# Swequity ## About Swequity is a Vietnamese metabolic health education channel and platform created by Dũng Nguyễn. Dũng is not a doctor or researcher. He is: - Someone who reads primary clinical research (papers, not blogs or media) - Someone who runs systematic N=1 self-experiments: baseline → intervention → retest → adjust - Someone who orders his own advanced blood panels and interprets the results - Someone who shares findings honestly, including complications and uncertainties ## Mission Educate Vietnamese people about glucose, insulin resistance, and how sugar is silently damaging their health — through Dũng's own N=1 experiment on himself. Content stance: all health claims are framed as N=1 personal experience, not medical advice. Dũng presents both sides of debates transparently and explicitly acknowledges uncertainty about his own results. ## Topics covered - Insulin resistance (kháng insulin): definition, mechanisms, measurement, lifestyle interventions - Keto and low-carb eating in a Vietnamese context: practical food swaps, real results - Advanced blood markers: LDL-C, ApoB, sdLDL, Lp(a), HbA1c, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, ferritin, vitamin D - Metabolic health: glucose regulation, mitochondrial function, chronic inflammation, cardiovascular risk - Vietnamese food culture: how traditional Vietnamese eating patterns intersect with metabolic health - The sugar industry's influence on dietary science (historical research context) ## Key pages - Homepage: https://swequity.vn - About Dũng: https://swequity.vn/ve-dung - Articles: https://swequity.vn/bai-viet - Free IR assessment tool (6 questions, under 3 minutes): https://swequity.vn/tools/khang-insulin - YouTube channel (@Swequity.health, 160K+ subscribers): https://www.youtube.com/@Swequity.health ## Language All content is in Vietnamese (tiếng Việt). --- ## Articles ### Cluster 1 — Insulin resistance & metabolic health **Kháng insulin là gì — cơ chế và dấu hiệu nhận biết** URL: https://swequity.vn/bai-viet/khang-insulin-la-gi Summary: Explains insulin resistance using the key-and-lock metaphor. Insulin is the key, the cell receptor is the lock. When the lock rusts, the pancreas produces more insulin to compensate. Chronically elevated insulin triggers fat storage and blocks fat burning even when calories are restricted. **Sức khoẻ chuyển hoá — người gầy cũng có thể bị kháng insulin** URL: https://swequity.vn/bai-viet/suc-khoe-chuyen-hoa Summary: Dũng's HOMA-IR was 4.2 despite normal BMI and weight. Introduces the concept of MONW (Metabolically Obese Normal Weight) and TOFI (Thin Outside, Fat Inside). Metabolic health cannot be assessed from appearance or standard checkups alone. **HOMA-IR là gì — cách tính và ý nghĩa** URL: https://swequity.vn/bai-viet/homa-ir-la-gi Summary: HOMA-IR (Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance) formula: (fasting insulin µU/mL × fasting glucose mmol/L) ÷ 22.5. Optimal: below 1.7. Pre-insulin resistance: 1.7–2.9. Clear insulin resistance: 3.0+. Fasting insulin is not included in standard Vietnamese health checkups but costs 150,000–200,000 VND to add. **PCOS sắp được đổi tên thành Metabolic Reproductive Syndrome** URL: https://swequity.vn/bai-viet/pcos-doi-ten Summary: PCOS is being proposed for renaming to Metabolic Reproductive Syndrome, reflecting its metabolic root cause (insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia) rather than its ovarian symptoms. The name change has implications for how the condition is treated. **Khó giảm cân dù đã cố gắng — insulin mới là vấn đề** URL: https://swequity.vn/bai-viet/kho-giam-can Summary: When fasting insulin is chronically elevated, the body is locked in fat-storage mode regardless of calorie