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Vitamin C research council formed

Vitamin C has diverse health benefits, including strengthening of immunity. / Korea Times fileProf. Baek Hyung-heePeople know that they need vitamin C to maintain their health, but not many can answer “Why?” A number of food scientists in the country recently launched a research council on vitamin C to boost research and provide correct information to the public.“Vitamin C is easy to get, and it plays a critical role in our body,” said Prof. Baek Hyung-hee at Dankook University, who was elected to lead the council.The professor picks anti-oxidation as the major benefit of consuming vitamin C, which is thought to delay aging. Vitamin C is also known to help the formation of collagen and involves the process of turning fat into energy. “As vitamin C works to delay aging, strengthens immunity, improves skin condition and helps growth, it is a nutrient essential for everybody,” said the professor.Kwang Dong Pharmaceutical, which produces the vitamin C drink Vita 500, will be cooperating with the council for research on vitamin C, and supporting pr

Jul 12, 2013By Yoon Ja-young
Vitamin C research council formed

Healthline

Class on early puberty to openEwha Womans University Mokdong Hospital is holding a class on early puberty, at 3:30 p.m. on July 25.The condition where the secondary sexual characteristics, such as the development of breasts or the enlargement of testicles, happen prematurely is of increasing concern to parents because it can stop children from growing to their full potential. Prof. Kim Hae-soon at the hospital will give a lecture on topics such as definition, cause and treatment followed by a Q&A session.The class is open to anyone and the participants will get a booklet and a small gift. For inquiries, contact the pediatric department at the hospital in western Seoul at (02) 2650-5216.Presentation on enuresis plannedThe Korean Association of Enuresis is holding a class titled “Summer Vacation Without Enuresis” at Theall Medical Hub in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul, at 2 p.m. on July 21.Prof. Suh Jin-soon at the Catholic University will give a presentation on causes and treatment of symptoms in which children are unable to control urination especially when sleeping.F

Jul 12, 2013By Yoon Ja-young

(244) Twisted heroes of our time

By Janet Shin“Our twisted Hero” is the title of a novel written by Korean writer Yi Mun-yol. The hero in this book is a school boy in fifth grade who wields absolute power even above his teacher. It portrays the contradictions in our society through the conflicts and power structure among the students in a small country school.As the writer alluded, it is one facet of our political society and we can find similar cases easily. The former head of the National Intelligence Service, Won Sei-hoon has been interrogated over allegations of the agency meddling in the last presidential election. This has also been muddled by revealing 2007 North-South Korean summit proceedings. The public is criticizing its inadequate political posture and requesting reformation. Won became an object of derision by taking a golden tiger figure on his birthday. He was born in the zodiac year of the tiger.Another case demonstrated a little bit off the politics but also very politically sensitive situation. A noted chief judge was known for his mettle in the realization of justice with a progressive

Jul 11, 2013By Lee Jong-eun
(244) Twisted heroes of our time

'Free riders' undermine classes

A group of students sit in a circle to discuss a group project. University professors have recently been implementing peer evaluation systems to minimize the number of free riders, who do not actively take part in group work but nevertheless take credit for it. / Korea Times fileWell-designed peer reviews can make group works fairerBy Yoon Sung-won, Park Jin-hai, and Kwon Ji-younG.O, a member of Korean idol group MBLAQ, gets angry after receiving an uncooperative text message from a free rider. On tvN’s “SNL Korea,” which aired on June 1, G.O acted as a group leader in a university class, who experienced difficulties in managing uncooperative group members./ Courtesy of tvNThe basis of group work is cooperation. In an ideal world, cooperation means a proper division of labor and genuine contributions from all group members. But in reality, there are few groups in which all members contribute equally.People cynically refer to group members who contribute less than their peers as “free riders.”In fact, we come across many such free riders in our daily live

Jul 9, 2013

Know more about twin pregnancy

 By Lee Hye-jun Occasionally couples visit fertility clinics for a purpose besides fertility treatment; they want twins. Twins sound fabulous in many respects. Pregnancy is a blissful period, but it may not be the most enjoyable moment of women’s lives. Alcohol, smoking and caffeine are prohibited during pregnancy. Moreover, pregnant women get stretch marks from baby belly, suffer from pelvic pain, and experience various kinds of complications from pregnancy. Getting two babies with one pregnancy could mean these problems only occur once. How effective!Recently the twinning rate has been rising, largely due to fertility treatment. It was reported to increase from 0.9 percent in 1982 to 2.4 percent in 2006 in Korea.Normally women produce one egg a month, but twins result from fertilization of two separate eggs, producing fraternal twins or non-identical twins. Less often, twins also arise from a single fertilized egg that subsequently divides, producing identical twins.Fertility drugs induce women to produce more than one egg, increasing twinning rates. Especially duri

