Microgard

Dr. Joshua Park, DSOM, L.Ac
Dr. Joshua Park is a digestive health specialist and among the first in North America to receive a clinical doctorate in Acupuncture and East Asian Medicine. He trained at the National University of Natural Medicine, studying with leading physicians from Korea, China, Europe, and the United States.
Table of Contents
The Natural Solution for Chronic Indigestion (Functional Dyspepsia)
What You’ll Learn in This Article
- Why functional dyspepsia is so frustrating to treat with conventional medicine
- How chronic indigestion develops from overlapping digestive, inflammatory, and neurological imbalances
- How specific herbs in Microgard target each of these mechanisms to restore healthy digestion
What Causes Functional Dyspepsia
Slow Stomach Emptying
Food lingers too long in the stomach instead of moving along normally. This delayed emptying causes bloating and that “stuffed” feeling even from small meals.
Oversensitive Stomach Nerves
Nerves in the stomach overreact to normal signals, turning mild fullness into pain, cramping, or nausea.
Low-Grade Inflammation
Chronic irritation in the stomach lining interferes with normal function and keeps symptoms coming back.
Disrupted Gut-Brain Communication
Stress worsens digestion, and poor digestion amplifies stress, creating a feedback loop where anxiety and stomach upset feed off each other.
Digestive Enzyme Problems
When the body doesn’t produce or release enough digestive enzymes, food breaks down poorly, leading to gas, fermentation, and bloating.
Why Conventional Drugs Fall Short
Acid Blockers Have Limited Success (And Serious Side Effects)
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) like Prilosec and Nexium are the most common prescriptions, but research shows they only work 7–10% better than placebo. If 30% of people feel better on a sugar pill, only about 37–40% feel better on acid blockers. Long term use of these medications can also come with severe side effects, including nutrient deficiencies, kidney problems, increased risk of stroke or cardiovascular disease, bone fractures, infections, and dementia.
H. pylori Treatment Rarely Helps
Doctors often test for Helicobacter pylori bacteria and prescribe a combination of antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors (called “Triple Therapy”) to eliminate it. But this only helps 6–14% of functional dyspepsia patients, meaning 85–94% still have symptoms afterward.
Motility Drugs Are Inconsistent
Prokinetic medications that help food move through the stomach can work for some people, but not reliably. Many of the most effective ones, like cisapride, were pulled from the market due to dangerous cardiac side effects.
Antidepressants Come with Heavy Costs
Tricyclic antidepressants are prescribed for functional dyspepsia when other treatments fail. Although some studies have shown they may help up to 64–70% of patients, their side effects, which can include sedation, dry mouth, weight gain, constipation, heart problems, anxiety and sexual dysfunction, make them difficult to tolerate long-term.
Single-Target Treatments for a Multi-System Problem
Functional dyspepsia is caused by overlapping dysfunctions: delayed gastric emptying, inflammation, nerve hypersensitivity, enzyme issues, and gut-brain disruption. Conventional drugs only address one piece at a time, leaving the rest untouched which is why so many patients stay stuck with symptoms.
How Microgard Works For Chronic Indigestion (Functional Dyspepsia)
Direct Stomach Protection
- Fu Ling (poria): Supports repair of the gastric mucosa and balances immune signaling (Th1/Th2, Th17/Treg) through TLR and JNK pathways. Improves gut–brain peptide regulation, helping calm inflammation and reduce hypersensitivity in functional dyspepsia. Calms the low-grade inflammation that keeps the stomach lining reactive.
- Huo Xiang (pogostemon): Active compound pogostone protects the gastric lining by enhancing antioxidant defenses, boosting protective prostaglandin E2, and preventing cell death. This reduces burning or nausea from irritated mucosa.
- Cang Zhu (atractylodes lancea): Reduces TNF-α/NO activity and promotes protective mucins. Fortifies the gut wall against irritation and bloating triggers.
- Bai Ji Li (tribulus): Inhibits NF-κB/iNOS-NO pathways involved in chronic irritation, has been shown to be mucosal protective with anti-H. pylori activity.
Gastric Motility Enhancement
- Ge Gen (pueraria root): Modulates PI3K-Akt–linked metabolism and smooth muscle tone. This reduces cramping and tension in the abdomen and digestive tract after eating.