deficit. The problem is not willpower — it is the hormonal environment. Explains why addressing insulin resistance is the prerequisite for sustainable fat loss. --- ### Cluster 2 — Calorie counting & weight loss hormones **Tại sao đếm calo khó chịu — cơ chế leptin và ghrelin** URL: https://swequity.vn/bai-viet/dem-calo-kho-chiu Summary: Calorie balance is real, but prolonged restriction triggers leptin decline and chronic ghrelin elevation. The body actively defends its fat stores. Studies show ghrelin can remain elevated for over 12 months after significant weight loss. **Leptin và ghrelin — hai hormone kiểm soát cơn đói** URL: https://swequity.vn/bai-viet/leptin-ghrelin-doi-them Summary: Leptin signals satiety from fat cells; ghrelin signals hunger from the stomach. Prolonged dieting shifts both baselines — hunger becomes continuous rather than meal-triggered. Sleep deprivation doubles this effect. Explains why hunger after dieting is biological, not a character flaw. --- ### Cluster 3 — Blood sugar & Vietnamese diet **Tại sao cơm bún phở làm tăng đường huyết** URL: https://swequity.vn/bai-viet/tai-sao-com-bun-pho-tang-duong-huyet Summary: A bowl of phở raises blood glucose by 3–4 mmol/L before crashing within 2 hours. The post-meal slump, afternoon sugar cravings, and difficulty losing weight all originate from this spike-crash cycle driven by refined starch. **Thêm tinh bột, thêm dopamine — tại sao không thể dừng lại** URL: https://swequity.vn/bai-viet/them-tinh-bot-dopamine Summary: Refined carbohydrates trigger dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens. As blood sugar crashes 2–3 hours after a meal, serotonin drops, creating the urge to eat again. The 3pm craving is biochemistry, not a lack of willpower. **HbA1c là gì — ý nghĩa, mức tham chiếu, và hạn chế** URL: https://swequity.vn/bai-viet/hba1c-la-gi Summary: HbA1c measures the percentage of hemoglobin glycated by glucose — not a simple 3-month average. The most recent 30 days contribute ~50% of the value. Normal: below 5.7%. Pre-diabetes: 5.7–6.4% (action zone, reversible with lifestyle). Diabetes: 6.5%+. In Vietnamese people with thalassemia trait or chronic anemia, HbA1c alone is unreliable — fasting glucose and 2-hour OGTT should be added. **Glycemic Load vs Glycemic Index — tại sao GI một mình không đủ** URL: https://swequity.vn/bai-viet/glycemic-load-vs-index Summary: Watermelon and white rice have the same GI (72), but watermelon GL is 7.9 (low) versus a bowl of rice at 32 (very high). Glycemic Load accounts for the actual amount of carbohydrate per serving. GL below 10 is low; above 20 is high. **Trẻ em và đường huyết — dấu hiệu cần để ý** URL: https://swequity.vn/bai-viet/tre-em-duong-huyet Summary: 6.1% of Vietnamese children aged 11–14 have impaired glucose regulation (Phan 2020). Childhood obesity in Vietnam increased 43-fold over 32 years. Covers early warning signs and practical first steps for parents. --- ### Cluster 4 — Keto in Vietnamese context **Kháng nghị keto — 4 lời cảnh báo phổ biến nhất** URL: https://swequity.vn/bai-viet/ky-thi-keto Summary: Addresses 4 common keto objections in Vietnam: (1) keto raises cholesterol and causes heart disease, (2) the brain needs carbs, (3) removing carbs causes nutrient deficiency, (4) keto is unsustainable. Reviews evidence on each claim. **Keto flu — nguyên nhân thực sự và cách vượt qua** URL: https://swequity.vn/bai-viet/keto-flu Summary: Keto flu (headache, fatigue, muscle cramps, brain fog in days 2–7) is caused by electrolyte loss — sodium, potassium, and magnesium — as insulin drops and the kidneys excrete water. Not dangerous. Fix: add salt to water daily, eat avocado and leafy greens for potassium, consider magnesium supplement. --- ### Cluster 