Does Instant Coffee Make You Age Faster?
Welcome back to Learn English with Podcasts! Sarah, be honest, how many cups of instant coffee did you drink this week?欢迎回到 Learn English with Podcasts！Sarah，说实话，你这周喝了几杯速溶咖啡？
Too many to count. It is fast, cheap, and sweet. Why, is my coffee in trouble?多到数不清。又快又便宜还甜。怎么，我的咖啡出问题了吗？
Maybe. A new study from China says instant coffee may make you age faster, but filtered coffee may slow aging down.有可能。中国一项新研究说，速溶咖啡可能让你老得更快，但过滤咖啡可能延缓衰老。
Wait, the same coffee, but different aging speed? That sounds crazy. Who did this study?等等，同是咖啡，衰老速度却不一样？这听起来太离谱了。是谁做的研究？
Researchers from Chongqing Medical University. They published it in the journal npj Food Science.重庆医科大学的研究人员。发表在《npj 食品科学》杂志上。
Okay, so it is serious science. How many people did they study?好吧，这是正经科学。他们研究了多少人？
Almost 50,000 people from the UK Biobank. The average age was 56.4 years old.英国生物银行的近5万人。平均年龄56.4岁。
50,000 people, that is a big group. But how do you measure aging? You cannot just look at faces.5万人，样本很大。但衰老怎么测量？总不能只看脸吧。
Right, they used three science tools. First, telomere length in white blood cells. Think of telomeres like the plastic tips on shoelaces.对，他们用了三种科学指标。第一，白细胞端粒长度。可以把端粒想象成鞋带头上的塑料帽。
Oh, I like that picture. When the tips break, the shoelaces fall apart. When telomeres get shorter, we age faster.哦，这个比喻很形象。鞋带帽坏了，鞋带就散了。端粒变短，人就老得更快。
Exactly. Second, biological age acceleration. Third, phenotypic age acceleration. Both check if your body is older than your real age.没错。第二，生物年龄加速度。第三，表型年龄加速度。两者都是看你的身体是不是比实际年龄更老。
Got it. So what did they find? Is my instant coffee really bad?明白了。那他们发现了什么？我的速溶咖啡真不好吗？
Compared with people who drink no coffee, instant coffee drinkers had older biological age, older phenotypic age, and shorter telomeres.和不喝咖啡的人相比，喝速溶咖啡的人生物年龄更大、表型年龄更大，端粒也更短。
That is the full package of faster aging. And filtered coffee? You mean hand-brewed coffee with a paper filter?这是加速衰老全套餐啊。那过滤咖啡呢？你是说用滤纸手冲的那种吗？
Yes, that kind. Filtered coffee drinkers had younger biological age, younger phenotypic age, and longer telomeres. It looked like slower aging.对，就是那种。喝过滤咖啡的人生物年龄更年轻、表型年龄更年轻，端粒也更长。看起来衰老更慢。
Wow, same plant, opposite result. What about other coffees, like lattes from coffee shops?哇，同一种植物，完全相反的结果。那其他咖啡呢，比如咖啡店的拿铁？
The study found no clear link for other types. Only instant was faster, only filtered was slower.研究没发现其他种类和衰老速度有明显关系。只有速溶变快，只有过滤变慢。
Why would that happen? Is it the coffee, or the way we make it?为什么会这样？是咖啡本身的问题，还是做法的问题？
The researchers have two ideas. Instant coffee may increase inflammation in the body, and inflammation speeds up aging.研究人员给了两个解释。速溶咖啡可能加重体内炎症，而炎症会加速衰老。
And filtered coffee? What is special about a paper filter?那过滤咖啡呢？一张滤纸有什么特别？
Filtered coffee keeps more chlorogenic acid. That is a natural plant chemical. It may help cells stay active and use energy better.过滤咖啡保留了更多绿原酸。那是一种天然植物成分。可能帮助细胞保持活力、更好地代谢能量。
