• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.33-38
• /
• 1988

Natural mineral water is generally quite different from ordinary drinking water due to its original nature and various properties. The complexity of natural mineral water requires, therefore, not only to identify its nature and proper characteristics, but also to classify them by a reasonable scientific basis of comparison. The study was concentrated on a possible classification technique to natural mineral waters by their constitutions and physico-ehemical properties. The classification was carried out by the computation of such numerical parameters as ionic equivalent percentage, electrolytic conductance or mobility, ionic molecular weight, molecular concentration, equivalent conductivity and degree of ionization in consideration of the determinative criteria as follows -particular single element or molecule -major components of natural waters as bicarbonate, sulphate, chloride,caloride, calcium, magnesium, and sodium -moleculat concentration related to blood osmotic pressure -water temperature at emergence from spring -contents of free carbon dioxide (CO2) -pH value of water -total dissolved solids or salts (NaCl) The results obtained proved out to be clearly distinguhhable from ordinary drinking water as far as concern natural mineral water as an example on the subject -simple water -bicarbonate-predominating water -cold spring -carbonated-non gaseous water -weak alkaline water -non saline water Putting these various results together, the sample turned out to be a kind of natural mineral water that can be used as a drinking water if microbiologically safe.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.328-335
• /
• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Studies conducted in Western populations have suggested that dietary calcium may protect against metabolic abnormalities, but there is little evidence of this effect in Asians, who have relatively low calcium intake. We evaluated the cross-sectional relationship between dietary calcium and metabolic syndrome among Korean men and women aged 40 years and over. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 6,375 subjects aged 40 years and over and were recruited between January 2005 and February 2010 from the baseline study of the Multi-Rural Communities Cohort Study in Rural Communities (MRCohort). A food frequency questionnaire was used to collect dietary information. Metabolic syndrome was defined using the modified criteria published in the Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel. RESULTS: Calcium intake was related inversely to metabolic syndrome in women (P-value = 0.0091), but not in men (P = 0.1842). Among metabolic components, high waist circumference (WC) (P = 0.0426) and high blood glucose (P = 0.0027) in women and hypertriglyceridemia (P = 0.0017) in men were inversely correlated with calcium intake. Excluding those who used calcium or multinutrient supplements did not attenuate the relationship between dietary calcium and metabolic abnormalities. CONCLUSION: Dietary calcium intake from foods may be inversely related to metabolic syndrome, WC, and blood glucose among women in rural areas of Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.513-520
• /
• 2012

This research was planned and executed to evaluate how the composition of Yack-sun tea can affect the health conditions of people who are suffering from diet-related such as being overweight, are obese and have hyperlipidemia, by taking Yack-sun tea in a form of a nutritional supplement with our daily meals. We produced Kangjieum with Lycium chinense Mill., Polygonum multflorum Thunb, Cassia tora L., Crataegus pinnatifida Bge and Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. Thus, we approach of oriental diet therapy area research of Kangjieum and analysis proximate composition, water soluble antioxidant content. The content(%, dry basis) of total carbohydrate was 60.23%, crude protein was 18.18%, crude ash was 11.36% and crude fat was 10.23% in Kangjieum. Total water soluble antioxidant content was 1.027 ${\mu}g/m{\ell}$ of Kangjieum. We think that scientific and objective evaluation was done on the components of the Kangjieum prescription. This basic data could help guide the application of oriental medicinal resources into other foods and serve as a stepping-stone for use of Kangjieum in the burgeoning field of nutraceutical foods. Last, the scientific effects of oriental medicinal foods developed according to oriental medicinal theory. This theory is believed to be essential for government policy development concerning validation of medicinal effects and assessment, with the aim of fostering systematic development and providing guidance to food development in the interest of national health.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.361-368
• /
• 2016

As the tertiary industry is being developed, many problems are introduced in an industrial area in Korea. This study aims to investigate the residents' health conditions, such as the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and fatty liver diagnosed by ultrasonography, comparing the urban with the industrial areas. The subjects were 378 adults in the urban area and 376 adults in the industrial area. Subject variables accounted for were gender, age, drinking habits, smoking habits, physical activities, waist circumferences and BMI. In blood tests, fasting blood glucose, triglyceride, HDL, blood pressures, total cholesterol, AST, ALT and GGT were examined. Also, the presence and absence of fatty liver, diagnosed using ultrasonography, was investigated. As a result, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome were 43.7% in the urban area and 51.6% in the industrial area, hence it was significantly higher in the industrial area than in the urban area. Fasting blood glucose, triglyceride and waist circumference in the distribution of the individual components were 47.4, 53.7, and 16.1% in the urban area and 54.5, 61.5, and 22.9% in the industrial area respectively, so it was substantially higher in the industrial area than in the urban area. On the other hand, HDL, diastolic blood pressure, and fatty liver were 25.7, 43.4, and 44.7% in the urban area and 21.3, 19.9, and 36.7% in the industrial area respectively and thus it was much higher in the urban area than in the industrial area. In conclusion, this study shows that there were significant differences between the residents' health condition, comparing the urban area to the industrial area. Therefore, the precaution and aggressive management of metabolic syndrome may be necessary, in accordance with the characteristics of the industrial zone.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.970-975
• /
• 2012

