文/西尔维娅·布思·哈伯德 译/姚强 By Sylvia Booth Hubbard

Dark Winter Days Got You Down.Here’s Natural Help! 寒冬惹人愁 “自然”解心忧

文/西尔维娅·布思·哈伯德 译/姚强 By Sylvia Booth Hubbard

The dreary days of winter are here,when sunlight is in short supply and nights are long and cold. Millions of Americans realize they don’t feel as chipper as usual, and may be downright depressed. If you’re one of them, you may be suffering from “seasonal affective disorder” or SAD.

[2] SAD depression is caused by lowered levels of serotonin1血清素，体内产生的一种神经传递物质，会影响人的胃口、内驱力（食欲、睡眠、性）以及情绪。, the mood-affecting brain chemical that is triggered by seasonal changes in daylight. Shorter days may also disrupt the body’s biological clock—circadian rhythm2昼夜节律，生命活动以24小时左右为周期的变动，又称近日节律。—which upsets the balance of melatonin3褪黑素，哺乳动物的松果体产生的一种胺类激素，能缩短睡前觉醒时间和入睡时间，改善睡眠质量。,the hormone which regulates mood and sleep patterns.

阴郁的冬季已经到来，日照不足，长夜漫漫，寒意逼人。数以百万计的美国人发觉心情不再爽朗，甚至会彻底萎靡不振。如果你也是其中一员，那就有可能患上了“季节性情感障碍”（SAD）。

[2] SAD由血清素水平降低所诱发，大脑中的这种化学物质能够左右情绪，其分泌受到季节性光照变化的影响。白昼变短同样会扰乱人体生物钟——又称昼夜节律，继而导致褪黑素（调节情绪和睡眠规律的荷尔蒙）分泌失衡。

[3] Although SAD is often confused with other problems, such as regular non-seasonal depression, people with SAD usually suffer their worst symptoms during winter and improve when spring arrives. SAD symptoms are the same as those for regular depression,and they include excessive fatigue, difficulty concentrating, sleep problems,body aches and pains, and a loss of interest in activities you normally enjoy.

[4] Try these easy, natural ways to fight SAD:

[5]Take extra vitamin D. The body makes vitamin D when the skin is exposed to sunshine, but numerous studies show that many Americans are deficient in vitamin D even during sunny months.Levels fall even lower as fall and winter approach.

[6] “The best natural method is to maintain optimal vitamin D levels throughout the year,” says board-certified family practitioner David Brownstein, M. D. “The key is to not let vitamin D levels fall before beginning fall and winter supplementation,” he tells Newsmax Health.

[7] Researchers at the University of Georgia analyzed more than 100 articles that examined the link between vitamin D and depression. Researchers found that a lack of vitamin D appeared to be a major factor in the development of SAD.

[3]虽然季节性情感障碍经常容易与其他病症混淆，例如常见的非季节性抑郁症，但季节性情感障碍患者通常在冬季症状最为严重，春季来临之时即可缓解。季节性情感障碍的症状与常见的抑郁症一模一样，包括感觉筋疲力尽，难以集中精力，睡眠出现问题，身体疼痛不适，对平时喜欢的活动兴致全无，等等。

[4]想战胜SAD？那就试试下列简单的“自然之道”：

[5]额外补充维生素D。当阳光照射皮肤时，人体即会产生维生素D。但大量研究证明，许多美国人即便在阳光充足的月份里，也会缺乏维生素D。而秋冬两季来临时，维生素D缺乏情况变得更为严重。……