20121113 health post

YOUR GUIDE TO LIVING WELL

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012

HEALTH POST

JOYS OF THE EMBRYOSCOPE >PAGE 4

HERBAL SUN PROTECTION >PAGE 8

Of ice and men How hockey gained a foothold in Hong Kong

>PAGE 6

2 NEWS APP OF THE WEEK

HEALTH BITES

Holistic hints to help you heal

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Asian women at risk An international group of scientists has identified three genetic regions that predispose Asian women who have never smoked to lung cancer.

Two variations were found on chromosome 6 and one on chromosome 10. “These variants may also increase lung cancer risk associated with environmental factors, such as environmental tobacco smoke,” says study co-author Dr Nathaniel Rothman. The study, published online in Nature Genetics, combined data from 14 studies that included a total of about 14,000 Asian women (6,600 with lung cancer and 7,500 without lung cancer). Lung cancer in non-smokers is the seventh leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, and most lung cancers diagnosed historically among women in Eastern Asia have been in women who never smoked.

Katie McGregor healthpost@scmp.com Home Natural Remedies HK$8 Rating 8/10 It’s hard to find a good app for natural remedies, but my determination has paid off. After several downloads, I found Home Natural Remedies, which scores highly. As you would expect of an app that is trying to provide people with solutions, it opens with a directory of health problems. Close to 200 of them, in fact.

The list ranges from abrasions to zits, with belching and toenail fungus falling in between. Click on the concern, and you get a list of possible cures, and not all of them are totally natural.

I was particularly interested in toenail fungus, as I know two people with this condition. The usual remedy is to either take a course of tablets daily for four months, which could also damage your liver, or apply a tincture for several months that may destroy the fungus.

One of the “natural” remedies listed in this app was the US mouthwash Listerine, but others included a slice of garlic under the toe overnight, oregano essential oil, or tea tree oil. The app provides a brief description of how to apply the remedy, and occasionally offers a little background. The lack of more complete information is why this app doesn’t get top marks.

The second-best natural remedy app is The Herbalist. This opens with a directory that leads to a list of

herbs, preparation methods, herbal glossary and a list of maladies. As the information about the herbs is comprehensive – Latin name and other common names, cautions, herbal actions – this would have been a top contender.

But, unfortunately, the list of maladies is short. A combination of the best of both apps would have been excellent.

Useless apps I came across included Medicinal Herbs, which is a list of herbs and their properties, and About Herbs, from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre in New York City, which is similar. There is also Natural Herbal Cures and Remedies, which is a book on your iPhone that gives you an overview of how wonderful herbal remedies can be, but doesn’t give you a remedy for any condition.

So that is a fail.

ASK THE DOCTORS DR EILEEN TAN Q: My five-year-old daughter’s hair has been falling from different patches of her head for the past six months. What could be the problem, and what can I do?

A: There are various kinds of childhood hair-loss conditions. One of the most common involving patchy hair loss is called alopecia areata. An autoimmune disease, it affects about one in 100,000 people.

Genetic factors may play a role in its occurrence, but other causes could be stress or immune system dysfunction.

There are various treatment options to induce hair regrowth.

Monthly cortisone scalp injections may be better tolerated by older children or adults. Topical immunotherapy, phototherapy and topical medications are other noninvasive treatment options are available against childhood alopecia areata. Topical immunotherapy

Jeanette Wang jeanette.wang@scmp.com

involves the application of topical immunogenic medication on bald areas once a week. Phototherapy involves treating bald areas twice a week. It works by suppressing the immune cells.

In general, 30 per cent to 40 per cent of patients respond favourably to treatment, although alopecia areata may reoccur at any time. The condition usually has little impact on preschoolers for whom physical appearance is not important. There may be problems when they are of school-going age, as they will be more aware of their looks and more self-conscious. Educating the child and the parents is important. It will also help to educate the child’s teacher and classmates so that they understand the condition.

Dr Eileen Tan is a dermatologist from Eileen Tan Skin, Laser and Hair Transplant Clinic at Mount Elizabeth Novena Medical Centre in Singapore

Angst for the memories Adults aren’t the only ones affected by stress – female babies exposed to high levels of family stress have been linked to differences in everyday brain function and anxiety during teenage years. In a long-running population study

by University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists, babies who lived in homes with stressed mothers were more likely to grow into preschoolers with higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. In addition, these girls with higher cortisol also showed less communication between brain areas associated with emotion regulation 14 years later. Both high cortisol and differences in brain activity predicted higher levels of adolescent anxiety at the age of 18. The young men in the study, which began in 1990 with newborns, did not show any of these patterns. The study is published in Nature Neuroscience.

Beats worrying Music soothes the savage breast – and the anxious cataract surgery patient. The use of an audio therapy known as binaural beats can significantly reduce the patient’s anxiety, according to research from Chiang Mai University in Thailand. The therapy consists of two tones that are each pitched at a specific, slightly different frequency, with each tone delivered to a separate ear via headphones. The technique evokes alphafrequency brainwaves, a state that is linked to relaxation and reduced perception of fear and pain. In the 141-patient study, the researchers combined binaural beats with soothing music and nature soundscapes that included ocean and forest sounds, to provide a pleasant experience for patients. Patients who listened to the audio mix before, during and after the procedure had less anxiety, slower heart rate, and significantly reduced systolic blood pressure, compared with those who did not receive the therapy. The research team focused on cataract surgery because it is usually done under local anaesthesia, with the patient awake and continuously exposed to unfamiliar, potentially upsetting sounds.