5 — Blood lipids & cardiovascular markers **LDL không phải "kẻ xấu" duy nhất — câu chuyện phức tạp hơn** URL: https://swequity.vn/bai-viet/ldl-ke-xau Summary: Dũng's LDL was 7.43 mmol/L after starting keto. Explains why total LDL alone is insufficient — particle size (sdLDL), particle count (ApoB), and inflammation context all matter. Reviews the nuanced evidence on LDL and cardiovascular risk. **ApoB vs LDL — chỉ số nào chính xác hơn** URL: https://swequity.vn/bai-viet/apob-vs-ldl Summary: Each LDL particle carries exactly one ApoB protein on its surface. Counting ApoB counts particles directly, which is more accurate than measuring total cholesterol content. INTERHEART study (52 countries): ApoB/ApoA1 ratio accounts for 49% of population-attributable risk for myocardial infarction. **Mỡ máu cao — hiểu đúng để không sợ sai** URL: https://swequity.vn/bai-viet/mo-mau-cao Summary: When doctors say "mỡ máu cao" (high blood lipids), the number that most reflects metabolic state is triglyceride, not LDL. Triglyceride rises from excess carbohydrate and alcohol intake, not dietary fat. Covers the full lipid panel in plain Vietnamese. **Triglyceride cao — nguyên nhân và cách giảm** URL: https://swequity.vn/bai-viet/triglyceride-cao Summary: Triglyceride is the lipid marker most responsive to lifestyle change — can improve significantly within 2–4 weeks. The three biggest drivers in Vietnamese diets: alcohol, sweetened beverages (including "low sugar" labels), and large single-meal portions of white starch (xôi, bún, cơm tấm, bánh mì). Optimal: below 1.7 mmol/L. Action zone: above 2.25 mmol/L. **Chất béo là gì — phân loại và vai trò thực sự** URL: https://swequity.vn/bai-viet/chat-beo-la-gi Summary: Dietary fat classification: saturated (solid at room temp, stable at high heat), unsaturated (liquid, olive oil and fish), trans fat (industrially hydrogenated, strongly linked to inflammation and cardiovascular disease). 60% of the brain is made of fat. Cell membranes and hormones require fat. Covers the shift from lard to vegetable oil and its health implications. **Ancel Keys và nghiên cứu 7 quốc gia — khi khoa học bị thao túng** URL: https://swequity.vn/bai-viet/ancel-keys-7-quoc-gia Summary: In 2016, 1,551 pages of internal documents revealed that a landmark 1967 NEJM paper linking dietary fat to heart disease was funded entirely by the Sugar Research Foundation without disclosure. The study shaped global dietary guidelines for 50 years. Primary source: Kearns et al., JAMA Internal Medicine (2016). --- ### Sweeteners & processed food **Đường ăn kiêng có an toàn không — so sánh các loại chất tạo ngọt** URL: https://swequity.vn/bai-viet/duong-an-kieng-co-an-toan Summary: Compares stevia, erythritol, sucralose, and aspartame. Stevia has the strongest safety evidence and some studies suggest mild benefit for insulin sensitivity. Erythritol does not raise blood glucose but a 2023 cardiovascular study flagged risk at high blood concentrations. Sucralose has evidence for gut microbiome disruption and enhanced insulin response when consumed with carbohydrates. In 2023, WHO recommended against using non-sugar sweeteners as a weight management tool. --- ## Free tool **Insulin resistance assessment — Bạn nên đo chỉ số nào trước?** URL: https://swequity.vn/tools/khang-insulin Summary: A free 6-question quiz that identifies which metabolic blood markers to test first, ranked by priority for each individual profile. Covers 13 markers: fasting glucose, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, HOMA2-IR, HbA1c, C-peptide, OGTT, lipid panel, triglyceride, HDL, TG/HDL ratio, hs-CRP, uric acid, ALT+GGT, TyG index. Results include reference prices at Vietnamese labs. Under 3 minutes.