Jul 5, 2013
Know more about twin pregnancy

Lower body obesity

By Lee Sung-hunThe heat is on, quite literally. This past June was reportedly one of the hottest Junes we have ever had in Korea due to the rainless rainy season. Wearing shorts in summer time has become a thing out of necessity nowadays. For the ladies, however, the pants length have gotten shorter and shorter, and “hot pants” have become very fashionable as we can see on the streets of popular spots around the cities. Then again, there are quite a large number of women, who are hesitant to wear shorts due to “lower body obesity” (LBO) — a disproportionately larger lower body in comparison to the rest. Today, I’d like to discuss the different types of LBO and their respective treatments. First of all, to treat LBO properly, we must look into the underlying cause for thicker thighs. The cause can be from either having high body fat, or from edema (which is sometimes described as “bloated”), or from having high muscle mass, or even from irregular structural issues.The most typical case of LBO is unfortunately from having too much bo

Jul 5, 2013
Lower body obesity

'Three-lows' in recipes make you healthy

Prof. Lim Do-sun at Korea University Anam Hospital, above, who authored "Samjeo Babsang," or three-lows to observe in recipes, stresses low sodium, low calories, and low fat in people's diet to stay healthy. / Courtesy of And Books By Yoon Ja-youngDuring his 30-year-career as a cardiologist, Prof. Lim Do-sun at Korea University Anam Hospital successfully treated many patients. But some of them ended up returning to see him. Why? It was mostly because they continued their unhealthy dietary habits.The doctor, who is one of the most renowned cardiologists in the country, saw how crucial it was to change one’s diet, but he also realized that people are often reluctant to follow dietary guidelines provided by the hospital because they think such dishes don’t taste good.Prof. Lim, who has been trying to make changes, such as publishing a comic book to broaden people’s understanding of heart disease, has since worked on improving the diet of heart patients during the past few years. “Samjeo Babsang,” or three-lows to observe in recipes, authored by Lim and

Jul 5, 2013By Yoon Ja-young
'Three-lows' in recipes make you healthy

Healthline

Class on dementia scheduledKorea University Anam Hospital is holding a class on dementia to help improve the health of the community. Professors at the hospital will give lectures on topics such as diagnosis, prevention and treatment, followed by a Q&A session. The class is open to anybody and participants will be provided with small gift and snack.The class will be at the auditorium on the eighth floor of the hospital in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, at 3 p.m. Thursday. For more information, contact (02) 920-5505 or 5510. Yonsei University Medical School to lead 10 bil. won researchYonsei University Medical School said it was designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to lead a research on prevention of cardio and cerebrovascular diseases, which are increasingly burdening society. A total of 18 professors from seven universities will participate in the joint research project, with 10 billion won in funding from the government.“In order to overcome limitations of epidemiological studies, not only the researchers of preventive medicine but also of basic and clinical medical

Jul 5, 2013By Yoon Ja-young

How to stay healthy in rainy season

Depression and water-borne diseases are health concerns in the rainy season.  / Korea Times fileBy Yoon Ja-youngThe monsoon season has gripped the country and we will be seeing days of rain followed by brief sunshine for the next few weeks. There are a number of health concerns in the rainy season such as water-borne diseases. Prof. Kang Hee-cheol at the Severance Hospital has several tips below on how to stay healthy. More water There is plenty of water in this season, but the body still needs more — as the weather is not only humid but also hot; the body loses a lot of water through perspiration.Water is an essential part of our body and almost all metabolism is related to it. As our body loses water equivalent to around 4 percent of our weight every day, however, the doctor said that one should take in at least 1.5 liters of water daily. He said that people should make a habit of drinking plenty of water as some people, especially the elderly, may not recognize that they have thirst due to dehydration, which hampers cognitive function and exercise capacity. Pe

Jul 5, 2013By Yoon Ja-young
How to stay healthy in rainy season

Keep your hair clean and dry

Dermatologists say that you should especially take care of the scalp during the damp monsoon season. People shampoo their hair more often than in other seasons due to the high temperature, but if you don’t dry it well, the outcome of shampooing would be worse than greasy, unkempt hair. The following are tips for your hair offered by Dr. Kim Ji-hyun at the Grand Dermatologist Clinic.If the hair is left wet during the rainy season, the bacteria causing dandruff and other germs will proliferate. The scalp would become greasy and weaker. Females who tie their hair back while it is still wet are especially vulnerable. Moreover, if they get rain on their head, pollutants in the rain could block hair follicles, and they may end up suffering hair loss in the most serious cases.“You should immediately wash the skin and scalp when you are exposed to rain. If you can’t wash right away, at least dry yourself with a towel,” Kim said.After washing the hair, one should dry not only the hair but also the scalp, completely. But he recommends using electric fans instead of a dr

Jul 5, 2013
Keep your hair clean and dry
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