Losing sight of the cause Many parents assume that frequent headaches mean their child needs glasses, but a new study proves that vision or eye problems are rarely the cause of recurring headaches in children, even if the headaches usually strike while the child is doing visual tasks. Paediatric ophthalmologists at Albany Medical Centre in New York State reviewed the medical records of 158 children under the age of 18 who were seen at the clinic for frequent headaches from 2002 to 2011. All of the children had received complete eye exams at the clinic. No significant correlation was found between their frequent headaches and a need for vision correction. Eye health and vision test results remained unchanged from earlier exams for 75 per cent of the children. Follow-up reports from parents showed that headaches improved in 76.4 per cent of all study subjects.

NEWS 3 DIET BLACK TEA

QUIZ ......................................................

allergies should avoid prolonged conversations, text messaging and handling their phones if they begin noticing symptoms.”

For sufferers who are glued to their phones, ACAAI advises opting for plastic phone cases, wireless ear pieces and clear film screens to decrease allergic reactions.

Test your nickel knowledge here.

Jeanette Wang jeanette.wang@scmp.com

The fermentation process that turns green tea black produces a range of complex, health-inducing flavonoids. Photo: Shutterstock Images

Black tea may protect against type 2 diabetes .....................................................

Jeanette Wang jeanette.wang@scmp.com A lot has been said about the health benefits of green tea, but a new study published in the online journal BMJ Open suggests that black is, well, the new black.

Researchers conducted a mathematical analysis of data from 50 countries across six continents and found that the prevalence of type 2 diabetes is low in countries where consumption of black tea is high.

The fermentation process that turns green tea black induces a range of complex flavonoids, including theaflavins and thearubigins, to which several potential health benefits have been attributed.

The researchers analysed information on black tea consumption based on 2009 sales data collected by an independent specialist market research company.

They also analysed World Health Organisation data for those same countries on the prevalence of respiratory, infectious and cardiovascular diseases, as well as cancer and diabetes.

Ireland topped the league table for black tea drinkers, at more than 2kg per year per person, closely followed by Britain and Turkey. At the bottom of the table were South Korea, Brazil, China, Morocco and Mexico, with very low consumption.

A statistical approach was used to tease out the key contribution of black tea to each of the health indicators selected at the population level. A link was found between black tea and rates of diabetes, but not for any of the other health indicators studied. Further analysis

confirmed a strong linear association between low rates of diabetes in countries and high black tea consumption. The global prevalence of type 2 diabetes has increased sixfold over the past few decades, and the International Diabetes Federation calculates that the number of those with the disease will soar from 285 million in 2010 to 438 million in 2030.

In Hong Kong, type 2 diabetes affects about one in 10 people, with prevalence ranging from 2 per cent in people aged under 35 to more than 20 per cent in those older than 65. The incidence of diabetes is increasing, with more than half of them being undiagnosed. The disease is the leading cause of kidney failure, blindness, leg amputations, cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

The study authors acknowledge several caveats to their findings. They caution that the quality and consistency of data among the countries are likely to vary, as will the criteria used to diagnose diabetes.

And what may seem positive at the population level may not work as well on an individual level.

They also point out that various factors are likely to have contributed to the dramatic rise in diabetes prevalence, and that a link between black tea consumption and the prevalence of the disease does not imply that one is caused by the other.

But their findings do back those of previous research, they say.

“These original study results are consistent with previous biological, physiological, and ecological studies conducted on the potential of [black tea] on diabetes and obesity, and they provide valuable additional scientific information at the global level,” the report says.

> CONTACT US Deputy Culture Editor: Choong Tet Sieu tetsieu.choong@scmp.com Health Post Editor: Jeanette Wang jeanette.wang@scmp.com General inquiries: healthpost@scmp.com Advertising: tel: 2565 2435; e-mail advertising@scmp.com Printed and published by South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd, Morning Post Centre, 22 Dai Fat Street, Tai Po Industrial Estate, Tai Po, Hong Kong. Tel: 2680 8888

If you’re deciding between a BlackBerry and an iPhone, a group of American allergists advise picking the latter – and not because of its prolific App Store.

According to a study presented last week at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), the iPhone is the clear winner in terms of your health.

ACAAI allergists studied popular smartphones for two common allergens, cobalt and nickel, and found that about one-third of all BlackBerries contain nickel, but neither cobalt nor nickel was detected in iPhones or Androids.

“Both metals can cause an allergic reaction including dry, itchy patches along the cheek bones, jaw line and ears,” says Dr Tania Mucci, lead study author and ACAAI member.

Symptoms of nickel and cobalt allergies can include redness, swelling, itching, eczema, blistering, skin lesions and occasional scarring.

Nickel is one of the most common contact allergens, affecting

The iPhone trumped its competition in allergy tests. Photo: Reuters 17 per cent of women and 3 per cent of men. A nickel allergy usually develops after repeated or prolonged exposure to items containing nickel. There is no cure for the condition; the best treatment is to avoid contact with products known to have nickel content.

“Patients with nickel and cobalt allergies should consider using iPhones or Droids to reduce the chance of having an allergic reaction,” says allergist Dr Luz Fonacier, study author and ACAAI fellow.

“BlackBerry users with known

1. Where else is nickel commonly found? a. Jewellery b. Coins c. Make-up 2. What colour is pure nickel? a. Red-yellow b. Silver-white c. Yellow-green 3. Nickel is the ____ most common element in the earth’s core. a. Second b. Fifth c. 10th 4. Which of the following is not a risk factor for developing nickel allergy? a. A family history of nickel allergy b. Being female c. Ageing Answers: 1. all correct; 2. b; 3. a; 4. c

4 MEDICAL

ela Ho on: Ang ti a tr s Illu

CASE HISTORY

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Eileen Aung-Thwin healthpost@scmp.com Henry and Patsy had been trying for a baby for almost a decade without success; every month brought renewed disappointment.

