What is a Bitter?

 

Where do we begin? I could talk for days about the benefits of bitters. The benefits are endless, yet, ill keep it short sweet, and to the point. If you want to learn even more about bitters, consider coming to an herbal class for a hands on experience.

 

Bitters are herbs that have a predominantly "bitter" taste. This taste make some of us pucker our lips, make funny faces, and some of us may even ask "what was THAT?" This long forgotten taste profile has actually played a major role in holistic healing for centuries. Where do we begin? Bitters work on the whole body, and truly do have a wide range of benefits, but bitters do have an affinity to the digestive system. Meaning the constituents inside of bitters have expressed their benefits mostly readily in the digestive system. Yet, with how intrictly connected the digestive system is to the entire body, its no wonder bitters have a wide range of benefits.

 

 

How Bitters Work

Did you know that bitter tasting herbs have a very direct relationship with the nervous system and the entric nervous system (nervous system inside the gut)?

Believe it or not, when the bitters come into contact with the receptors on the back of our tongue, our digestion is begining to improve! From the extra saliva being made in the mouth, to the signals that are sent via the gustatory and vagus nerve to the brain, to prepare the body for digestion. 

Digestive secretions are stimulated by bitters, including bile from the liver, insulin from the pancreas, and those important digestive enzymes) In this way, bitter herbs not only improve the digestibility of food, and absorption of nutrients, but also have a calming effect on the nervous system, putting us in a more emotionally relaxed state. Allowing us to digest our food properly and easily absorbing nutrients! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bitters, the forgotten taste?

Did you know in Italy bitters are served before and after a meal? Well, maybe they are on to something over there, because a little birdie (my mom) told me that salute meant "to health".

 

Are bitters for me?

If you struggle with low acid production, poor digestion, irregular bowel movements, bloating, gas, weight gain, then bitters are for YOU!

 

 

 

 

Want more?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REFRENCES

 

Medical Herbalism (David Hoffman)

The Essential Guide to Herbal Safey (Mills and Bone)

The Home Physician Dr. Christian Fanger (1918 edition)

Advanced Herbalist Training (Herbal Academy)

Science and Art of Herbalism (Rosemary Gladstar)