By Richmond Natural Medicine

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August 28, 2018

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Herbal bitters have a long and fascinating history of use (hundreds of years!) and they’re still being used today in some very creative ways, continuing to be our ally and supporting our digestive tracts.

Herbal bitters are one of the best digestive aides, particularly when our digestive systems are under a little more stress than usual.  They’re readily available, simple to use, and absolutely elegant in the many ways that they influence our body.

Do you ever wonder why eating a salad before a meal is so popular? It’s a long-standing tradition that eating some greens before the main course can aid in digestion, but how does that work?

Traditionally, salads were made of bitter greens like dandelion or mustard leaves and wild edibles, which when eaten in even small amounts can really spark the digestive fire. In Ayurvedic medicine, digestive fire is referred to as “agni”, and bitters help to enhance this. This is because the bitter taste on the tongue works wonders on stimulating the endogenous secretion of your own digestive enzymes. These enzymes (like protease, lipase and amylase to name a few) are essential in breaking down the macromolecules that we consume such as proteins, fats and carbohydrates into smaller, more absorbable pieces. Without these enzymes, our stomachs would not be able to process the larger nutrients and food groups that we eat every day.

Digestive enzymes are secreted by the salivary glands, stomach cells and also in the pancreatic juices. Usually our bodies can do this own it’s own, and sometimes we need a little extra help. Enter herbal digestive bitters!

Unfortunately. We rarely eat bitter salads before meals, so taking an herbal bitter (usually in a tincture or alcoholic form) can help enhance our body’s own natural secretion of enzymes before we eat our larger meal. Once we perceive a bitter taste on the tongue, a signal is sent directly to the stomach and pancreas nudging them to start producing extra digestive enzymes, effectively preparing the digestive tract for the intake and breakdown of foods. This is also known as an “apéritif” – an alcoholic beverage you drink before meals to improve digestion. Along with the digestive advantages, bitters also have been shown to soothe occasional heartburn, decrease sugar cravings, aid in liver function and decrease gas and bloating after meals.

The human body responds so elegantly to bitters, and incorporating them into our daily lives can be exceptionally fun and delicious with a variety of healthful benefits.

Bitters may take some getting use to. The average American’s familiarity with bitters is extremely limited to basically coffee, beer and chocolate, but there are so many other ways to get your bitters every day!   Urban Moonshine is a New England company that makes delicious bitters in very easy-to-use tincture or spray bottles. You can find these in most health foods stores and they’re a great way to try bitters for the first time. 

True bitter green salad with the following recipe:

Bitter Green & Herb Salad

1 bunch fresh dandelion greens

1 cup arugula

1 small radicchio

2-3 scallions, chopped

½ pear or mandarin orange, chopped

1tsp fresh thyme

2 tsp fresh dill

Top with some lemon juice, fresh orange peel and a splash of olive oil or red wine vinegar.

If you are interested in exploring digestive bitters in greater detail and are looking to improve your digestion, please contact our office at (804) 977-2634 to book an appointment with one of our practitioners.