Support Your Digestion With Bitters
In the Standard American Diet (SAD), the most prevalent flavors tend to be sweet and salty. Unlike other countries that lean heavily into herbs and spices for their cuisine, the continued rise of processed food in the US has left much of our food lacking in medicinal benefits.
Our bodies are hard wired to perceive an array of flavor profiles (sour, bitter etc). In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), each flavor has specific actions on the body—moistening, draining, astringing etc. This is one reason food is considered medicine and can be used to treat a variety of ailments.
Of all the basic flavors, bitterness is often the least appreciated, especially in the West. Many European countries begin their meal with an aperitif, a bitter herbal cocktail that stimulates appetite and end their meal with a digestif, another bitter focused herbal drink to aid digestion and prevent gas and bloating. In the West we often start our meals with a salty and fried appetizer and end with a sweet dessert, both of which are not stimulating to digestive function.
A healthy digestive system requires a variety of flavors. It's not that sweet is “bad” and in fact, we find that naturally sweet foods like fruit and rice are nourishing and easy to digest. Too much sweet, particularly from refined sugar, tends to have a clogging effect, leaving us feeling sluggish and bloated. Add unnaturally high amounts of saltiness, another consolidating flavor, and the heavy, stagnated, inflamed sensation increases. We may even start to develop nausea or heart burn if left unchecked.
How do bitters work?
In TCM, bitter is stimulating and draining, helping to relieve these symptoms and others in our digestive tract. It promotes urination, liver detoxification and bowel movements. From a scientific perspective we know that bitter compounds stimulate the gallbladder to release bile, an important part of our ability to digest fats. This is a crucial function, especially in the SAD which is high in fried foods that contain low quality oils.
Bitters also stimulate our natural gastric acid and enzymes, allowing our body to break down food optimally. If you've ever felt like you had a brick in your stomach after a meal, this is a classic sign of your body asking for bitters. If you have undigested food in your stool or your stools float, this is also a sign your body isn't breaking down and absorbing food properly, and bitters could be of service.
Where are bitters found?
Most bitters are found in common food grade herbs, such as fennel, dandelion and turmeric, which also contain their own array of medicinal compounds (think, anti-inflammatory and carminative). If not made to be apart of your meal, they are best taken in tincture or tea form. Yes, you want to taste the bitter flavor for optimal results. This immediately stimulates your saliva which contains enzymes that break down carbohydrates. Bitter tinctures are best taken 15-20 minutes before a meal to allow your digestive juices to flow before food enters. If you forget, after a meal will suffice.
Want to try bitters for your digestion? You can browse bitters on Fullscript, at 20% off. Want to read more about bitters first? Dive deeper into the history and science of their use here.
Kecia Fox is a Licensed acupuncturist and Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner at Well Forest Acupuncture in Portland, Oregon, specializing in holistic wellness, chronic pain and stress.