Are Antibiotics Ruining Your Small Intestine? How to Manage Nutrient Absorption After Taking Medication

Did you know that the wisdom of Donguibogam is fully explained by modern science as well? In particular, antibiotics can have a very direct and harmful impact on our small intestine. True to their name, which means 'against life,' antibiotics do not selectively kill specific bacteria; they attack beneficial bacteria living in the gut indiscriminately. It is like pulling out precious flowers while trying to weed a garden. What occurs during this process is gut dysbiosis. Countless microorganisms live in balance within our small intestine, performing diverse roles such as digesting food, synthesizing vitamins, immunomodulation, and producing neurotransmitters. However, when this balance is disrupted by antibiotics, the secretion of digestive enzymes decreases, which can even induce leaky gut syndrome, characterized by an increase in intestinal mucosal permeability. When the intestinal mucosa becomes loose, undigested food particles or toxins can penetrate the bloodstream, triggering a systemic inflammatory response or autoimmune disease. A bigger problem is malabsorption. The small intestine is the core factory of our body that absorbs carbohydrates, proteins, and fats from food, as well as micronutrients like vitamins and minerals. When gut dysbiosis occurs, damage to the small intestinal villus can happen, or the production of important metabolic nutrients like short-chain fatty acids, which beneficial bacteria used to produce, decreases. Short-chain fatty acids are the primary energy source for intestinal epithelial cells, so without them, the intestinal mucosa cannot be healthy. Consequently, no matter how well you eat or take supplements, they are not absorbed properly into the body, causing energy levels to drop and leading to chronic fatigue. This is not just a matter of a few bouts of diarrhea, but a serious issue that can ruin our body's fundamental health system.