With less than a month left before the annual state-run test for college admissions, hundreds of thousands of students across the country must be extremely nervous.

Maintaining good health is important for test-takers to work to the best of their ability in preparation for the exam on Nov. 10.

Due to the stress of studying, students often complain of fever, weariness, indigestion and headaches.

Kim Sung-soo of Soram, an Oriental medicine clinic, recommends taking Coffee Senna or Chinese matrimony vine tea.

“They protect the liver and relieve tension and stress. They also lessen stress on the eyes, so helping students concentrate their attention on study. According to Dongeuibogam, a well-known encyclopedia on Oriental medicine written by Huh Joon in 1610, Coffee Senna noticeably improves eyesight within 100 days,” he said. 

Also recommended are high-protein foods such as soy or tofu, nuts (walnuts or pine nuts), and fruit (mandarins or apples).

Soy contains soybean phospholipids which revitalizes brain function. Fruit contains vitamin C in abundance.

“It is important to refrain from eating fatty foods and instead take in soy, tofu, fish and nuts. Try to have soft-textured digestible foods,” he said.

Lifestyle is as important as food. To keep a regime of three meals a day is critical to keep the proper function of the brain. But keep the portions small, Kim advised.

“About 70-80 percent of usual intake is enough if you don’t want to get sleepy,” he said.

The Korean Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advise women to pay careful attention to their period.

“Many women undergo depression, extreme tension, stomachache and pain in the chest when they are on their period. It could irritate them very much,” said Baek Eun-jeong of the association.

She advised girls likely to be on their period around the test day to visit their doctors in advance to be prescribed contraceptives, which delay menstruation by a day or two.

“If menstruation pain is difficult to endure, it is better to resort to prescribed medicine. But students must consult doctors beforehand because the pills control hormones and need special care,” Baek said.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)