The imbalance of the triple energizer discussed in Donguibogam, especially upper heat and lower cold, can be closely linked in modern medicine to autonomic nervous system dysfunction. Our body's autonomic nervous system consists of the sympathetic nerve and the parasympathetic nerve, which balance each other like a seesaw to regulate all involuntary vital activities, such as heartbeat, respiration, digestion, and thermoregulation. When stress or fatigue builds up, the sympathetic nerve becomes excessively active, suppressing the function of the parasympathetic nerve responsible for digestion. Consequently, intestinal motility becomes irregular and blood flow decreases, which can lead to a cold lower abdomen. In this state, microvessels in the intestinal mucosa constrict, hindering nutrient absorption, while intestinal motility can drop or, conversely, become excessively accelerated. In particular, visceral hypersensitivity, commonly found in irritable bowel syndrome patients, means that the gut's response to pain is far more sensitive than that of the average person. Cold qi can be a factor that further aggravates this visceral hypersensitivity. Cold stimuli irritate the nerve endings around the gut, lowering the pain threshold and causing intense discomfort even from normal gas or undigested food. Furthermore, the gut and the brain are tightly connected through a highway called the gut-brain axis. Neurotransmitters secreted in the gut, such as serotonin, influence brain function, and stress felt in the brain directly impacts gut function in return. When the lower abdomen turns cold, it also negatively affects the gut microbiota environment. It creates an environment where beneficial bacteria decrease and harmful bacteria easily proliferate, triggering or worsening inflammatory reactions in the intestinal mucosa. This dysbiosis increases intestinal permeability, causing problems such as leaky gut syndrome, which can lead to systemic inflammation and reduced immunity. In the end, the disruption of the triple energizer described in Donguibogam, presenting as a cold gut and upper heat and lower cold, can be understood in modern terms as a complex interplay of autonomic nervous system dysfunction, gut-brain axis distortion, and gut dysbiosis, causing not only digestive symptoms but also whole-body deterioration. Rather than focusing solely on the gut, restoring the balance of body temperature and energy flow is crucial for improving various digestive symptoms, including irritable bowel.