- Bai Zhi (angelica dahurica): Reduces NF-κB/COX-2/iNOS signaling and inflammatory pain, easing inflammation and smooth-muscle tension that disrupts motility and produces burning discomfort in the stomach.
- Mu Xiang (aucklandia): Sesquiterpene lactones with demonstrated gastroprotection; also eases spasm. Shields the stomach mucosa and reduces that tight, crampy “stuck” feeling.
Digestive Enzyme Support
- Shen Qu (medicated fermented mass): Fermented preparation supplying enzymes, B-vitamins, and beneficial microbes. Supports digestion of carbohydrates, promotes gastric secretions, and helps balance gut flora while reducing inflammation. Eases that swollen, slow, after-meal feel.
- Shan Zha (hawthorn fruit): Classically used for for “food stagnation,” especially fats and proteins; modern data supports lipid-metabolism benefits. Helps heavy meals clear without the brick-in-the-stomach sensation.
- Gu Ya (germinated barley): Broad enzyme spectrum and prebiotic fibers aid digestion. This helps reduce heaviness, gas, and post-meal bloating.
Anti-Inflammatory Mechanisms
- Yi Yi Ren (coix seed): Supports intestinal barrier integrity and mucosal repair while moderating inflammatory cascades. Reduces “leaky gut”, leading to fewer flare ups of symptoms.
- Tian Hua Fen (trichosanthes): Anti-inflammatory and immune support; traditionally “heat-clearing.” Helpful when the system runs “hot” and irritable.
- Hua Ju Hong (exocarpium citri grandis): Flavonoid-rich antioxidant activity helps soothe upper-GI oxidative irritation that can stall digestion.
- Bo He (mentha): Menthol-rich volatile oils are anti-inflammatory and induce smooth-muscle relaxation to ease digestive reactivity and gas. Comforts “hot,” irritated digestion.
Gut–Brain Axis Modulation
- Gou Teng (uncaria): Serotonergic/neuromodulatory effects with anxiolytic properties. In other words, it soothes stress, calming the gut-brain axis and reducing flare ups of functional dyspepsia.
- Shi Chang Pu (acorus): Reduces neuroinflammation and improves gut–brain signaling. This makes stomach sensations feel normal again instead of painful.
Microgard
Why Microgard Is Different
Multi-System Approach
Microgard works through enzyme support, inflammation, barrier repair, gut-brain signaling, and mucosal protection so you're not left with half your symptoms still bothering you.
Built on Proven Formulas
Microgard evolved from Bao He Wan and Po Chai Pills, trusted for centuries. The difference is that Microgard has been refined for functional dyspepsia using modern biomedical insight.
Gentler Than Pharmaceuticals
Prescription drugs often bring side effects like nutrient deficiencies, infection risk, and heart complications. Herbs in Microgard have centuries of safe use. You get broad relief without the side effect burden.
Addresses What Drugs Miss
Conventional meds don’t provide digestive enzymes, regulate the gut-brain axis, and hit multiple inflammatory pathways at once. Microgard does, by working with your body's natural systems instead of overriding them.
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Dr. Joshua Park, DSOM, L.Ac
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References
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Maideen N. M. P. (2023). Adverse Effects Associated with Long-Term Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors. Chonnam medical journal, 59(2), 115–127. https://doi.org/10.4068/cmj.2023.59.2.115
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Feng, L., A, L., Li, H., Mu, X., Ta, N., Bai, L., Fu, M., & Chen, Y. (2023). Pharmacological Mechanism of Aucklandiae Radix against Gastric Ulcer Based on Network Pharmacology and In Vivo Experiment. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania), 59(4), 666. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina59040666
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The Bottom Line on Microgard
If you’re ready to stop living with bloating, burning, and meals that leave you feeling weighed down, now is the perfect time to make a change. Microgard delivers comprehensive support for functional dyspepsia and chronic indigestion by addressing every system involved: inflammation, barrier repair, motility, and the gut-brain connection.
Don’t settle for band-aid solutions that only mask symptoms. Order Microgard today and take the first
step toward eating comfortably, restoring balance, and feeling like yourself again.