In Sasang constitutional medicine, doctors diagnose and treat patients according to their Sasang consitutition (SC) type. In this work, by a clinical test with a radial pulse tonometer, we investigated radial pulse properties which were significant in distinguishing unhealthy subjects from healthy subjects for each SC type. We measured radial pulse properties on left and right Gwan locations with a pulse tonometer for 299 elderly female subjects of age of 50 years old or above. We used a newly developed SCAT system to determine subjects' SC types. Subjects' health levels of either healthy or unhealthy were determined independently by two Korean medical doctors. To investigate the statistical differences, we used either of Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney U test depending on the normality of distribution of test statistic. For TE type, unhealthy subjects were characterized with significant increases in heart rate, systolic to diastolic period, pulse depth, while they showed significant decreases in width of pulse in normal direction, pulse area in diastolic period, and high harmonic components (6th, 7th) of power spectral density. For SE type, unhealthy subjects were characterized with significant increases in pulse pressure and pulse depth, while no significant differences were found for SY type. We investigated the characteristic differences in radial pulse properties due to change in health levels on each SC type for elderly females. Pulse variables which were significantly different between healthy subjects and unhealthy subjects were found to vary between SC types. For TE type subjects, many variables were found significant at the left Gwan location, which is in support of the theory of hyperactive liver functioning for TE type. Irrespective of the constitution, the related changes in the pulse properties due to worsened health level were in support of elevated blood flow amount in compensation with weakened blood circulatory function.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.6 no.3
• /
• pp.37-45
• /
• 1973

The main character of the Korean diet has been found to be low in protein both quantity and quality and high in carbohydrate. The purpose of this survey was to study the amount of salt intake related to the dietary pattern in Korea. The nutrition survey was conducted in a mountainous farming area located in Auhchun-ri, Gaebuk-myon, Changsoo-gun, Chunbuk Province, February 14-19 in 1973 (7 days). The precise weighing method was used in evaluating the kinds of foods and nutrients intake for 24 households during a three day period. The physical examinations were performed by a doctor on 120 persons and a detailed biochemical test on both blood and urine was made on 42 persons over 40 years old. The results obtained are summarized as follows: (1) Average nutrients intake of an adult per day: calorie intake was 2,446 Cal and its components-protein(61.1g) was 10 percent, fat(12.9g) was 5 percent and carbohydrate(521g) contributed 85 percent of the total calories. Other nutrients-calcium (443mg), thiamine(1.09mg), riboflavin (0.90mg), niacin (14.4mg) and vitamin C (63.2mg) were lower than the recommended daily allowance but vitamin A(2,083 I.U.), iron(11mg) and phosphorous(998mg) were slightly higher than that. (2) To evaluate the nutritional deficiences, clinical examinations were conducted. Angular stomatitis was present in 16.7 percent of those examiners. No edema was found. The rate of osteoarthritis, hepatomegaly diseases appeared in 20 percent of the total subjects and the symptoms appeared highest among those Iron 50 to 59 years old. (3) The following chemical components of blood serum were analyzed and found to be within the normal range: glucose, blood urea nitrogen, uric acid, total protein, albumin, globulin, bilirubin, total cholesterol, inorganic phosphate, alkaline phosphatase, sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium and lecithine dehydrase. One case of each of the following were found: hyperglycemia, hypocholesterolemia, renal problem, hypoproteinaemia and diabetes mellitus, and two persons were classified as showing hypoglycemia and hyponaturemia. (4) The sodium content in urine was 199.6 mEq/L, potassium content was 24.6 mEq/L. The sugar, pH and specific gravity in the urine was shown to be normal.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.17 no.11
• /
• pp.1862-1867
• /
• 2007

