Do I Need Digestive Bitters?
“Good medicine tastes bitter,” according to the old Chinese proverb. With digestive bitters, it’s right there in the name. Digestive bitters usually include a combination of bitter herbs, spices, flowers, roots, or plants brewed into a tea, or infused into alcohol or apple cider vinegar as a tincture.
Bitter compounds have been used over the centuries to treat a wide range of maladies, including digestive complaints, stress-related conditions, infections, and fatigue or exhaustion. Today, you may hear of them recommended to treat symptoms of gas, bloating, nausea, and heartburn.
Where traditional medicine has its roots, science has been catching up in helping us to understand how these bitter compounds work in the body. While there is still much to learn, what we currently know is that bitter compounds act on taste receptors that exist not only on the tongue, but also in other areas of the body. This includes the digestive, respiratory, reproductive, and urinary systems. This suggests that the benefits of digestive bitters may extend far beyond their initial taste, potentially influencing various aspects of our health and well-being.
How digestive bitters work
Digestion is the process of breaking down and absorbing nutrients from food so you can use them for energy and to support normal body functions. When you are not properly digesting and absorbing the food you eat, you run into problems with nutrient deficiencies, and digestive complaints such as gas, bloating, and constipation. Poor digestion can eventually turn to illness and disease.
In order to properly digest food, your body secretes digestive juices and enzymes that help break food into smaller components for absorption. This includes gastric acid in the stomach, bile from the liver and gall bladder, and digestive enzymes in your saliva as well as from the pancreas and small intestine. Various factors can affect your body’s ability to produce and secrete these digestive juices, including poor diet, dehydration, stress, and certain medications and medical conditions.
Digestive bitters help this process by sending a signal to your brain via the taste receptors in your tongue and gut. Your brain, in turn, sends a signal to stimulate your digestive system and prepare it to receive food by releasing stomach acid and other enzymes.
Because these bitter receptors work through stimulation by bitter compounds, it’s important that you taste them for the best effect. This means taking digestive bitters in the form of tea or a tincture, rather than swallowing a tasteless capsule.
Who benefits from digestive bitters?
Bitters can benefit many digestive complaints when taken before a meal. This includes bloating, gas, abdominal cramps, or nausea. They can also help with heartburn or acid reflux because bitters tighten the muscles at the bottom of your esophagus (this is the tube that travels from your mouth to your stomach). This prevents undigested food or stomach acid from traveling backwards.
What to take
There are many digestive bitters. Here are some that are most often used to support digestion:
Globe artichoke
Dandelion
Gentian
Wormwood
Burdock
Bitter melon
Milk thistle
Often, digestive bitters have several plants combined into one formula. Because each bitter acts on the digestive tract in a different way (e.g. one may increase stomach acid while another stimulates bile), taking them in a combined formula can be beneficial.
How to take it
Dosing will depend on the formula and why you are taking it, so it’s always best to follow the directions on the label. But a little goes a long way (and more does not always equal better)! Typically, you take a few drops on the tongue or dilute them in a small glass of water.
If you are taking bitters to help with digestive complaints, it’s best to take them about 15 minutes before eating. This gives your body time to respond to the messages sent from the brain to get your digestive juices flowing.
How often you use digestive bitters is different for everyone. Some people may find using them before each meal really helps support digestion. Others may only need them occasionally, such as with meals that are high in animal protein, or at social engagements where you might need some extra support.
You can also eat your bitters
While digestive bitter formulas are easy to take, you can also incorporate more bitter foods into your diet for similar benefits.
Here are some bitter foods that can stimulate your digestive juices:
Artichokes
Arugula
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cranberries
Coffee
Dandelion greens
Dark chocolate
Endive
Ginger
Grapefruit
Green tea
Kale
Lemons/limes
Radicchio
Radish
Sesame seeds/tahini
Turmeric
Incorporating bitter foods into your diet can be easy – and delicious.
Start by adding a handful of bitter greens like arugula or kale to your salads or sandwiches. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on your veggies or salads to give them a zesty and slightly bitter twist. Try enjoying a piece of dark chocolate as an occasional treat, or savor a cup of green tea with a touch of honey. These small changes can add a pleasant bitterness to your meals and provide potential benefits for your digestion.
Need some extra support?
Incorporating digestive bitters into your wellness routine can be a game-changer for those struggling with digestive discomfort. As a holistic nutritionist dedicated to helping women find lasting relief from bloating, I've witnessed firsthand the transformative power of these natural remedies. By stimulating your body's digestive processes and enhancing nutrient absorption, digestive bitters can pave the way to a healthier, more vibrant you.
Remember that good medicine often tastes bitter, and in this case, that is what holds the key to your better digestion. Whether you choose to embrace digestive bitters in a tincture or tea, or opt for bitter foods instead, the journey to digestive harmony begins with a single step.
Navigating your way to better digestive health doesn't have to be complex and time-consuming. It's all about the small daily habits that add up over time - and before you know it, you're living your bloat-free life!
If you're feeling overwhelmed with where to start, don't worry. I gotchu! With personalized nutrition coaching, I help my clients get to the root cause of their bloating so they can get symptom relief faster, with results that last.
If you're ready to take the first step towards your bloat-free life, book a free Gut Health Strategy Session with me today. In this free 30-minute call, we'll uncover hidden factors that could be preventing you from living your bloat-free life and I'll go over the critical steps you need to take to heal your gut for good.
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