Modern medicine explains this discomfort of the small intestine as SIBO, or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Although many bacteria naturally live in the large intestine, the small intestine must remain relatively clean. However, when bacteria from the large intestine reflux into the small intestine for any reason, or when bacteria native to the small intestine abnormally proliferate, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth occurs. These excessively proliferating bacteria ferment the carbohydrates or dietary fiber we eat prematurely, producing excessive gases such as hydrogen, methane, and hydrogen sulfide. That is why the abdomen inflates whenever you eat, rumbles, and leads to frequent passing of gas.
The toxins and metabolites produced by these bacteria do not affect only the digestive organs. They damage the intestinal mucosa to cause leaky gut syndrome, allowing inflammatory substances or toxins to penetrate the bloodstream through tiny gaps in the intestinal barrier. When this happens, chronic inflammation develops throughout the body, which can lead to symptoms like severe fatigue or brain fog. If you feel that your mind is not clear, having difficulty concentrating or noticing a decline in memory, it may not be simply because you are tired, but because of an intestinal health issue such as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.
Furthermore, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth hinders the absorption of vital nutrients such as iron and vitamin B12, and disrupts bile acid metabolism, making fat digestion difficult. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth is also prone to occur when the intestinal cleansing function called the migrating motor complex, one of the small intestine's critical functions, fails to operate properly, or when abnormalities arise in the ileocecal valve connecting the small intestine and large intestine. The disruption of distinguishing the clear from the turbid mentioned in Donguibogam can be interpreted in modern medicine as an imbalance in the small intestine's microbial environment and a weakening of defenses against harmful substances. Taking good care of the gut, the center of the body, leads to whole-body health.