An individual's immune response is critical for host protection from many different pathogens, and the responsiveness can be assessed by the amount of cytokine production upon stimulating bacterial components such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The difference between individuals in their peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) responsiveness to LPS, a Gram-negative endotoxin, was investigated from 27 healthy individuals. We observed a large variation in $IFN{\gamma}$ production among different individuals. The PBMC of the consistently three highest and three lowest $IFN{\gamma}$ producers were investigated. Since previous studies described that a single point mutation in the coding region of TLR2 and TLR4 is linked to the individual responsiveness to pathogenic bacterial infections, we first examined the known point mutations in the coding region of $TLR2^{Pro681His}$, $TLR4^{Pro714His}$ located in the cytoplasmic regions of the Toll-like domain as well as $TLR4^{Asp299Gly}$ located in the extracellular region. None of these mutations were associated with an individual's responsiveness to LPS, despite the presence of $TLR4^{Asp299Gly}$ mutation. Further investigation revealed that the variation of PBMC responsiveness to LPS among healthy individuals was due to constitutive expression levels of TLR4 and TLR2. This result is consistent with an aging-related low expression of Toll-like receptors in the mouse model of LPS responsiveness. The present study therefore suggests that the constitutive expression levels of TLR2 and TLR4 may contribute to the individual response to LPS.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.24 no.9
• /
• pp.1030-1038
• /
• 2014

Platelet products are used to treat hemorrhagic or platelet dysfunction diseases. Plateletpheresis involves collecting the platelet components of blood using an apheresis blood-collection system. Various indicators are available for evaluating the qualities of the apheresis platelets. The productivity of platelet collection is evaluated through both the collection efficiency and collection rates. Platelet storage quality can be evaluated in vitro using several indicators, including visual appearance, metabolic activities, volume, platelet count, white blood cell count, microparticles, and various platelet activation markers. Platelet activation markers have been used as indicators of storage quality in various studies. Post-transfusion platelet quality can be evaluated based on the corrected count increment and the percentage of platelet recovery. Although various studies have investigated the aspects of plateletpheresis, no article has systemically presented assessments of the platelet products obtained from different plateletpheresis devices. The present study provides a review of plateletpheresis, including the specifics of the process, the types of devices employed, the platelet quality, the overall efficacy, and the evaluation indicator qualities. Furthermore, the differences in functionality among the different apheresis devices are discussed. Although adverse reactions to the citrate anti-coagulant have been reported, apheresis processing may provide a safer option for donors who are at a high risk for presyncopal or syncopal reactions related to whole blood collection.

• The Journal of the Society of Korean Medicine Diagnostics
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.48-60
• /
• 2007

Palpation of the pulse has been used in Korean traditional medicine since ancient times to assess physical health. Pulse wave contour may be obtained by measuring arterial pressure or blood volume change of skin. The latter is called as Photoplethysmography(PPG) or digital volume pulse(DVP). The PPG signal is measured by a device comprising an infrared light sourece and a photodetector. Although less widely used, this technique deserves further consideration because of its simplicity and ease of use. The contour of the PPG is formed as a result of a complex interaction between the left ventricle and the systemic circulation. It usually exhibits an early systolic peak and an early diastolic peak. the first peak is formed mainly by pressure trasmitted along a direct path from the left ventricle to the finger. The second peak is formed in part by pressure transmitted along the aorta and large arteries to sites of impedance mismatch in the lower body. The contour of the PPG is sensitive to changes in arterial tone and is influenced by ageing and large artery stiffness. Measurements taken directly from the PPG or from its second derivative can be used to assess these properties. In some mathematical approaches, the extraction of periodic components using frequency analysis was tried to analysis of the PPG. But we don't understand yet what kind of factor in the cardiovascular system or human body is related with the respective specific Fourier components of PPG. This review describes the background to measurement principles, representative contour, contour analysis and frequency domain analysis of PPG, and current and future.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.78-85
• /
• 2012

Whether the $FTO$ polymorphisms interact with environmental factors has not yet been evaluated in associations with metabolic syndrome (MS) risk. The present study investigated the association of the $FTO$ rs9939609 genotypes, body mass index (BMI), and lifestyle-related factors including smoking, alcohol drinking, physical activity, and diet with MS incidence. A population-based prospective cohort study comprised 3,504 male and female Koreans aged 40 to 69 years. At the beginning of the study, all individuals were free of MS and known cardiovascular disease. Incident cases of MS were identified by biennial health examinations during a follow-up period from April 17, 2003 to April 15, 2009. Pooled logistic regression analysis was applied to obtain relative odds (RO) of MS with its 95% confidence interval (CI). After controlling for potential MS risk factors, we observed no association between the rs9939609 genotypes and MS incidence. In analysis stratified by BMI, however, carriers with the $FTO$ risk allele whose BMI is $29kg/m^2$ or greater showed an approximately 6-fold higher RO (95% CI: 3.82 to 9.30) compared with non-carriers with BMI less than $25kg/m^2$. In particular, the association between the rs9939609 variants and MS risk was significantly modified by high BMI (P-value for interaction < 0.05). Such significant interaction appeared in associations with central obesity and high blood pressure among the MS components. Because carriers of the $FTO$ risk alleles who had BMI of $29kg/m^2$ or greater are considered a high risk population, we suggest that they may need intensive weight loss regimens to prevent MS development.