterologist at Gastroenterology Health Partners in Louisville, Kentucky. Most of those problems—whether they result in constipation or diarrhea—should resolve once you get back to a normal life routine.
久坐 Sitting
长时间乘车或飞机带来的久坐，可能会挤压腹部器官，影响肠道蠕动（将食物移向消化道的肌肉运动），从而导致消化缓慢。而肠胃偷懒时，就更有可能导致放屁、腹胀、腹痛、便秘和腹泻。
Sitting for long periods, which could be spending hours on a car or a plane, compresses the abdominal organs. This squeeze slows down digestion because it reduces peristaltic function—the muscle contractions needed to physically move food down the digestive tract. With your gastrointestinal tract not working at full capacity, you’re more likely to produce gas, bloating, abdominal pain, constipation, and diarrhea.
时差 Jet lag
时区的变化会影响你的昼夜节律，也就是调节你消化和其他身体周期的生物钟。它负责和你身体里的菌群打交道，还得配合你吃饭或饿肚子来调整生理活动。当然也包括你的厕所时光。多数健康的人每天的排便时间都是固定的。
Adjusting to different time zones affects your circadian rhythm, the 24-hour biological clock that regulates digestion and other bodily cycles. The circadian rhythm communicates with certain members of your microbiome and synchronizes activities to align with when you eat or fast. This also includes when you typically go to the bathroom. Most healthy guts keep a consistent schedule for daily bowel movements.
但到了新的时区会扰乱你的生物钟，每天固定的厕所时光也会一去不复返。你在家时可能会在早上排便，但如果身体还没适应新的时区，往常早上的便便会可能在你睡着的时候敲醒你沉睡的心灵。索希说：“只要你的作息稍有不规律，无论是早起了还是起晚了，都会影响你的排便，从而导致便秘。”
But traveling to new time zones messes with your internal clock, which might throw your body out of sync with your usual poop schedule. Back home you may have a morning bowel movement, but until your vacation body catches up to local time, that a.m. poop might be when you’ve fallen asleep. “Any time differences or changes in your schedule where you are getting up earlier than usual or sleeping in later can throw off the regularity of bowel movements, leading people to be constipated,” Sohi explains.
睡眠 Sleep
睡眠不足可能会影响体内微生物群的健康。到了新的时区，要维持原有的睡眠可是一件难事。而睡眠质量下将就会导致消化问题，如腹泻或腹痛。因为睡眠不足会有可能导致肠道炎症，也会让你更想来两口甜的。
Not getting enough sleep can lead to a less healthy microbiome. When you’re adjusting to a new schedule, it can be a challenge to get in your usual Z’s. This poor sleep can translate to digestive problems—as diverse as diarrhea to abdominal pain—because it increases the risk for inflammation in the gut and ups your cravings for sugary foods.
新食物 New foods
迪尔表示，如果你的食物里含有新的药草或者香料，可能会缩短食物通过肠道的时间，不过这取决于你体内的微生物群构成。陌生的菜色会刺激肠胃微生物群，因为碰到了它们不熟悉的业务。
Depending on your microbiome’s composition, Dhir says trying a new herb or spice in your food is enough to back up the time it takes for food to pass through the bowels. This is because unfamiliar cuisine can irritate gut microbes, which are not used to processing the ingredients.
压力 Stress
旅行让人兴奋，但同时也会增加压力。无论是打包行李，出发准备还是在异国他乡确定路线都让人压力山大。压力过大会使肠道变得脆弱，从而让有害细菌有机可乘，导致炎症。
As exciting as travel can be, it also comes with its own stresses—whether you’re trying to pack and prepare or get your bearings in a new country. Excess stress makes the gut barrier vulnerable, opening it up for dangerous bacteria to enter and increase inflammation.
缺水 Dehydration
索希表示，多数人旅行时喝的水都比平时少。和在家时相比，旅行时可能没那么容易喝到水。况且即使手头有水，你可能也会担心找不到厕所。
Most travelers do not drink their usual amounts of water, says Sohi. When traveling, there may not be as easy access to potable water compared to the supply on hand at home. Even if you do have water, there may be a concern whether a bathroom is nearby.
肠道疾病与年龄Bowel diseases and age
索希和迪尔都指出，患有肠易激综合症（IBS）与炎症性肠病（IBD）的人会对肠道运动变化和“喷射”更加敏感。女性患肠易激综合症的概率高于男性，因此女性的排便会更常受影响。
People with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are more sensitive to motility issues and flare-ups, Sohi and Dhir note. Since women are more likely than men to have IBS issues, they are often the ones who experience bowel movement changes, Sohi points out.
同时索希还指出，年龄可能也会影响排便。随着年龄增长，消化过程也会逐渐放慢，食物运动通过直肠的速度更慢，因此你在厕所郁闷的次数可能也更多。
Age may also play a role, too, she says. Because the digestive process slows down as you grow older, food moves more sluggishly through the colon and has more opportunity to cause problems.