So one hurts the body quietly, the other protects it quietly. Who should worry most?所以一个悄悄伤身体，一个悄悄保护身体。谁最该担心？
People who drink more than 3 cups of instant coffee every day. For them, being male, over 60 years old, or smoking made aging much faster.每天喝超过3杯速溶咖啡的人。对他们来说，男性、超过60岁或吸烟，会让衰老明显更快。
Oh no, my uncle is 65, he smokes, and he lives on instant coffee. Three bags a day, at least.哦不，我叔叔65岁，抽烟，靠速溶咖啡续命。每天至少三袋。
Then this episode is for him. But do not panic. How we drink also matters. When is the best time for coffee?那这期就是为他准备的。不过别慌，怎么喝也很重要。什么时候喝咖啡最好？
I drink it at midnight to finish work. Is that wrong?我都是半夜喝来赶工作。这不对吗？
That is the worst time. Caffeine needs about 8 hours to leave your body. Drink too late, and you cannot sleep at night.那是最差的时间。咖啡因需要约8小时才能代谢掉。喝太晚，晚上就睡不着了。
So when do experts suggest? Morning?那专家建议什么时候喝？早上吗？
Yes, around 10 a.m. is great. And never drink on an empty stomach. Coffee makes your stomach produce more acid.对，早上10点左右很好。而且不要空腹喝。咖啡会刺激胃分泌更多胃酸。
Right, breakfast first, coffee second. What about milk? I always add milk.对，先吃早饭，再喝咖啡。那加牛奶呢？我总加牛奶。
Milk is fine. Doctors also suggest three fun partners. Coconut water makes coffee softer and gives you minerals. Cocoa powder adds chocolate smell and fights bad chemicals.牛奶没问题。医生还推荐三个好搭档。椰子水让口感更柔，还能补电解质。可可粉增加巧克力香，还能抵抗自由基。
And the third partner? Let me guess, sugar? Please say sugar.第三个搭档呢？我猜是糖？求你说是糖。
Sorry, no sugar. It is cinnamon powder. It smells sweet and warm, and it may fight inflammation too.抱歉，不是糖。是肉桂粉。闻起来又香又暖，还可能抗炎。
Okay, cinnamon it is. How much coffee is safe in one day?好吧，那就肉桂。每天喝多少安全？
For healthy adults, 210 to 400 mg of caffeine per day. That is about 3 to 5 cups of coffee.健康成年人每天210到400毫克咖啡因。大约相当于3到5杯咖啡。
And kids? Pregnant women?孩子呢？孕妇呢？
Pregnant women should drink less, or stop for a while. Kids from 12 to 18 years old should have no more than 100 mg per day, about 1 cup.孕妇要少喝或暂时不喝。12到18岁的青少年每天不超过100毫克，大约1杯。
Who should just say no to coffee completely?哪些人干脆就别喝了？
People with too much stomach acid, stomach ulcers, acid reflux, diarrhea, bowel problems, bad sleep, or weak bones. Coffee can make these worse.胃酸过多、胃溃疡、胃反酸、腹泻、肠易激、睡眠差或骨质疏松的人。咖啡可能让这些更严重。
Let me think about my uncle again. Instant, 3 bags a day, smoker, 65. He saves maybe 3 minutes every morning by not filtering.再想想我叔叔。速溶、每天3袋、抽烟、65岁。他每天早上省了做过滤咖啡的3分钟。
Yes, 3 minutes saved. But his cells may be paying for those 3 minutes, every single day.是，省了3分钟。但他的细胞可能每天都在为这3分钟买单。
That hurts. The fastest coffee in the shop may be quietly stealing your time, not saving it.真扎心。店里最快的咖啡，可能不是在帮你省时间，而是在悄悄偷走你的时间。
Thanks for listening to Learn English with Podcasts today. Look at your own cup, is it instant or filtered?感谢今天收听 Learn English with Podcasts。看看你手里的那杯，是速溶还是过滤？
See you next time. And if this made you think of someone, share it with them. Maybe over a good cup of filtered coffee.下期再见。如果这期让你想起某个人，就分享给他吧。最好约他喝一杯好的过滤咖啡。