咖啡香之療癒力 Healing Power of Coffee Aroma
假日午後，躺在沙發上，咖啡香緩緩繚繞，啜飲一口香醇，是種紓壓與療癒的時光。原來，咖啡從聞香氣的階段開始，就已經可以讓人感到放鬆了。
On a holiday afternoon, lying on the sofa, the aroma of coffee is slowly lingering. Taking a sip of coffee, it’s time to relieve stress and heal. It turns out that coffee can already make people feel relaxed from the stage of smelling the aroma.
日本杏林大學精神神經科教授古賀良彦的研究團隊，進行了咖啡香氣對腦部健康實驗，結果發現，聞咖啡香，腦中會釋放出如同休息時的α腦波(alpha wave)，呈現放鬆狀態。此外，認知機能和情報處理的大腦區塊也變得活躍，提高了大腦的活性(*1)。
The research team of a professor of psychiatry at Kyorin University in Japan, conducted an experiment on the health of the brain by the aroma of coffee, and found that smelling the aroma of coffee will release alpha waves in the brain, which is similar to the alpha wave during rest, showing a state of relaxation. In addition, the brain areas for cognitive function and intelligence processing also become active, increasing the activity of the brain.
不過研究也指出，喜愛與討厭喝咖啡的人，在聞咖啡香後，腦中釋放的α腦波結果完全不同。喜愛咖啡的人，α波會因為咖啡而大大活化起來，討厭咖啡的人則毫無變化，可見α波只發在能對咖啡香產生共鳴的人身上，是一種深具個性的腦部反應(*2)。
However, the study also pointed out that people who like or hate drinking coffee have completely different results in the alpha brain waves released in the brain after smelling coffee. People who love coffee, alpha waves will be greatly activated by coffee, but people who hate coffee will not change. It can be seen that alpha waves are only sent to people who can resonate with the aroma of coffee, which is a kind of brain response with deep personality.
咖啡中的關鍵成分，經人體吸收，會產生咖啡酸(Caffeic acid)，這和芳香植物-迷迭香所含的迷迭香酸(Rosmarinic acid)，被身體吸收後會轉化成的咖啡酸相同。迷迭香酸沒有氣味，卻能對腦部作用，安定心情。原來是吸收後轉換的咖啡酸，對大腦皮質的周邊作用，使心情平靜(*1)。一杯咖啡讓人解除疲憊感的根源，竟然與芳香療法使用的迷迭香相同，香氣的世界，確實蠻有趣的呢。
The key ingredient in coffee, when absorbed by the human body, will produce caffeic acid, which is the same as the rosmarinic acid contained in the aromatic plant – rosemary. It will be converted into caffeic acid after being absorbed by the body. Rosmarinic acid has no smell, but it can act on the brain and stabilize the mood. It turned out to be caffeic acid converted after absorption, and it acts on the periphery of the cerebral cortex and calms the mind. The source of a cup of coffee that relieves fatigue is actually the same as rosemary used in aromatherapy. The world of aroma is really interesting.
原來咖啡香氣的舒壓效果，是有研究證實的。每天，從研磨開始，為自己手沖一壺香氣迷人的精品咖啡，透過動手的過程，從磨開的乾香，到裊裊上升的熱蒸氣帶出濕香，再到啜飲入口所感受到的各式風味，是一場從沖煮到品味，整個香氣療癒的美妙儀式。
It turns out that the stress-relieving effect of coffee aroma has been confirmed by research. Every day, starting from grinding, brew a pot of fine coffee with a charming aroma for yourself. Through the pour-over brewing process, from the dry aroma, to the rising hot steam that brings out the wet aroma, and then to the various tastes you feel when you sip your coffee. It is a wonderful ritual of aroma healing from brewing to tasting.
參考資料：
1.岡希太郎(2017)。百藥之王【全新改版】：一杯咖啡的藥理學。晨星出版社
2.岡希太郎(2012)。咖啡處方箋。晨星出版社
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