如何避免郁闷 Avoiding upsets
以下是防止旅行时腹泻或便秘的几个方法。
There are several methods you can take to prevent traveler’s diarrhea and constipation.
尽早调整 Adjust early
如果要跨时区旅行，不要等旅行开始后采取适应时差。在你上路的几天前，你就可以慢慢开始改变你的作息，来让你的身体适应时间变化。记得还要确认你没有在启程前漏睡一觉。迪尔表示，生物钟会影响肠道运动，因此保证足量的睡眠对于消化顺畅意义重大。
If you’re traveling across time zones, don’t wait until a trip begins to start adjusting to the difference. A few days before your trip, you can start gradually changing your routines to get your body acclimated to the shift in time. You’ll also want to make sure you’re not skipping out on sleep in the days leading up to the trip. Since the body’s circadian rhythm influences gut motility, Dhir says getting much needed shut-eye will help keep digestive processes running smoothly.
保证水量充足 Stay hydrated
水分会帮助食物在体内运动，迪尔表示，有水，你的便便才能健康——便便的75%都是水。“虽然旅行时你可能更想来瓶酒或者咖啡，但要知道，这些饮料也只会让你损失水分，影响你的肠道运动和便便质量”
Water keeps food moving through your system, which Dhir says is critically important to the health of your stool—poop is 75 percent H2O. “Although travel often prompts you to increase your intake of alcohol or caffeine while traveling,” he says, “keep in mind that these beverages can also dehydrate you, affecting your bowel movement frequency and quality.”
多动动 Move your body
乘坐飞机或者火车时，保证每小时起来动一动。如果是自驾，那么记得下来休息会，伸伸腿，走一走。迪尔表示运动可以有效促进肠道血液循环，帮助你正常排便，不受便秘之苦。
Make sure to get up at least once every hour if you’re sitting on a plane or train. If you’re in a car, schedule breaks to stretch your legs and walk around. Dhir says movement is important in increasing blood flow to the intestines, which can help promote regular bowel movements and ease constipation symptoms.
多吃纤维 Eat fiber
度假时，人们吃吃喝喝主要是享受快乐。但入口的食物对你的肠胃可能就没那么合适。虽然快乐的胡吃海喝很重要，但是还是要注意摄入足够的纤维来保证便便健康。迪尔推荐的食物有莓果、坚果、瓜子以及其他富含纤维的小零食。
People eat and drink for pleasure on vacation, and these food choices may not always be the best options for your gut. While treating yourself to fun meals is a major travel perk, you’ll want to make sure you’re still consuming enough fiber for healthy stool consistency. On the go, Dhir recommends berries, nuts, seeds, and other fiber-rich snacks.
再来点益生菌 Consider probiotics
益生菌这种微生物可以保证你体内的有益菌身体强壮。迪尔说道：“益生菌可以保证肠道健康，保证正常排便、预防偶发腹胀、并在你胡作非为时加快肠道的恢复。研究显示日常摄入益生菌可以增强免疫力，抵御病菌。
Probiotics are microorganisms that maintain the health of the “good” bacteria in your gut. “Probiotics supply gut-friendly benefits, like supporting regular bowel movements and including ease from occasional bloating and can promote gastrointestinal resilience in periods of disruption,” Dhir says. Research shows consuming probiotics regularly can help build immunity and keep out dangerous pathogens.
词汇 Vocabulary
Exotic /ɪɡˈzɑtɪk/ adj. 异国情调的
Cruise /kruːz/ n. /v. 航游，巡航，游轮
Microbiome /ˌmaɪkroʊˈbaɪoʊm/ n. 微生物群
fungi /ˈfʌnʤaɪ/ n. 真菌（复数）
bowel /ˈbaʊəl/ n. 肠
diarrhea /daɪˈriə/ n. 腹泻
constipation /ˌkɑnstəˈpeɪʃən/ n. 便秘
tract /trækt/ n. 肠道，道路
abdominal /æbˈdɑmɪnl/ adj. 腹部的
Jet lag /ˈʤɛt læɡ/ n. 时差反应，飞行时差
circadian rhythm /sɜrˈkeɪdiən ˈrɪðəm/ n. 昼夜节律
inflammation /ˌɪnfləˈmeɪʃən/ n. 炎症
composition /ˌkɑmpəˈzɪʃən/ n. 组成，构成
vulnerable /ˈvʌlnərəbl/ adj. 脆弱的，易受伤的
routine /ruːˈtiːn/ n. 例行公事，常规
dehydrate /ˌdiːˈhaɪdreɪt/ v. 使脱水
intestine /ɪnˈtɛstɪn/ n. 肠
fiber /ˈfaɪbər/ n. 纤维
probiotics /ˌproʊbaɪˈɑtɪks/ n. 益生菌
来源：https://www.popsci.com/health/travel-poop/
翻译、校对、整理：QuasimodoW9