Four years ago, while living in Europe, they started in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment in the hope that medical science could help them. IVF required Patsy, then 36, to undergo 10 days of daily hormone injections to stimulate her ovaries to produce multiple egg-bearing follicles. When the eggs were mature, they were retrieved using an ultrasound-guided hollow needle through the pelvic cavity.

In a lab, suitable eggs were identified, cleared of surrounding cells, and prepared for fertilisation.

Meanwhile, sperm was collected from Henry, then 41.

The eggs and sperm were combined and placed in incubators, devices that have tightly controlled temperature, oxygen, carbon dioxide and humidity levels to enable fertilisation. After about 18 hours, the eggs were fertilised and left for about 48 hours while cells start to divide.

At the end of two days, the fertility specialist would select “good” embryos for implantation into Patsy’s womb.

But the embryos implanted into Patsy’s womb failed to develop, and she did not become pregnant.

Doctors told the couple the quality of the embryos were poor.

For four years, Patsy endured four egg retrievals and six failed implantations.

According to Dr Milton Leong Ka-hong, founder and reproductive medicine specialist of the IVF Centre at the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital, the standard embryo selection process is relatively archaic. Doctors can only rely on the appearance of the embryos to determine whether or not they are healthy.

“One can only look at the shape and size of the different cells to see if there is any fragmentation, any abnormal particles inside the embryo,” says Leong.

This method has been used since IVF was introduced 25 years ago. But

Immaculate perception judging an embryo based on appearance is like a beauty contest, says Leong. There is no telling what the genetic or functional quality of the embryo is.

Once the embryos are implanted into the womb, communication between the embryos and the mother must be established so that the mother’s body will start to nourish the embryo with oxygen and nutrients, as well as take away metabolic waste from the developing embryo. If the embryo

Using the videos, Leong was able to identify two good embryos for implantation

does not receive support in six to eight hours, the baby cannot grow, says Leong.

This process is not as smooth as we would like, he adds. A study found that for every woman who becomes pregnant, another would have become pregnant but lose the baby within the two weeks from ovulation to menstruation.

“Humans are not very prolific in reproduction,” says Leong.

Early this year, Henry and Patsy moved to Hong Kong. After they had

settled in, they felt ready to give IVF one more try. They turned to the IVF Centre.

The centre had just acquired a new incubator, which had only recently become commercially available. It was the first in Asia to get one. This device, called an embryoscope, provides the controlled environment of an incubator, but also features a time-lapse camera that captures the development of embryo.

In other words, fertility specialists such as Leong can now observe the division rate of the cells in the embryo. They can see whether the cells are dividing at a normal rate and this provides a crucial edge in the selection of borderline embryos, explains Leong.

With conventional incubation methods, embryos are taken out once a day, at most, for observation under the microscope. That is because the transfer of the embryos from the controlled environment of the incubator to the laboratory environment can unsettle the embryos, says Leong. Sudden shocks are not conducive to the delicate process of embryo development.

So, given Henry and Patsy’s lack to success with IVF, it was thought the embryoscope could provide an edge in producing a successful pregnancy. Patsy underwent another egg retrieval. This time, her womb yielded 13 eggs, out of which only eight were mature. This was considered a reasonable response, given her age.

Two of the immature eggs were matured in the laboratory, and eventually, seven eggs were fertilised. However, as was consistent with the couple’s past experience, by day three, only four eggs remained viable.

Using the videos provided by the embryoscope, Leong was able to identify two good embryos and one borderline embryo for implantation.

This time, Patsy became pregnant.

Leong says IVF produces a pregnancy rate of only 45 to 55 per cent. But as new technology develops, new tools such as the embryoscope can give couples who have experienced multiple failures with IVF an edge in their quest to have a baby.

HEALTH 5 MOVEMBER DIARY

Mo power to you ......................................................

Chester Grucza healthpost@scmp.com One week in and I’m pleased to report growth along my upper lip is starting to show strong signs of progress (or should I say, mo-gress).

It’s great to see I’m not going it alone; I’ve noticed lots of guys around the city sporting stage one moustaches. Hong Kong seems to have really embraced Movember.

The reaction to my clean-shaven face has been quite astounding.

People in the city have only known me with a moustache, so it’s been a week of double takes when I get recognised. Even my family is talking about the new “youthful” Chester. Of course, all this chatter presents many opportunities to slip in the topic of prostate cancer, which is exactly what Movember is about. My lack of moustache is

doing its job by prompting people to chat and think about men’s health.

It’s not just about the boys, though. Elizabeth, my much better half of seven years, has always been a big fan of my mo. However, last week she became a Mo Sista and let me part with it. Besides registering as a Mo Sista on the Movember website, she’s been doing her bit to encourage friends and colleagues to donate to my Mo Space page and grow their own moustaches.

As we head into the third week of Movember, I am ready to win the title of Hong Kong’s Next Top Mo-del. If you think you’ve got what it takes, send your photo to Movember Hong Kong through its Facebook page (facebook.com/ MovemberHongKong).

To my fellow Mo Bros, I salute you. To those of you who have yet to register, it’s not too late. If you are keen to join the family and be a part

of this movement, just head to hk.movember.com and sign up. As all the funds will remain in Hong Kong and benefit local prostate cancer initiatives, this is our chance to really make a difference and start changing the face of men’s health.

