Editorial policy
This site covers health information, so we state up front what we write and how.
How we write
Nutrient figures come from public food composition databases; health statements come from peer-reviewed research and public health bodies. We do not use other blogs or supplement sales pages as sources.
Which nutrition database we use first
Figures for the same food differ between databases. For ingredients whose Korean-market form is distinct we look at the MFDS food composition database first; otherwise USDA FoodData Central. Where the two diverge sharply it is usually processing, cultivar or moisture content, so we state in the article which state the figure refers to.
We grade the evidence
Instead of listing benefits, we note how far each one has actually been confirmed. When a widely repeated claim has not held up in studies on people, we say so.
How evidence grades are assigned
- Strong — several randomised controlled trials, or a meta-analysis of them, point the same way.
- Moderate — human studies exist, but effect sizes are small or results are mixed.
- Preliminary — the work is in cells, animals, or small pilot studies.
- Not established — widely claimed, but not supported in human studies.
When studies disagree
We do not pick a side and state it as settled. We say that the results diverge and lower the grade. Larger and better-designed studies carry more weight, while noting that one study rarely overturns a conclusion on its own.
About medical review
Articles here are written by the editorial team and are not individually reviewed by a credentialed clinician. We state this plainly rather than imply a review that did not happen. Nothing here substitutes for diagnosis or treatment.
About affiliate links
Some ingredient articles carry a Coupang Partners affiliate link. If a purchase follows that link, we receive a commission. Wherever such a link appears, it is labelled as one. The arrangement does not touch the writing. Which benefits we cover and how we grade the evidence are decided independently of sales, and no retail page is ever used as a source. We do not drop a caution because there is something to sell.
When we update
The modified date moves only when the substance changes. Typos and rewording do not move it. When a database figure changes, a health agency's guidance changes, or research overturns an existing statement, we revise that passage and its grade together.
How the six languages are made
We do not write Korean and machine-translate the rest. Each language searches with different words and cooks in different ways, so we write again in each language from the same evidence. Paragraph counts may match while examples and emphasis differ.
What we avoid
- Language claiming to treat or prevent disease
- Stating figures as settled without support
- Listing benefits while omitting cautions
- Producing near-duplicate pages for keyword variations
How to read the grades
Each benefit carries a label showing how far research on people supports it. Grades differ between items even within the same ingredient.
- Nutrition data
- A fact verifiable from food composition databases or health authorities. This is a different kind of statement from a clinical effect.
- Strong evidence
- Consistently confirmed across randomised controlled trials or meta-analyses.
- Moderate evidence
- Human studies exist, but effect sizes are small or results are mixed.
- Early research
- Cell or animal work, or small preliminary studies.
- Not established
- Commonly claimed, but not confirmed in studies on people.
Papers we cite
Every source behind the health statements on this site. Grouped by study design, and each paper links back to the articles that cite it.
Corrections and feedback
If you find something inaccurate, tell us. We check it, correct the article and update the modified date. Naming the paragraph and pointing to a source makes it much faster to verify. Suggestions for the site itself are welcome at the same address.
Write to jisoolee0404@gmail.com