Does a cold navel and lowered immunity sound like an old saying? Modern medicine remarkably provides scientific proof for the wisdom of the Donguibogam. In fact, 70 to 80% of our body's immune cells are concentrated in the gut. Far beyond being a simple digestive organ, the gut serves as the body's largest immune organ and plays such a crucial role that it is called the second brain.
Abdominal coldness inflicts severe strain on this gut environment. When the temperature drops, intestinal peristalsis decreases and the activity of digestive enzymes declines. If food is not properly digested and lingers in the gut for a long time, it creates an environment favorable for harmful bacteria to proliferate. When leaky gut syndrome occurs due to an imbalance between beneficial gut bacteria and harmful bacteria, undigested proteins and toxins can penetrate the intestinal barrier and enter the bloodstream, triggering a systemic inflammatory response and a hypersensitivity reaction.
In addition, abdominal coldness affects the autonomic nervous system. Our autonomic nervous system is divided into the sympathetic nerve, responsible for tension and excitation, and the parasympathetic nerve, responsible for relaxation and recovery. When the abdomen gets cold, the body perceives it as a stress situation, making the sympathetic nerve easily dominant. When the sympathetic nerve is excessively activated, intestinal motility is inhibited and blood circulation decreases; furthermore, the immune function of the intestinal mucosa is weakened. This leads to chronic decreased immunity, which can raise the risk of frequent colds, allergies, and autoimmune diseases.
A cold belly reduces nutrient absorption, preventing our body from properly receiving the nutrients needed for immunity, and impaired blood circulation obstructs immune cells from migrating to where they are needed. In other words, abdominal coldness can become the primary culprit that comprehensively weakens our body's immune defense system through the triple burden of a worsening gut environment, autonomic nervous system imbalance, and insufficient nutrient supply. Far beyond just a feeling of having a cold stomach, it should be recognized as a significant signal threatening the health of the entire body.