Hong Kong is 10th on the Movember leaderboard with HK$1,094,757 raised, despite having the fewest registrations among the 21 official Movember campaign “countries”. It just goes to show how generous and supportive the community here is. So far, more than HK$264 million has been raised worldwide from nearly one million participants.

I’ll give you mo-growing tips next week. In the meantime, stay mo-tivated, Hong Kong.

Chester Grucza is regrowing his moustache for prostate cancer research.

Chester Grucza manages Fly nightclub in Central. Follow his mo-growing efforts all this month in Health Post

6 COVER STORY

Lords of the rink Although it’s an unlikely sport for a hot climate, ice hockey has taken off so quickly in Hong Kong that more facilities are needed, writes Rachel Jacqueline

T

he crowd gasps as the ice hockey player lunges towards the sliding puck, his stick almost colliding with another player’s head. Seconds later, his opponent slams him against the barricade in retort, squashing his face against the glass.

Before the imprint fades, the pair are already at the other end of the rink, fighting it out for the elusive puck.

It’s a scene that’s become a regular occurrence at Mega Ice in MegaBox, Kowloon Bay, which installed Hong Kong’s first and only international sized rink in 2007. Since then, the Hong Kong Ice Hockey League (HKL) has almost doubled in size – the new 2012/13 season started in late September, and will run until April next year.

In fact, the sport has grown so popular and so quickly that it has almost become a victim of its own success, with the existing facilities at MegaBox stretched to capacity.

There are now more than 1,000 players across a women’s, youth and three men’s divisions in the HKL. And there’s about 200 more players in the Hong Kong Amateur Hockey Club (HKAHC) league.

Even though Hongkongers are more likely to own a pair of sandals than ice skates, locals have taken to the sport in numbers. While the top HKL division attracts mainly

Jin Tairi (left) of Beijing Peng Han and Frankie Choi of the Hong Kong Young Nationals. The number of local league players has soared. expatriates, about half the number of players in the other divisions in the men’s and women’s league – and the HKAHC league – are Hong Kong Chinese. “Once people start ice skating and do well, they get into hockey,” says Keith Fong, 37, deputy general manager of operations at the MegaBox Ice Rink.

The growth has been a result of a conscious effort by the ice hockey community to develop players.

“More programmes are in place these days which have given kids an opportunity to learn the sport,” says

Stats • There are about 1,200 ice hockey players in Hong Kong • 88 teams compete in the HKL • About half the number of players are locals

Fong. “Clubs such as the Penguins, which is organised by Mega Ice, as well as the Typhoons Ice Hockey Club, have spent hours organising practices and league games.”

Ice hockey has been played in Hong Kong since the 1980s, says Fong, who is a hockey player himself. But the sport only really began properly in 1996 with four teams at a small rink at Dragon Centre, Sham Shui Po. Today, there are 88 teams in the HKL alone.

“It’s a complete adrenaline rush,” says Frankie Choi, 28, a coach and referee who has been playing ice hockey since age eight. Jacob Marcus, 26, an American research analyst who moved to Hong Kong early this year, says: “It takes a perfect combination of speed and finesse, as well as athletic talent.

Plenty of people are skaters, and plenty are athletic, but how many can be both at the same time?”

Played indoors, and always in cool temperatures, ice hockey perhaps is an ideal sport for Hongkongers looking to get fit and have fun any time of the year without having to worry about the weather or the pollution.

The game involves intense skating, explosive movements, quick changes in velocity and direction, and frequent body contact. So ice hockey players require high levels of

COVER STORY 7

Photo: Corbis

muscular strength, power and tournaments within the region.” endurance, and a very healthy Hong Kong is home to Asia’s largest cardiovascular system. ice hockey tournament, the Hong The technical skills of skating, Kong Hockey 5s. This year 88 teams shooting, passing, and body from 14 countries, including checking are just as important as Canada, Australia, Slovakia, and physical strength. Agility, balance United Arab Emirates, competed. and co-ordination are fundamental Brad Smith, 37, an ex-Canadian to these skills, and therefore to game NHL player, was among the tactics and strategies, too. Ice participants. He says the standard hockey is a total body workout. in Hong Kong represents a Success in the sport depends “competitive recreational hockey largely on fitness. A study of more game”. The punch-ups famous in than 200 elite female ice hockey the NHL are non-existent in Hong JACOB MARCUS, ICE HOCKEY PLAYER players from 13 countries, published Kong’s local non-contact league. in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research in June, found that players from the best performing teams were leaner, had greater lower body muscular power and upper body strength, and a higher aerobic capacity than those in the lower divisions.

But even if success doesn’t come, ice hockey is great fun.

Marcus sees the sport as a way to relax and make new friends.

“Hockey players are a specific type of person, and we all love hanging out together,” he says.

He has played ice hockey in the US, Canada, and Sweden, and is impressed with the quality of hockey on offer in Hong Kong.

“The level and organisation here are top-notch,” he says. “Players of all abilities get to play at least once a Justin Au of Hong Kong Young Nationals (left) and Jin Tairi of Beijing Peng week, and there are some great Han battle for the puck at the Mega Ice Hockey 5s. Photos: Sam Tsang

It takes the perfect combination of speed and finesse, as well as athletic talent. You have to be able to skate and be athletic

Jamie Stark, 36, a teacher from Canada, says the tournaments and ice hockey leagues are why he moved to Hong Kong from Korea, despite taking a pay cut. “If I didn’t have hockey, I may be living somewhere else,” he says.

Although more want to join in the fun, the HKL can no longer accept any more players because of the limited facilities. “We would have more players, but we are maxed out, as there is limited ice time,” says Fong.

