Herbal Bitters & Digestion

In this post I will demonstrate the amazing connection between your body and your food, with a very simple example: Bitter food. Things like artichoke, ginger, dandelion, milk thistle, citrus fruits (especially lemon), even coffee and chocolate. The bitter quality of food is incredibly important (when used correctly).

Feeling bloated? Too much gas? Heartburn? Feel like you cannot fully digest your meals? Bitters are a powerful way to eliminate all those problems and more. It is a very simple mechanism that resolves all those issues. Bitters stimulate the digestive juices – bile production, enzymes, and a host of other cofactors, and these are the things that your body uses to digest food. If you have some bitters with your meals you will see a dramatic difference in your digestion. (Coffee and chocolate are not nearly effective as other choices, so please do not overdo it on those two items)

I mentioned recently in another post about ‘epic poop’ that your poop should not float. If it floats, you probably do not have proper bile and/or enzyme production.

Now, you may have heard of enzyme therapy or enzyme supplements, etc.; however, real food is exponentially more effective and safe because it causes your body to produce the thousands of synergistic cofactors needed for optimal digestion. It is not simply enzymes and bile, but a very complex mix of biological processes, coenzymes, hormones, acids, etc., and that entire symphony is triggered perfectly by bitter foods. The better the bitters, the better the symphony. Different bitters have different effects, so it is best to have a variety of bitters, and not rely on any single food too much.

And… be sure to taste the bitter. Capsules can be great, because many bitters provide a host of different benefits; but tasting the bitter is part of the natural process, and that taste triggers digestive processes in the body. The more human you function, the more human functions you will enable. Your body is much more powerful than you realize.

There are many bitter foods, and many bitter products that combine the bitter foods in various ways.

Here is a nice list of bitter greens from MindBodyGreen:

There are many other bitter greens (vegetables), and then there are also many bitter herbs, and some plants fall into both categories (because we can eat them as a food source, or just use them as a seasoning). Some of the better known herbs are ginger, milk thistle, and turmeric.

I wanted to make a special mention of ‘Hombre Grande’ or Big Man. It goes by many names and is a very powerful medicinal plant as well as a bitter. However, because of its many medicinal properties it should not be used regularly as a bitter. Contrast this with turmeric, which also has many healing qualities, but can be used safely on a daily basis, even at rather large quantities. Know your bitters before you go crazy with them.

Update: As usual, the Weston A. Price Foundation recently published some fantastic articles on bitters. If you want to dive deeper check this out:

Herbal Bitters: As Crucial as Salt in the Modern Kitchen

Bitters: The Revival of a Forgotten Flavor

Do you have a favorite bitter?

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