Health column
KAMH news and health columns
Health column
Sleepy After Eating: Is Blood Glucose the Cause?The reasons your eyelids get heavy after lunch are not just one. We summarise how post-meal sleepiness relates to blood glucose, and the signs that call for testing.Why Belly Fat Is Harder to Lose After 40If you eat the same amount but your waist keeps growing. We summarise what changes in the middle-aged body and the management methods with confirmed effects.Fasting Glucose of 5.6–6.9 mmol/L on Your Health Check: What to Do After You Get the ResultsAn “impaired fasting glucose” result is both a warning and an opportunity. We lay it out in order, from the day you get your results to a retest one year later.Triglycerides Above 1.7 mmol/L: How to Read the Number and What to EatTriglycerides are the number most sensitive to what you eat. We summarise how to read the reference table, why they come out high, and what to change in your meals.Constipation: Is Drinking Water Enough? Two Types of Dietary FibreWater alone is not enough. We summarise the difference between soluble and insoluble dietary fibre, what to watch out for when you increase it, and the signs that call for medical care.Do We Feel the Cold More as We Age? The Story of the Body’s “Heat-Producing Fat”Adults have heat-producing brown fat, too. We explain in plain terms what a large imaging analysis showed about brown fat and its relationship with age and weight.Resistant Maltodextrin Is Not the Same as “Maltodextrin”The names are similar, but the effects on blood glucose are opposite. We summarise how it is made, how it works, the functions recognised by Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), and how to take it.Loganin in Cornus Fruit: What to Know Before You Learn the Compound’s NameLoganin is a marker compound used to gauge the quality of Cornus fruit. We summarise the difference between a marker compound and an active compound, and what the research does and does not say.4-HBA in Ribes fasciculatum Leaf, and “Fat That Changes Colour”Fat has colours, too. We explain in plain terms the differences among white, brown and beige fat, and the browning pathway that 4-HBA research revealed.4 in 10 Korean Adults: The “Prediabetes” Grey ZoneNot diabetes, but not normal either. This is the stage when lifestyle management has the greatest effect.Waist Circumference 90 and 85 (Korean Criteria): What the Numbers Tell YouThe tape measure signals a problem before the scale does. Learn Korea's criteria for abdominal obesity.Fasting Glucose, HbA1c… How to Read the Numbers on Your Health Check ReportWe summarise what the blood-glucose-related numbers on your health check report mean, and the ranges.5% of Body Weight: A Realistic First Goal for Metabolic HealthKeeping weight off matters more than losing a lot. Learn the target that official recommendations describe.150 Minutes a Week: The Minimum Movement Your Body NeedsOnly about half of adults in Korea meet the physical activity guideline. Split into 30 minutes a day, it looks very different.Metabolic Syndrome: Three Out of FiveAbdominal obesity, blood pressure, blood glucose, triglycerides and HDL. Each one alone is a warning; together they are a signal.How to Lose Belly Fat: Reducing Visceral Fat According to Official RecommendationsNot a special procedure or diet, but the basics recommended by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) and the World Health Organization (WHO).Why Is Fasting Glucose High? Is 6.1 mmol/L Okay?A fasting glucose of 5.6–6.9 mmol/L is not diabetes, but it is not normal either. We summarise what to check in this range.HbA1c Reference Table: What 5.7 and 6.5 MeanHbA1c shows your average blood glucose over the past 2–3 months. We summarise what each range means and how it differs from fasting glucose.2-Hour Post-Meal Blood Glucose of 7.8 and 11.1 mmol/L: When and How to MeasurePost-meal blood glucose is measured 2 hours from the “start of the meal.” We summarise the reference values and when to measure.What Is “Hyeolnok”? What “Rusty Blood Vessels” Really MeansHyeolnok is not a scientific term but a shortened form of “blood vessels are rusting.” We summarise the three changes this metaphor actually refers to and why post-meal blood glucose is discussed alongside it.Cornus Fruit Benefits: What Research Has Confirmed and What It Hasn’tCornus fruit has long been used as a medicinal ingredient, but most research on its benefits is at the cell and animal stage. We separate what has been confirmed in humans from what is still animal research.How to Eat Cornus Fruit: Should You Remove the Seed? From Preparation to Cornus Fruit TeaWhy is Cornus fruit eaten without its seed? We summarise only confirmed facts, from the season and preparation to dried Cornus fruit and Cornus fruit tea, and the official standard for daily intake.What Kind of Tree Is Ribes fasciculatum (Chilhaemok)? Why the Leaves Are UsedA small tree that grows in mountain valleys, Ribes fasciculatum is also known by the name chilhaemok. We summarise plant information, the parts that can be used as food, and the research so far.