Dr. Ben Kim's blog

Originally published in 2013

You know how it goes - you're pleasantly surprised to have someone take interest in you, thinking that they really would like to just hit some balls on the tennis court or chat over a smoothie or mug of tea. You're thinking that this person who has approached you thinks you're nice or interesting, and that this might be the beginning of a lasting friendship.

Then, you hear it. Words that make you feel like you just got greased.

"Now all I need is your credit card number." Read more

Most parents don't realize that not getting enough food can be the cause of unexplained vomiting in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning.

Where there is no fever, stomach flu, or any other common cause of vomiting in younger children, vomiting is often caused by low blood sugar. Most typically, this happens to children between 8 months and 4.5 to 5 years of age. Read more

To our Canadian Clients:

Please note that orders that have already been placed are en route via FedEx, as customs with Canada Post has been rejecting our parcels.

We are actively looking to resolve this issue, and will re-enable ordering for those with Canadian addresses as soon as we find a sustainable solution.

We are sorry for any inconvenience that this poses.

- Ben Kim Read more

Did you know that one of the reasons why laughing from the belly is good for your health is that doing so promotes a healthy lymphatic system? We're talking about true belly laughter, the kind that can make your stomach muscles cramp up and even cause you to shed tears of jolly good fun.

Not sure how this can be? Then let's take a look at your lymphatic system to understand the important connection between genuine belly laughter and your health.

What is your lymphatic system? Read more

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In Korean cuisine, most meals are served with some type of soup or stew, and those who are familiar with Korean food know that these soups and stews pack a lot of flavour. Read more

Over the weekend, I reviewed some blood work for a longtime friend, and in sharing feedback with him, I was reminded of a few points that many people don't typically hear about from their primary care provider.

First, one of ways in which our endocrine system regulates cholesterol is by converting it to vitamin D - the first step of this process occurs in the skin, where UV-B rays in sunlight act on cholesterol to create a form of vitamin D that is stored in our fat cells - whenever we need the active form, conversion happens in the liver and kidneys. Read more

If you have a smartphone, please consider taking a moment to go into the settings area to check your average daily screen time - if it's somewhere between 3-5 hours, you're within the range of the global average.

The latest data shows that the average smartphone user spends 2.5 hours on social media platforms daily.

Combine all screen use including television, and the global average is 6 hours and 58 minutes daily. Read more

Earlier this month, I mentioned that going forward, we can expect liquified natural gas and uranium to be coveted as energy sources. I received a good number of messages asking me to elaborate, so here is a brief overview of the world's most important sources of energy and what we can expect to unfold in the energy markets in the years ahead:

First, a quick look at primary types of energy consumed by humans since 1800: Read more

Can having quality coffee daily reduce our risk of developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia? There is evidence that points to this being probable.

Chlorogenic acids (CGAs) are naturally abundant polpyphenol compounds in both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee. In vitro studies indicate that CGAs have powerful antioxidant properties that have protective effects on nerve cell health and longevity.

In vivo studies have found that a metabolic of CGA called caffeic acid improves learning and memory in mice and rats. Read more