Column May 16, 2025
Improving the Gut Environment — Korean Medicine Care for Gas, Bloating, and Irregular Bowel Movements
Hyo-seop Kim
Chief Director
Table of Contents
Gas and rumbling in the abdomen
Postprandial bloating, excessive flatulence, borborygmus (gurgling sounds in the abdomen), and irregular bowel movements may all be signs of gut microbiota imbalance. Overuse of antibiotics, irregular meals, and excessive intake of refined carbohydrates are common causes.
How Korean medicine sees the gut: Spleen deficiency with damp accumulation (脾虛濕蒸)
- Spleen deficiency: Lower digestive and absorptive efficiency → undigested material ferments in the gut → produces gas
- Damp accumulation: Impaired water metabolism → loose stools, mucous stools, abdominal heaviness
- Food stagnation (食積): Stagnant food putrefies → foul-smelling gas, belching
Treatment formulas
- Pyeongwi-san (平胃散): A core formula that drains dampness from the stomach and normalizes digestion
- Samchul-geonbi-tang: When Spleen deficiency is severe, this tonifies the Spleen-Stomach while removing dampness
- Bohwa-hwan (保和丸): A digestive formula (消食) used when food stagnation is the main cause
- Acupuncture and moxibustion: Tianshu (ST25) and Daheng (SP15) regulate intestinal motility; warming moxibustion on Zhongwan (CV12) tonifies Spleen-Stomach yang
Eating habits for the gut environment
- Take probiotics (lactic acid bacteria) consistently — kimchi, doenjang, and yogurt
- Get enough dietary fiber — food (prebiotics) for beneficial gut microbiota
- Reduce refined carbohydrates (white bread, snacks) — they feed harmful bacteria