Ice hockey shares a single international-sized ice skating rink with figure skating and recreational skating, so the cost of play is considerable. To play in the league costs players upwards of HK$5,000.

And due to the stretched resources, games are played as late as 11pm.

According to Stark, the cost of playing is three times the amount he would pay back home. “We don’t have an option,” he says. “As with anything you miss from back home, you will pay much more for it.”

“We call it a luxury sport,” jokes Grant Phillips, 43, of Canada, a coach for Hong Kong’s women’s hockey team and a referee.

“For soccer and baseball, you only need running shoes, a ball and a bat. But for hockey, you need a lot more.”

Essential equipment includes a pair of skates, protective clothing,

helmets, and a stick. The initial investment for a new player would be upwards of HK$10,000 – that’s if they can find a place to buy their hockey equipment.

For years, players had to rely on teammates returning to Europe or North America to bring back gear.

This led Phillips to create his own line of ice hockey equipment, Monster, which is available at a fraction of the cost. The brand is now the most popular among Hong Kong players.

Gregory Smith, 44, who helped to develop South China’s first professional ice hockey league, the Central Interior Hockey League, believes the potential for the sport in Hong Kong is huge. “Hong Kong really only has 10 to 15 years of solid hockey history – and there is only one real facility for skating,” he says.

“It’s come a long way in such a short space of time, compared to countries which have 100 to 150 years of hockey history.”

But without another international size rink, some more seating to encourage a fan base, and a more affordable entry into the sport, the growth will be capped. In the meantime, diehard fans like Stark will continue to play their favourite game, despite the odds.

“Hockey is our life. It’s our passion; our religion,” Stark says. healthpost@scmp.com

8 HEALTH ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE HERBAL SUN PROTECTION

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Sunory Dutt healthpost@scmp.com Sunlight gives us our daily dose of vitamin D, but overexposure to its ultraviolet rays can cause photoageing, skin cancer and immune suppression.

Sunblocks and sunscreens can provide some protection, but there are concerns about the potentially dangerous ingredients in these products that could outweigh their benefits. Certain chemicals in sunscreens aggravate particular skin conditions, and can clog pores and cause skin allergies.

Sunscreens with natural agents could prove safer and more effective. According to Dr Levite Man, a medical herbalist and founder and principal of the School of Natural Healing in Hong Kong, “Herbs are known to have many anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cell proliferating, moisturising, photoprotective and wound-healing medicinal properties.

“They actually work better for sunburn prevention and healing.

Some examples of herbs that serve this purpose include aloe vera, calendula, German chamomile, comfrey, golden serpent fern, green tea, plantain, strawberry, and oil of sesame and coconut.”

In an article published in June in Alternative and Complementary Therapies, leading American herbalists Eric Yarnell and Kathy Abascal analysed herbal extracts to assess their ability to reduce the negative effects of UV light when taken orally or applied topically.

They found that the extract of golden serpent fern (Phlebodium aureum) could be used to combat the effects of excessive UV exposure.

When the fern was applied on patients with polymorphic light eruptions (itchy rashes caused by UV exposure), 30 per cent of patients were protected from artificial UV light-induced eruptions, and the other patients did not get rashes unless they were exposed to higher amounts of UV light.

In another study, of 57 patients with the light eruptions or solar urticaria (hives) who took golden serpent fern, 74 per cent had less severe photodermatitis.

The extract appears to work as an antioxidant and protects DNA and skin compounds from damage. The study authors say the data on golden serpent fern extracts is promising for reducing negative effects of UV exposure in healthy people and in patients with conditions aggravated

Nature has you covered by the sun. Further research is needed, but it appears this herb is safe and effective for clinical use as one of the first oral herbal photoprotectives.

Unoxidised young green tea leaves (Camellia sinensis) have shown to be able to abate the negative effects of excessive UV exposure. In the study, topical green tea extract significantly reduced signs of UV damage on the skin. An application of 10 per cent green tea cream combined with an oral intake of 300mg of green tea extract improved skin elasticity, and appeared to be photoprotective.

Tannic acid (an astringent) and

In my opinion, these herbal extracts do not have a specific ultraviolet protection factor OPHELIA CHAN, HERBAL BLISS’ FOUNDER

theobromine (a phytonutrient) in tea are said to help cool sunburn, and compounds called catechins help prevent and repair skin damage caused by UV rays. Both green and black teas are also antioxidants.

In a study published in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Dr Stephen Hsu, a cell biologist at the Medical College of Georgia, found a link between green tea and skin cell rejuvenation. He proved that a compound in green tea, epigallocatechin gallate, reactivates dying skin cells and accelerates the differentiation process among new cells.

It also inhibits UVB radiationinduced erythema response (redness) in the skin. Green tea supports the production of melanin, the skin’s own sunburn protection.

According to a study published in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry, strawberry extract provides protection against UV radiation and reduces skin damage from overexposure to the sun.

Compounds called anthocyanins, which give strawberries their red colour, contain sun protection properties. Study co-author Dr Sara Tulipani from the University of Barcelona in Spain says: “These compounds have important antiinflammatory, antioxidant and antitumour properties. The results are the basis for future studies evaluating the ‘bioavailability’ and ‘bioactivity’ of anthocyanins in the dermis and epidermis layers of the human skin, whether by adding them to formulations for external use or by ingesting the fruit itself.”

Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) may be helpful in preventing the harm done by excessive UV light on local and general immune function, according to Yarnell and Abascal.

Many studies in animals show that whole-root extracts and isolated saponins (a class of chemical compounds found in natural sources) protect the body against photo-immunosuppression.

