The HEALTH : February 2019 | Page 5

february, 2019 | The Health Current News Korean red ginseng for wellness Korea Ginseng Corporation continues to advocate Malaysians to adopt a healthier lifestyle with its halal certification achievement at Malaysia CheongKwanJang Seminar 2018 K orea Ginseng Corpora- tion (KGC), the world’s leading ginseng expert, hosted Malaysia Cheong- KwanJang Seminar 2018 with its local partner KMT Trading Sdn. Bhd., advocating Malay- sians to inhabit a healthier lifestyle. “Since 1899, KGC has been keeping traditions and quality as a founding company in the Korea red ginseng busi- ness to enhance the wellness of people in their everyday lives. Today, we are pleased to announce the recent halal certification achievement on several Korean red ginseng extract products,” announced Jin Park, the Senior Man- ager of Global Sales Department, KGC. Malaysians consume approximately RM 2 million (US $0.5 million) worth of Korean red ginseng products every year, and is known to be the top 10 gin- seng importer in the world. Malaysia also shows the highest prevalence in a number of preventable diseases across the region such as diabetes and obesity, which can be improved by practicing healthy living. “The newly halal-certified CheongK- wanJang Korean red ginseng products have been designed to better accom- modate the busy lifestyle of today’s consumers, offering a more convenient and easier way to intake Korean red gin- seng as daily supplement. We believe that our effort to expand our reach with a broader audience in Malaysia from different races and background will further benefit the public to inhabit a wellness lifestyle through Korean red ginseng,” Jin Park added. From left: George Her, Global Sales Analyst, KGC, Matthew Lee, Managing Director of KMT Trading Sdn Bhd., Jin Park, Senior Manager of Global Sales Department, KGC; Dr Yuan Shiun Chang, Professor of Pharmacognosy, China Medical University,Taiwan and Ji-Hwan Kim, Manager of Global Sales Department, KGC. Dr Yuan Shiun Chang, a renowned professor of Pharmacognosy at China Medical University of Taiwan who is also a Korean red ginseng expert, also gave a special talk during the seminar. Ginseng contains various phar- macological components, including a series of tetracyclic triterpenoid sapo- nins (ginsenosides), polyacetylenes, polyphenolic compounds and acidic polysaccharides. KGC will actively continue its wellness journey in Malaysia through CheongKwanJang to effectively sup- port the healthier lifestyle of Malaysian consumers with a wide range of Korean red ginseng products suitable for vari- ous individual lifestyle needs. — The Health Briefs Good Feng Shui for 2019 As the leading global colour authority, AkzoNobel is committed in making the world a more colourful place to live. To that extent, Dulux – AkzoNobel’s leading decorative paint brand – has been identifying a Colour of the Year (COTY) for the past 16 years to showcase the correlation between colours and one’s everyday life. This year, Dulux’s Colour of the Year is Spiced Honey. Its warm amber tones, Spiced Honey (also knowns as Crème Brulee 00YY 26/220) is best described as versatile, sophisticated and timeless. Depending on the palettes the colour is complemented with, Spiced Honey can induce a sense of calmness, cosiness and burst of energy, and so will give one’s household a spruce of life this Chinese New Year. The home is an integral element of the celebration as families reunite under one roof, and a fresh coat of paint will signify new beginnings and a fresh outlook for the new Lunar year ahead. Case number 17 for rabies in Sarawak The Ministry of Health had recently announced the 17th case of rabies in Sarawak. The victim was an 80 year old women from Kampung Sg Du’uh, Serian, Sarawak. She was scratched by her pet dog back in December of 2018. It occurred when she wanted to stop the dog from fighting with a cat. She never seek for treatment after the scratch. On January 11, 2019, the victim came down with a fever, coughing, vomiting, lethargy, and weakness of the right hand. She received treatment on the same day. However she was forthwith about the dog and the scratch during the treatment. Her condition worsened, presenting neurological symptoms such as hydrophobia and aerophobia. She was declared dead on January 18, 2019. Her case marks the 17th case for rabies in