{"id":6180,"date":"2022-12-13T11:25:58","date_gmt":"2022-12-13T01:25:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mindbodyfoodinstitute.com\/?p=6180"},"modified":"2025-08-27T18:14:36","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T08:14:36","slug":"soothe-and-improve-digestive-health-with-bitters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mindbodyfoodinstitute.com\/soothe-and-improve-digestive-health-with-bitters\/","title":{"rendered":"Soothe and Improve Digestive Health With Bitters"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Bloating, pain, constipation? If you’re struggling with your digestive health, read on how bitters can help soothe and improve it.<\/p>

During my recovery from Bulimia Nervosa, my whole digestive system seemed to be rebelling against me. My belly would cramp and bloat after meals and I\u2019d be left with an uncomfortable heaviness for hours. I struggled to identify hunger and satiety signals, felt \u2018full\u2019 with even small amounts of food, and always felt like my abdomen had a mind of its\u2019 own.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Why couldn\u2019t my digestive tract just digest my food without all the burping, bloating, cramping and gassy wind?<\/i><\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u00a0In my late twenties I developed a sack full of gallstones. The stabbing pain through my chest and shoulder, and the worsening abdominal cramps and nausea became almost constant. I was almost afraid to eat for fear of subjecting myself to more pain<\/strong>.<\/p>

As I was still navigating an ED recovery during this time, the uncertainty of when I was truly hungry or full, combined with the fear of eating too much and being in terrible pain, was quite distressing.<\/p>

Even after learning about \u2018gallbladder sludge\u2019 and trying some alternative remedies involving caster oil, I ended up having a laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal) to reduce the inflammation and remove the \u2018problem\u2019.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u00a0<\/span>I had no idea then that by removing my gallbladder, it would create a whole new set of digestive problems!<\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u00a0Only after surgery did the doctor tell me that I\u2019d have to take digestive enzymes for the rest of my life,<\/strong> so I began educating myself about my own digestive health and how I could support my body and digestion better.<\/p>

It\u2019s nearly two decades later, and for most of that time I\u2019ve not taken digestive enzymes. After a year or two I gently weaned myself off them and began to change my diet to accommodate my compromised bile production. That doesn\u2019t mean I didn\u2019t have to navigate the ups and downs of digestive upsets!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Depending how food was prepared and interacted with my digestive tract, I\u2019d often be left curled up on my side, belching and burping in tremendous pain for up to three hours after meals.<\/i><\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u00a0Removing unhealthy fats was easy but introducing healthy fats on my road to recovery was more of a challenge.<\/p>

Depending how food was prepared and interacted with my digestive tract, I\u2019d often be left curled up on my side, belching and burping in tremendous pain for up to three hours after meals. I could never quite figure out exactly which food, and what combination, offended by stomach and intestines so much.<\/p>

The frustration in my worst moments of digestive upset would drive me to tears<\/strong>.<\/p>

Over the years I\u2019ve continued to openly explore new ways to befriend my body and support healthy digestion. I\u2019ve tried herbal teas, supplements, powders, concoctions, essential oils (particularly peppermint) and potions galore. But what I\u2019ve found to make the most difference is specific bitters, traditionally used in Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, and Indigenous cultures across the world.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Bitters<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Modern taste buds are quite familiar with the sweet side of food but have become distanced from the bitter<\/strong>.<\/p>

We often unknowingly, yet sometimes\u202fwillingly, consume high amounts of hidden sugars in a vast selection of readymade sweets, coffee syrups, packaged and frozen meals, and commercially produced foodstuff.<\/p>

Aside from the coffee purists who can\u2019t start the day without their bitter brew, not enough people in the western world are consistently eating enough beneficial bitter foods like broccoli, rocket, cabbage, brussels sprouts, radishes, dandelion greens and kale. All beneficial foods high in cancer-fighting compounds and liver cleansing abilities.<\/p>

Traditionally used in Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, and Indigenous cultures across the world, bitters are considered by scientists to be one of our basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty and umami being the others. Each taste compliments, enhances and\/or balances out the others. A little bitter increases sweetness and reduces the tendency to crave more<\/strong>.<\/p>