When asked about the efficacy of these extracts, whether applied topically or orally, Ophelia Chan, founder of local organic beauty brand, Herbal Bliss, says: “In my opinion, these herbal extracts do not have a specific UV protection factor.

If they can have any protection at all, the effect is minimal and cannot be measured like the approved physical sunblocks or chemical sunscreens.

These herbs are antioxidants at most; they may be able to offset some of the free radical damage caused by UV rays but, in themselves, are definitely not effective sunscreens.

“The only safe and effective sunblock ingredients are nonmicronised or non-nano zinc oxide, and to a lesser extent, titanium dioxide. I know some oils like jojoba, coconut and hazelnut offer a very low amount of UV protection – not more than SPF 2. We need a minimum of SPF 15 to make a sunscreen worthwhile.

“While oral intake of these herbal extracts may seem beneficial, it’s not advisable as their suitability depends on each person’s requirements. I don’t believe it can be an effective sun-protection measure.”

DIET 9 THE TASTE TEST DRIED TOMATOES

DINING HABITS

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Right plate at the wrong time

Jeanette Wang jeanette.wang@scmp.com

Melissa’s Dried Tomatoes HK$45.80 for 85 grams, Marketplace by Jasons Made in the US, these are 100 per cent tomatoes, dried naturally with no salt added. They can either be rehydrated in boiling water for 10 minutes, or added directly into a soup, sauce or stew. Also goes great in salads and omelettes.

Verdict: meaty, chewy and subtly sweet, these are a great alternative to fresh tomatoes (which don’t last as long).

Fiordelisi Sun Dried Tomatoes HK$49.50 for 100 grams, Marketplace by Jasons The label describes this as a “typical product for the Mediterranean diet” – which research has shown is hearthealthy – made according to a traditional Italian recipe of the Fiordelisi family. Contains only tomatoes and salt.

Verdict: as salty as anchovies – how can this be heart-healthy?

Marks & Spencer Sundried Tomatoes HK$48 for 280 grams, Marks & Spencer These sun dried tomatoes (54 per cent) are soaked in olive oil (43 per cent) plus a wee bit of a concoction of vinegar, herbs and spices – nothing artificial. Eaten straight out of the jar, it’s great alone and really livens up pasta or toast.

Verdict: a versatile pantry staple, but don’t forget to drain before use unless you enjoy a mouthful of oil.

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Jeanette Wang jeanette.wang@scmp.com It doesn’t matter if you’re not taking in more calories – eating at the wrong time can also cause weight gain. A new study in Nature Medicine shows that removing the clock gene in fat cells causes mice to become obese, with a shift in the timing of when the animal normally eats.

The study is surprising in two respects. “The first is that a relatively modest shift in food consumption to what is normally the rest period for mice can favour energy storage,” says Georgios Paschos, study author and a research associate at the University of Pennsylvania. “Our mice became obese without consuming more calories.”

Indeed, the researchers could also cause obesity in normal mice by replicating the altered pattern of food consumption observed in mice with a broken clock in their fat cells.

This behavioural change in the mice is somewhat akin to

night-eating syndrome in humans, also associated with obesity and originally described by Dr Albert Stunkard, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, in 1955.

The second surprising observation relates to the influence the fat cell clock has. Clocks in peripheral tissues were thought to follow the lead of the “master clock” in the part of the brain that controls circadian rhythms.

Daily intake of food is driven by genes that drive and suppress appetite in the hypothalamus, the brain area that controls certain metabolic processes. When the clock was broken in fat cells, this rhythm was disrupted to favour food consumption at the wrong time.

When the typical daily rhythm is thrown off, changes in metabolism also happen. For example, in people, night shift workers have an increased prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome, and patients with sleep disorders have a higher risk for developing obesity. Also, less sleep means more weight gain in healthy men and women.

10 FITNESS

Personal trainer Alan Pak puts health editor Jeanette Wang through her paces with the PurMotion functional training equipment.

The system uses ropes to train the body through a series of movements. Photos: May Tse

SWEAT PURMOTION

Regime turned upside down ......................................................

Jeanette Wang jeanette.wang@scmp.com It’s ironic that despite all the hi-tech equipment at Pure Fitness’ latest gym in Causeway Bay, I’m trying to haul myself up a rope like a monkey, while a guy’s hand is on my butt. “Leg straight, lean back slightly, arm over arm ... pull!” instructs Alan Pak Ka-lun, a personal trainer who is mine for the next hour.

With the help of his strategically placed hand, I make it to the top and back down again. By this time – about five minutes into my introduction to the new PurMotion functional training system – I’ve broken a sweat. This is vaguely worrying, as I’ve five more exercises to try, each on different attachments that the modular system accepts.

PurMotion was created in 2009

by Puerto Rican Olympian Jorge Bonnet. But it only recently debuted in Hong Kong, when Pure Fitness acquired the system for its fifth gym in Hong Kong, which opened in September at Lee Theatre Plaza.

The training system is like a playground on steroids. Its foundation is a central frame that weighs about 450kg, and is about 2.7 metres high, three metres long, and two metres wide. Connected to the sides and corners of this frame are add-ons: ropes, straps, pulleys, bands, cables, slings, rings, bars, rods, and handles.

It all seems very low-tech – no electricity is needed, and there are no massive weights, and no touch screens or headphone jacks.

PurMotion is the latest equipment to promote “functional fitness”, one of the top 10 fitness trends for next year according to the American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends 2013 report.

Functional fitness, says the ACSM, “may be defined as using strength training to improve balance, co-ordination, force, power, and endurance to improve one’s ability to perform activities of daily living”.

