Food is a favorite pastime for many, which is convenient because we need it to live.

食物是很多人喜爱的消遣。它随手可得，因为我们就是要靠食物生存下去的。

But what would happen to you and your body if you were to completely stop eating food, right now?

但是如果你现在完全停止进食，会对你和你的身体造成什么影响呢？

In the first 6 hours, all is fairly normal.

在最初的六个小时里，你完全不会觉得有任何问题。

Your body begins to break down glycogen, which stores energy in your body into glucose, which your cells use as fuel.

你的身体开始分解糖原，糖原在体内储存能量，转化为葡萄糖，葡萄糖被细胞用作燃料。

Around 25% of energy generated this way is used for your brain alone, while the rest goes to muscle tissues and red blood cells.

通过这种方式产生的能量约有25%仅用于大脑，其余的则用于肌肉组织和红细胞。

But after about 6 hours this method of energy production halts as the glycogen stores deplete, which can lead to the notorious"hangry" or hungry and angry feeling that many of us know too well.

但大约6个小时后，随着糖原储存的耗尽，这种产生能量的方法就会停止，这可能会导致令人讨厌的“饿怒”，也就是我们很多人都非常熟悉的那种又饿又生气的感觉。

At this point your body enters a state called ketosis as it begins to fast or starve.

在开始禁食或者挨饿的时候，你的身体进入一种叫做酮症的状态。

Because there is very little glucose in your blood, your body must begin to break down fat for energy.

因为你的血液中只有很少的葡萄糖，你的身体必须开始分解脂肪来获取能量。

This fat is in turn broken down into fatty acids.

这些脂肪又被分解成脂肪酸。

However, your brain cannot use long-chain fatty acids which. . . is a problem!

然而，你的大脑不能利用长链脂肪酸，这是个问题！

Because there is no more glucose and the fats are too large to cross the blood-brain barrier, your brain changes modes and begins to use ketone bodies for energy, which are short-chain derivatives of fatty acids.

因为没有更多的葡萄糖，脂肪又太大而不能通过血脑屏障，你的大脑就会改变模式，开始使用酮体作为能量，酮体是脂肪酸的短链衍生物。

This works for the time being, but ultimately only 75% of the brain's energy requirements can come from ketones. It still needs glucose!

这暂时会起到作用，但最终酮类只能够满足大脑所需能量的75%，它仍然需要葡萄糖！

Which means your cognitive functioning becomes impaired.

这意味着你的认知功能将会受损。

Now, it's important to mention that you don't have to be starving to be in ketosis.

现在，有一点很重要，你不必饿着肚子才会有酮症产生。

Many people enter this phase if they are on a low-carb diet, or professional athletes who use all their carbs for an extended period of time, like marathon runners, will be in this state as well.

那些食用低碳水化合物食物的人，或长时间使用所有碳水化合物的职业运动员，如马拉松运动员，也会处于这种状态。

However, beyond 72 hours, not only will your mood and energy suffer, but your brain will start to break down your body's own protein.

然而，超过72小时之后，不仅你的情绪和能量会受到影响，你的大脑也会开始分解你身体的蛋白质。

The proteins release amino acids which can be converted into glucose, which is great news for your brain, but bad news for your body.

这些蛋白质会释放氨基酸，这些氨基酸可以转化为葡萄糖，这对你的大脑来说是个好消息，但对你的身体来说却是个坏消息。

Basically, your body is cannibalizing itself by destroying your muscle mass.

基本上，你的身体正在通过破坏你的肌肉来满足自己。

In women, undernutrition often shuts down the menstrual cycle as the body tries to reduce energy expenditure.

对于女性来说，营养不良往往会使月经周期停止，因为身体试图减少能量消耗。

Bone density diminishes, and both men and women may experience loss of libido.

骨密度降低，男性和女性都可能经历性欲减退。

Within a few weeks, the body's immune system will be so weakened without any vitamins or minerals, that many will die from disease.

在几周内，在没有维他命和矿物质的情况下，身体的免疫系统会变得很脆弱，许多人会因此死于疾病。

Otherwise, it will continue to use up all energy sources until there is no glucose, fat, tissue, or muscle mass left.

这样下去，它会继续使用所有可能供给的能量，直到消耗完所有的葡萄糖，脂肪，组织，或肌肉。

One of the more common causes of death is cardiac arrhythmia or heart attack, due to the tissue degradation in the heart, diaphragm and body.

其中一个比较常见的死亡原因是心律失常或心脏病发作，由于心脏、隔膜和身体的组织退化。

This is fairly common in those suffering from anorexia.

这在厌食症患者中相当常见。

Of course, the body experiences severe organ failure all around.

当然，身体各处都经历着严重的器官衰竭。

Starvation can lead to death in as short as three weeks, or up to 70 days as documented during the Irish Hunger Strikes in 1981.

根据1981年爱尔兰绝食抗议期间的记录，饥饿可在最短三周，最长70天内导致死亡。

Though the duration of survival is greatly influenced by how hydrated you are and the amount of fat reserves your body has.

虽然存活的时间很大程度上取决于你体内的水分含量和脂肪储量。

Which in some ways is incredible, that the body can sustain for so long with no food.

这在某种程度上是很难以置信的。没有食物，身体竟然可以维持这么长时间。

And yet, approximately 795 million people around the world have to deal with this reality.

然而，全世界大约有7.95亿人不得不面对这一现实。

The good news is that the 7 richest countries have pledged to lift 500 million people out of hunger and malnutrition by 2030, but we need to hold them accountable.

好在7大最富国已作出承诺，在2030年前将5亿人从饥饿和营养不良中解救出来，但我们需要监督他们尽到责任。

We're working with an organization called Global Citizen to do just that, and here's a really easy way you can help too!

我们正在与一个叫做“全球公民”的组织合作，你也可以用一个非常简单的方法来帮助他们。

出处：见配图水印