Exposure to sunlight, supplements recommended for healthy levels of vitamin D

With the start of the winter season, increasing numbers of people are complaining of itchy and dry skin. The itchiness and dryness of skin in winter is associated with the cold weather. In countries such as Korea, where there are continental climates and continued dry weather, such skin conditions are quite common. It is more common in those aged 40 years and over, with the symptoms most prominent in the outer surfaces of the arms and the legs. The dry and itchy symptoms can progress to dry ecze

The very guilt associated with indulging in forbidden foods such as chocolate can, in fact, enhance women's enjoyment of them, U.S. researchers say. Lead researcher Kelly Goldsmith of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Chicago said the study findings show "experiencing the emotion of guilt can increase pleasure," Time magazine reported In one of the study's experiments, 103 participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups. In the group primed to feel more guil

Middle school students in the best physical shape do better than their less fit classmates on standardized tests and report cards, U.S. researchers say.Lead researcher Dawn Coe, an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville who conducted the research as a doctoral student in Michigan State University‘s kinesiology department, said the study was among the first to examine how academic performance relates to all aspects of physical fitness -- including body fat, muscular stren

A parasite dubbed the “cat parasite” leads to self-harming behaviors such as suicide, according to Swedish researchers. However, the discovery shouldn’t raise concern as humans have been infected with it for a long time.In a study, the team first infected human dendritic cells with toxoplasma, and observed the infected ones secreting the signal substance, GABA (gamma-Aminobutyric acid). In the following experiment conducted on live mice, it found that the infected dendritic cells spread through

A study involving Danish couples found a correlation between childless couples dying earlier than couples with children, researchers said. Researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark studied more than 21,000 couples having in vitro fertilization treatment between 1994 and 2005 -- while 15,210 children were born, 1,564 were adopted, the Daily Telegraph reported. During the study period, 96 women and 200 men died. The study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, found the

In 2009, there was a worldwide pandemic of influenza. The pathogenic virus is still prevalent and is becoming a common cause of influenza. Influenza caused the deaths of approximately 20 million people worldwide between 1918 and 1919. This was the “Spanish Flu” and the large number of deaths increased the awareness of the disease. Since then, there have been similar pandemics every 10 to 40 years. The pandemic in 2009 followed the “Hong Kong Flu” in 1958 by approximately 40 years.The influenza v

Start with moisturizers but look for environmental causes to stop skin irritation, doctors say

Hunger is more closely related to how people perceive their meal rather than the actual calories ingested, a new study suggested. Researchers from the University of Bristol in England claimed to have found that the people who think they have eaten a lot -- even when they have had an average-sized or smaller meal -- are less likely to be hungry hours later compared to people who think they had a smaller meal.In the study, 100 volunteers were first shown containers of either 300 ml or 500 ml of so

People who use multiple media -- such as playing a computer game while watching TV -- have a higher risk of of anxiety and depression, U.S. researchers say.Lead investigator Mark Becker of Michigan State University said he was surprised to find such a clear association between media multitasking and mental health problems, but he is not clear why it occurred. “We don‘t know whether the media multitasking is causing symptoms of depression and social anxiety, or if it’s that people who are depress

You are confronting an opponent in front of you and the opponent has his or her legs apart in a steady stance as shown in the pictures below.Here is how you can quickly overtake the situation with this self-defense technique.1. Cover your face with both hands while lowering your body to level up with the opponent’s lower body. Be careful not to look at the ground, but to look forward to watch the opponent’s movements. If the opponent attacks with the knees or feet, be prepared to immediately def

Turkish research suggested that men who suffer from serious periodontitis are likely to have erectile dysfunction.The study, published in Journal of Sexual Medicine, selected 80 men from the age of 30 to 40 with erection problems. The control group was composed of 82 men of the same age. Other possible factors such as BMI or income and education level were controlled for. Among those with erectile dysfunction, 53 percent had inflamed gums. Only 23 percent of the control group had dental problems

Many of the lipsticks in the market today contain lead, according to recent research, and some scholars said they may pose a threat to the health of the general public.Underwriters Laboratories, a global safety and quality certification company, did random testing on 22 different lipsticks and lip glosses and found that 12 of them contained lead, with the highest levels at 3.22 parts per million. The study was commissioned by U.S. broadcaster ABC’s “Good Morning America.”While this is below the

South Koreans spend an average of 100 million won (US$92,421) in medical expenses during their lifetime, a report showed Monday, with the amount likely to rise due mainly to the nation’s fast aging population.The report by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute showed women spend an average of 114.3 million won on hospital bills during their lifetime, while the figure for men came to 95.89 million won. The report is based on a study of the medical expenses of 200,000 people in 2010.Wome