Reflecting this, PurMotion is designed to work the body as an integrated multi-joint, multi-muscle unit, rather than isolating individual joints and muscles in the way that typical weight training equipment does. Instead of fixed, static exercises, it trains the body through flowing, natural movements.

Exercises, which mainly use bodyweight and friction, involve the horizontal, vertical and rotational planes – moves like bending, twisting, and reaching.

“It’s three-dimensional movement,” says Pak, who trained under Bonnet in Taipei in August.

“It’s a good way to excite the muscles, because when you get used to movements, you stop improving. If you keep exciting the muscles at different angles,

The Battle Ropes land me in the fetal position on the floor … At the end of just one minute, my whole body goes totally weak your fitness and strength will keep progressing.”

The next exercise that Pak makes me try is a good example of this philosophy: a rotational plank. It’s performed on an add-on called the AirFit Trainer Pro, which is essentially a cable affixed to a pulley with long neoprene loop handles on each end. Sliding my arms through the loops, and resting my elbows on the strap, I extend my legs and get into the plank position.

A plank is usually done on firm ground, and the position is held until fatigue sets in. This works the core muscles. On the AirFit Trainer Pro, a plank challenges the core more due to the instability created by the pulley system.

But Pak makes it even harder: from the plank position, I rotate my torso so it faces right, hold the pose for a second, return to the plank,

and then repeat on the left. It turns out to be tough work.

I also try the Brazilian Rope System, where I alternate between a downwards pulling motion (like drawing water from a well) and a horizontal pulling motion (like playing tug-of-war).

All I overcome is friction, but it leaves my arms feeling like jelly, and my pulse racing.

The Battle Ropes land me in the fetal position on the floor. Who knew it would be this hard to create rippling waves using two heavy-duty ropes? At the end of just one minute, my whole body goes totally weak.

Pak says the PurMotion is suitable for all fitness levels – it’s up to the user (or in this case, the trainer) to tailor the intensity of the exercises to one’s abilities and needs. He says PurMotion also caters to a variety of fitness goals. It can be used to build strength and power, tone muscles, burn fats, and work on cardio and endurance.

“The response from Pure Fitness clients has been very positive. They say it’s interesting, fun, challenging, and unique,” says Pak. “They feel guidance from personal trainers is needed to get started.”

Workouts typically last an hour and are made up of different sets. A beginner may do two 30-second exercises back to back, followed by one minute rest, repeated three times to make a set. An advanced workout would consist of longer,

more high-intensity exercises, and shorter breaks. Up to six people can work out at the same time on PurMotion, making it ideal for group circuit training.

Bonnet, 47, a judoka and bobsledder, says he was inspired to develop PurMotion after seeing many young athletes getting injured.

So he took existing equipment and made it better. The AirFit Trainer Pro, for example, is very similar to another trendy tool, TRX Suspension Training. The main differences are that the former has longer loop handles and straps which are anchored to a pulley, rather than to a fixed point.

The Free Pull-up Kit is a variation of the fitness staple: a sliding handle allows users to adjust their grip-width while performing pull-ups, changing the targeted muscles throughout the movement. The Core Bars and their attached cables are a more sophisticated take on rubber resistance bands. But as Pak notes, “The advantage of PurMotion is that you can minimise breaks in between exercises, as all movements are done on one machine.”

As I move quickly to the next exercise, I find myself wishing I could waste some time – and get some extra seconds of rest – by sauntering over to the dumbbell station and contemplating which one to pick up. No chance of that with the PurMotion system.

DIET 11 HEALTHY GOURMET

Angels at my table ......................................................

Andrea Oschetti healthpost@scmp.com Obesity and malnutrition may be at opposite ends of the nutrition spectrum, but they’re both pressing problems in today’s world.

About one billion people in the world are hungry, while roughly an equal number suffer from obesity, diabetes, and other health-related issues of overconsumption.

Centre for Health Protection statistics published last year showed that 41.1 per cent of people aged 18 to 64 in Hong Kong were overweight or obese. Four in five people fail to meet the recommendation of having at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

The combination of poor and excessive eating is directly linked to cancer, heart disease and stroke, which accounted for 55 per cent of registered deaths in Hong Kong in 2008, up from 29 per cent in 1961.

Two Hong Kong women have taken action to address the opposing problems of the obesity epidemic and global food imbalance. Katy Yung and Stephanie Tan founded Table For Two (tablefor2.org.hk), an organisation that partners with restaurants and corporate cafeterias in the city to serve healthy, nutritionally balanced meals.

A HK$2 charge – the United Nations’ guideline of the cost of one nutritious meal in developing countries – is added to the price of these TFT-branded meals, which is used to provide school lunches in China. “We like to say that when you dine at TFT, you never dine alone,” says Tan. Both the women have full-time jobs: Yung works with a private investment firm and Tan in insurance. Their willingness to invest a significant portion of their time for a cause they believe in inspires me – it’s so much simpler to just write a cheque, particularly in rich and busy Hong Kong.

Both women had been involved in volunteer work previously, but in 2008, after the Sichuan earthquake, they had the itch to do something more. At that time, they had not met each other. Yung organised a fundraising event in her office for

the earthquake victims, which received a generous response from her colleagues.

“It touched me because, with a little bit of effort I got a lot of people to do something,” she says.

Yung met Tan at a brainstorming session on the issue of food waste at Social Venture Network Hong Kong.

A love of food brought the women together. A few weeks later, they met with Masa Kogure, the Japanese entrepreneur who started TFT in Japan in 2007, and decided to replicate its model in Hong Kong.