Sarawak. — The Health Healthier Roti Canai? Yes please F ood ingredient specialist Holista CollTech Ltd (Holista) has partnered Bursa Malaysia-listed Kawan Food Berhad (Kawan Food) to produce healthy Asian flatbreads, including roti canai, roti and chappati, for local and international markets. Holista, which is listed in Australia and headquartered in Petaling Jaya, will use its proprietary mix of ingredi- ents trademarked as GI Lite to develop a range of low-glycemic index (“low- GI”) Indian flatbreads with Kawan Food - Malaysia’s largest manufacturer and leading exporter of frozen Asian delicacies worldwide. GI Lite added to Kawan Food range of products is expected to add up to AU$4 million to Holista’s top line this year. The low-GI roti canai will be sold in Malaysia by April 2019, while sales to U.S. consumers are expected to com- mence in June 2019. GI Lite has had a favorable sensory testing by Kawan Food, and Kawan Food is now starting low GI testing. The GI indicates the rate at which foods containing carbohydrates raise human blood sugar levels, with a lower score indicating healthier food. A diet high in carbohydrates is linked to diabetes, heart disease, obesity, poor energy levels, food cravings and drowsiness. Dato Dr Rajen Manicka, Managing Director and CEO of Holista, said: “We are excited to announce our partner- ship with Kawan Food, a home-grown producer and supplier of some of Malaysia’s favourite food. Our low-GI versions of this popular staple food will help to address the growing prob- lem of obesity and diabetes in Malaysia 05 05 The state of Chikungunya in Malaysia The Ministry of Health has took notice upon the spread of the Chi- kungunya disease in Thailand, and the National Crisis Preparedness Response Centre (CPRC) has been monitoring the disease since its first reported case in 2008 in Malaysia. Chikungunya has been reported in Malaysia in 2008 and 2009, where the highest reported cases being at 5,430 in 2009. Cases has since declined sharply every year since, with only 87 cases of Chikungunya reported in 2018. Moreover, no reported deaths from the disease have been made from 2008 until 2018. For the year 2018, there has been cases reported in 6 Malaysian states. 77 cases in Kelantan, five in Kedah, two in Selangor, and one each in Perlis, Sarawak and Sabah. And so far this year up to January 14th, two cases have been reported in Kelantan. Strengthened monitoring has been put in place in international crossings between Malaysia, Thailand, Singa- pore, and Indonesia through body temperature screening method. The screenings aims to detect any signs of the disease among travellers coming into Malaysia. Apart from that, preventative activities and vector control processes such as monitoring the rate of Aedes mosquito breeding in immigration points, eradication of Aedes mos- quito’s breeding grounds, larviciding and fogging are continued. Education on Chikungunya among travellers are also strengthened. The Ministry of Health will con- tinue to share information regarding current disease situation for Chi- kungunya through the International Health Regulations (IHR) platform alongside neighbouring countries like Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, and Indonesia.— The Health Preventive measures against Chikungunya 1 and abroad.” Holista’s clean-label (all-natural) formula comprises a blend of okra, barley, lentils and fenugreek. When mixed with white flour, it lowers the GI reading of the final product without compromising taste or texture. Mr. Timothy Tan, Managing Direc- tor of Kawan Food, said, “We are proud to work with Holista to be the first in the world to offer healthy flatbreads such as roti canai, effectively carving out a new niche in the food ingredients sector in Malaysia and beyond.” — The Health . Keep your property or premise’s surrounding areas clean while locating and destroying Aedes mosquito’s breeding grounds. . Use aerosol spray for mosquitos detected inside your house or premise. . Prevent mosquito bites by using repellents as well as wearing long sleeved shirts and pants especially inside and around the house or premise. . Use correct poison for larva detected in small pools of water. . Install mosquito mesh on the windows and door to prevent mosquitoes entering your house or premise. . Stay away from areas with reports of Chikungunya. 2 3 4 5 6