Why Bitter is Better

Bitter foods may be not be to everyone’s liking, but they are a fantastic treat for your liver, gut and digestion. Often used as drop dosed herbal tonics, the flavour of bitter herbs improves digestion by stimulating oral receptors which increase nerve responses between the brain and gut. This in turns increases digestive function (or power…it sounds better).

I almost sense the collective cringe from readers when I discuss bitter flavour. It is infact our taste receptors that trigger this nerve:gut reaction when we taste bitter foods.

For those who don’t use herbal medicine, you can achieve a similar outcome by adding a bowl of bitter green salad to your meals. Such as radicchio, chicory, endive, rocket leaves.

Step 1 is the increase of digestive ‘power’ and stimulation of digestive secretions (enzymes which help to break down food more effectively).

Step 2 is via the liver. Some bitter herbs and salads can stimulate the liver to produce more bile flow. Doing this at meal times increases the digestion of fats so they can be better metabolised. Good bile flow can also support a reduction in bad cholesterol by increasing elimination via the bowel.

It certainly is not new medicine, but rather something which is quite ancient and traditional. I still remember my Nonna, who had a genetic disposition to high cholesterol, consuming bowls of chicory or bitter salads with each meal. (And swallowing garlic each day!). And Mediterranean cultures have traditional tonics such as aperitifs and digestifs, or as flavouring in some alcoholic beverages, which are made with bitter herbs to support good health.

Bitters can do so much more! The bitter receptors that respond to consumption / taste of these herbs are also located in other tissues such as bronchus, brain, heart and testes.

They may be therapeutically active in more ways than just digestion. For example they can be used to settle a niggling cough reflex. And new research on the possible effect of bitters on regulating heart rate and blood pressure following meals for those who experience symptoms, is really exciting!

So, if you are needing a bit of bitter in your life right now, add some lovely bitter leaf salads, or have a digestive tonic mixed up especially for you. I have to say, bitter certainly is my friend. Even if it took a while to get along smile emoticon