Tan says that one of the biggest challenges they faced was to involve restaurants in the project. “Some of the restaurants told us that dining is an indulgence and people don’t want healthy options, so they turned us down,” she explains.

Since last year, TFT Hong Kong has raised funds to provide about 220,000 meals by partnering with over 60 restaurants and more than 180 food outlets.

Support them by dining at one of their restaurants listed on their website, or make a donation.

As a TFT ambassador and supporter, I’ve come up with this TFT-branded dish.

Marinated Mediterranean yellow tail kingfish with Sicilian cherry tomatoes Serves 4 400g yellow tail kingfish fillets Italian vinegar Extra virgin olive oil Fresh orange juice 1 lemon Handful of parsley 2 garlic cloves 100g Sicilian cherry tomatoes Handful of rocket Salt and pepper • Dip the fillets quickly into the vinegar and dry them with a kitchen towel.

• Cover them with a marinade made of 2/3 olive oil and 1/3 orange juice.

• Slice one lemon and add it to the marinade, together with the parsley and garlic. Leave overnight.

• The next day, serve the fish with cherry tomatoes, rocket, salt and pepper.

Healthy Gourmet is a weekly column by private chef Andrea Oschetti. cuoreprivatechef.com

Katy Yung (left) and Stephanie Tan formed a charity organisation that promotes healthy eating. Photo: Nora Tam

12 WELL-BEING FIT & FAB

Going places fast Colin Robertson takes a well-earned break at Sunny Bay. Photo: Jonathan Wong

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Rachel Jacqueline healthpost@scmp.com Before accidentally becoming a top university rower and unexpectedly placing in the top five cyclists in Britain, Colin Robertson hated sport.

But since discovering his knack, there have been no limits for this flying Scotsman, either on the road or in the workplace.

Hailing from an academic family, Robertson – the group chief financial officer for CLSA, who has a PhD in mathematics – shunned any kind of sport. “They would drag you out on a rugby pitch in the snow in the middle of a Scottish winter,” he says. “It was terrible.”

But while at the University of Edinburgh, he signed up on a whim and blitzed 300 applicants to make the school’s rowing team despite being in the worst shape of his life. His rookie team ousted the first rowing team in their first year and made it to the grand final of the Henley Royal Regatta, Britain’s university rowing championships.

An injury ended his short rowing

career, so Robertson, 37, took up cycling. When he was overtaken by a group of speedy cyclists on his first ride, his competitive streak was stirred. “I knew I wanted to be as fast as they were,” he says.

Just how fast he would become surprised everyone, including himself. Only two years after picking up the sport, he finished fifth in the British Time Trial Championships in 1997. He did it again in 2008. “I was really blown away,” he says. “I even beat my teammate, who was going to the Commonwealth Games.”

These days he races for Team Direct Asia, a group of amateur cyclists in Hong Kong who race around the region. Just this past weekend, he won the three-day Tour de Bintan in Indonesia. He’s also won the 2010 Tour of Matabungkay in the Philippines. He trains almost every day for two to three hours before work, and he calls it the best part of his day.

Robertson loves cycling for its social aspects and required teamwork, but largely also because of the pain. “I’m just one of these really insane people who love

suffering, and cycling is the ultimate sport for suffering. I’ve done marathons, I’ve done rowing, but cycling beats them all.”

Where did you get your sporting talent?

I don’t believe it’s raw talent, but that some people develop faster than others, which is rewarding, so they train more. Others progress more slowly, which is frustrating.

Both get there eventually, but one has got to put in more effort. I believe I am just one of those lucky people who develop quite quickly.

Hong Kong is not considered a very bike friendly city. Where do you train?

Hong Kong is very mountainous; there is nothing flat and traffic is not good on the island. We just moved to Tung Chung, partly because the cycling is better. However, you’ve just got to make the best of what you’ve got. There are great places to cycle in Hong Kong; you just have to make the effort. Europe has some great cycling, but it’s bloody freezing half the time. You have to always have a positive outlook.

How does being a cyclist help you in the boardroom?

Coming into the office with high energy levels and having already conquered something in the day gives me a buzz. I think mostly it helps you to de-stress and put things into perspective, because there is another part of your day when you’re not thinking about work.

If you could go pro, would you?

I considered turning professional, but decided against it in the end. I don’t think I would have been great; I think I would have just been OK. I also think people glamorise sport. A stage race, where you race for six hours a day, is actually quite boring at times. It often rains, and you’re thinking: “Why am I out here?” It’s fine if you’re an amateur, but if you’re a professional it’s what you do day in and day out.

I like that I can have the best of both worlds.

What’s one thing you’ll never leave at home before a ride?

I’ve got a dog tag that has my health details on it. I just think that if I don’t

have it with me, I am going to need it, so I have to have it and I get nervous if I don’t.

What motivates you to cycle?

That I can eat whatever I like. I have breakfast before I ride. [I can eat] when I get back, when I get into the office, mid-morning, lunch, midafternoon and dinner. I burn 1,000 calories an hour, so I’m burning a day’s worth of food before I get into the office. My colleagues are always making fun of me for how much I eat. A more serious answer is that I can be part of team and do, quite simply, what I love.

If you could take anyone in the world on a ride, who would it be?

I want to ride with Bean, my twoyear-old son. Ever since he was born, I’ve been looking forward to riding with him. We’ve started going out – me on my bike, him on his balance bike. He looks so proud to be out with his dad; there’s a huge grin permanently on his face. It won’t be too long, and he’ll be on a proper bike. Then I am the one who will be proud to ride with him.