A 2015 study published by the World Journal of Gastroenterology seeks to explain the connection between acupuncture and the regulation of gastrointestinal function. The study starts by explaining that in China acupuncture has been an effective form in battling gastrointestinal dysfunction diseases for thousands and thousands of years. Despite this information, there has not been enough review and academic writing on the topic, that is why this study looks to prove and explain the true extent of the connection between digestion and acupuncture.
Some promising results were found from this study. It was found that acupuncture indeed has the potential to treat gastrointestinal disorders by specifically regulating the motility of the gastrointestinal system. It is known that different acupuncture points produce different results throughout the body, the study also accounts for this, but emphasizes more work must be done in the future to explain the specif effects that every point supplies.
This is an area that needs to be reviewed more systematically by scientists in the future, but it does indeed show that there is evidence that acupuncture helps with gastrointestinal function. And an even wider ranging statement is made at the end of the study stating that the beneficial effects acupuncture creates could be due to specific pathways and transmitters within the nervous system.
Sources: http://bit.ly/2fs2nIE