In our modern world of convenience, our food preferences lean more towards the pleasurable side of sugar, fat, and salt and we\u2019ve all but forgotten the many benefits of bitter foods \u2013 even the obvious like ginger, citrus and peppermint.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Bitters are comprised of herbs and botanicals traditionally used to aid digestion, increase bile flow and stimulate gastric desire.<\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u00a0They come from any combination of\u202fherbs, roots, bark, fruit, seeds, or flowers. Bitter herbs have been used for centuries within indigenous communities and relied upon as nature\u2019s healing medicine in various cultures prior to the emergence of allopathic medicine.<\/p>

Bitters belong to a chemical group called Iridoids found in a wide variety of botanical plants (and some animals). Iridoid compounds are found to have therapeutic properties to prime and support digestion. As one of the active components used in natural and traditional Chinese medicines, iridoid compounds have shown to possess many biological effects such as liver protection, anti-respiratory and anti-tumour effects. Research has confirmed the historical use of bitters as a safe and effective, natural form of treatment for reducing inflammation in the body (1).<\/p>

Ethnobotany is a branch of study that focuses specifically on medicinal plants and the traditional uses of them in lost cultures (2).\u202f An \u2018Ethnobotany studies\u2019 Google search shows a selection of studies in the past 10 years available on the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), PubMed, and various research institutes.<\/p>

Not nearly enough studies have been done to bring the benefits of bitters to the mainstream, however Herbalists keep this wisdom alive, just as the traditional custodians and healers have passed it down through generations. There are plenty of wonderful books on modern herbology with recipes and suggestions for all kinds of ailments.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u00a0Bitters and digestion<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Due to modern lifestyles, an increasing number of people suffer from digestive complaints with symptoms ranging from acid reflux, indigestion, bloating, nausea, vomiting, belching, burping, flatulence, stomach pain, constipation, and sluggishness.<\/p>

Some of these symptoms are caused by eating too fast or too much, eating a poor diet, consuming unhealthy fats, and too many simple carbohydrate foods. Other symptoms can be caused by various conditions ranging from inflammation of the gallbladder, food intolerances, gastritis, SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and more commonly, dyspepsia (3).<\/p>

Digestive bitters have a long history of traditional use in soothing digestive complaints such as excess gas and bloating, nausea and heartburn.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Bitters can help to stimulate bile flow and digest fatty meals \u2013 very helpful if you no longer have a Gallbladder, and they\u2019ve also been shown to balance blood sugar levels.<\/i><\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u00a0Bitters can strengthen your digestive response by encouraging saliva and enzyme secretions and supporting the liver to gently detox (4). \u202fAll of this helps to support a more comfortable and efficient transit of food throughout the digestive tract.<\/p>

Saliva plays essential roles in food perception and digestion, providing breakdown of starch and lubrication in support of chewing and swallowing (5).<\/p>

Bitters are known to stimulate saliva, increase appetite, and prime the body to metabolize nutrients more efficiently. In turn, this strengthens the digestive tract and decreases discomfort<\/strong>.<\/p>

One study showed that Iberis amara, caraway oil, peppermint oil, curcuma extract, and ginger extract particularly were found to be superior compared to placebo for effective relief of dyspepsia (6).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u00a0<\/p>

Bitters and the nervous system<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Our body is designed to eat and digest in a calm, relaxed state<\/strong>.<\/p>

This state directs precious energy from the Fight\/Flight or Freeze states towards the digestive organs to maximise nutrient absorption and waste production.<\/p>

Bitter taste receptors called \u201cT2Rs\u201d are scattered throughout the body and are involved in the physiology of the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract and endocrine system (7). \u202fBitters can help the system to move into the parasympathetic state through these T2R receptors and stimulate digestive juices in preparation.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u00a0Therefore, taking bitters prior to mealtimes helps to stimulate our relaxation response, and prepare the body for digesting food and maximising nutrient absorption more effectively.<\/p>

Some bitter herbs are best taken prior to meals to aid digestion, whilst other can alleviate symptoms of bloating, gas and discomfort during and after meals.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Herbs for digestive bitters<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Some herbs are best before meals, others are helpful during or after meals. As each have different properties, they interact with an individual\u2019s system differently.<\/p>

Below is a list of the most common digestive bitters used in tinctures and sprays, although they are not exhaustive by any means:<\/strong><\/p>