Take Red Ginseng When You are Worried about Smog, Fine Dust

Recently, the air quality in South Korea has been getting worse due to smog, fine dust and yellow dust. To be sure, the air quality in Seoul is still much better than that in Beijing in China. However, people are growing more and more interested in fine dust. 

An increasing number of Koreans are getting over fine dust with red ginseng. Local news network YTN reported that red ginseng is more effective on inflammation caused by find dust than medicine. Accordingly, red ginseng is becoming more popular. 

According to the studies of research teams led by Professor Lee Duk-chul of Severance Hospital at Yonsei University College of Medicine, and Professor Kim Jung-ha of Chung-Ang University, fine dust irritates the skin and mucous membrane and causes an inflammation, and red ginseng can decrease such inflammation. In the experiments, rats, which were exposed to fine dust, developed allergies and infection on bronchial tubes and lung cells, and the group, which was injected with red ginseng extracts, had less inflammatory substances than the control group, which was injected with anti-inflammatory drugs. 

Researchers said that taking red ginseng regularly can not only improve the immune system but also partially prevent inflammation in the body caused by fine dust.

In addition to the latest findings, a growing number of Koreans of all ages are taking red ginseng due to the improvement of the immune system. Accordingly, sales of Cheong Kwan Jang, the most famous red ginseng brand in South Korea, are sharply increasing every year.

With the current trend in South Korea, more and more Chinese tourists are buying red ginseng products in the nation to protect their health from smog and fine dust in China.

Cheong Myung-ok, a sales representative at the Cheong Kwan Jang store in Myeong-dong, said, “Recently, many Chinese tourists are visiting our store and purchasing products because of positive effects on smog and fine dust. Sales of red ginseng products for children and red ginseng extracts have significantly risen.”

A person surnamed Cheong, who works in Gangnam, Seoul, which has the highest level of fine dust levels in South Korea, said, “Even when I go out for a while, my eyes get irritated and my throat gets dry. To protect my health, I wear a mask whenever I go out, wash my hands after returning home and drink a cup of red ginseng tea after brushing my teeth.”