Ginseng has been used as an ergogenic agent, although evidence for its effectiveness is weak. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of a ginsenoside complex (UG0712) on changes in exercise performance. Sedentary individuals (n = 117) were randomly assigned into one of three groups: low-dose ginsenoside supplementation (100 mg/d, n = 39), high-dose ginsenoside supplementation (500 mg/d, n = 39), or a placebo group (500 mg/d, n = 39). All participants underwent a supervised 12-wk aerobic and resistance exercise training course. To assess the effects of supplementation on physical performance, maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), anaerobic threshold (AT), lactic acid, and muscle strength of the dominant knee were measured at baseline, every visit, and after the training program. Both ginsenoside groups showed significant increases in VO2max and muscular strength during exercise training. There were no definite changes in AT and lactic acid levels over time. After exercise training, there were definite differences in the VO2max (28.64.9 to 33.7 ± 4.9 ml/kg/min in high-dose group vs. 30.4 ± 6.7 to 32.8 ± 6.6 ml/kg/min in placebo, p = 0.029) and AT (19.3 ± 4.2 to 20.9 ± 3.5 ml/kg/min in high-dose group vs. 20.0 ± 5.1 to 20.0 ± 4.9 ml/kg/min in placebo, p = 0.038) between the high-dose ginsenoside and placebo groups. However, there was no difference in VO2max between the low-dose ginsenoside and placebo groups (p = 0.254). There were no differences in muscular strength during exercise training among the three groups. High-dose ginsenoside supplementation (UG0712) augmented the improvement of aerobic capacity by exercise training.

MED-02 is a complex supplement containing two probiotic strains, Limosilactobacillus fermentum MG4231 and MG4244, isolated from humans. The anti-obesity effects and safety profile of MED-02 were assessed in overweight and obese subjects. In this randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, multicenter study, 100 healthy obese and overweight subjects aged 19–65 years with a body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 31.9 kg/m² were recruited and randomized to receive a placebo or MED-02 (5 × 10⁹ CFU/day). After 12 weeks of consumption, body fat mass (−1166.82 g vs. −382.08 g; p = 0.024) and body fat percentage (−0.85% vs. −0.11%; p = 0.030), as evaluated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and body weight (−2.06 kg vs. −1.22 kg; p = 0.041), were significantly reduced in the MED-02 group compared to the placebo group. The safety profile did not differ among the groups. No serious adverse effects were observed in either group. These results suggest that MED-02 is a safe and beneficial probiotics that reduces body fat and body weight in overweight or obese individuals.

South Korea is the world’s second-largest heated tobacco product (HTP) market after Japan. HTP sales in South Korea have increased rapidly since May 2017, accounting for 10.6% of the total tobacco market in 2020. Despite this, little is known as to why HTP consumers who were current and former smokers started using HTPs and used them regularly. We analyzed cross-sectional data for 1815 adults (aged 19+) who participated in the 2020 International Tobacco Control (ITC) Korea Survey, of whom 1650 were HTP-cigarette consumers (those who reported smoking cigarettes and using HTPs ≥ weekly) and 165 were exclusive HTP consumers (using HTPs ≥ weekly) who were former or occasional smokers (smoking cigarette < weekly). Respondents were asked to report the reason(s) they used HTPs, with 25 possible reasons for HTP-cigarette consumers and 22 for exclusive HTP consumers. The most common reasons for initiating HTP use among all HTP consumers were out of curiosity (58.9%), family and friends use HTPs (45.5%), and they like the HTP technology (35.9%). The most common reasons for regularly using HTPs among all HTP consumers were that they were less smelly than cigarettes (71.3%), HTPs are less harmful to own health than cigarettes (48.6%), and stress reduction (47.4%). Overall, 35.4% of HTP-cigarette consumers reported using HTPs to quit smoking, 14.7% to reduce smoking but not to quit, and 49.7% for other reasons besides quitting or reducing smoking. In conclusion, several common reasons for initiating and regularly using HTPs were endorsed by all HTP consumers who were smoking, had quit smoking completely, or occasionally smoked. Notably, only about one-third of HTP-cigarette consumers said they were using HTPs to quit smoking, suggesting that most had no intention of using HTPs as an aid to quit smoking in South Korea.

Paek YJ, et al. J Korean Med Assoc. 2018 Mar;61(3):157-162. https://doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2018.61.3.157

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of behavioral smoking cessation interventions among adolescents. MEDLINE, CENTRAL, Embase, CINAHL, KoreaMed, and KMbase were searched from inception to June 2020. Systematic reviews (SRs) or meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were initially searched to perform a rapid SR. After selecting the final SR, RCTs after the publication year of the selected SR were searched. The primary outcome was smoking status after at least 6 months of follow-up, and the secondary outcome was smoking status at 4 weeks. Two reviewers independently assessed the selected studies' quality using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. The meta-analysis utilized a Mantel-Haenszel fixed-effect model reporting the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). The subgroup analysis utilized Cochrane's Q. Thirty-two RCTs (11,637 participants) from a single SR were meta-analyzed. After 6 months of follow-up, the intervention group had significantly higher abstinence rates (RR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.20-1.41; I2=26.46%). At 4 weeks of follow-up, the intervention group also had significantly higher abstinence rates (RR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.49-2.47; I2=0.00%). The subgroup analysis indicated a significant difference in the abstinence rate according to the study setting and the period between intervention completion and follow-up. This review showed that adolescent behavioral smoking cessation intervention programs significantly increased abstinence rates compared to the usual care.