Viridian -100% Organic Digestive Elixir (digestive bitters, meadowsweet, marshmallow & more) NEW 50ml

Product Information

Poisonous herbs tend to taste very bitter, so taking digestive bitters might seem contrary. However, not all bitter herbs are unsafe to eat. There are many different kinds of herbs available. Some include: Digestive bitters are herbs that taste bitter. They’re often used in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda medicine. Whether your focus is increasing bitter elements of your diet or decreasing sweetness, we're not generally up for any drastic changes here at A.Vogel. Even small changes can make a big difference to how we look and feel. So, try out a new food each week and see how you get on adding some new flavours to your meals. The ideal timeframe to take digestive bitters is right before a meal, or about 10 minutes before you start eating, according to Zellner. “Bitters can also be used after a meal, especially if you’ve eaten a little too much (Thanksgiving dinner, anyone?) or if you’re feeling bloated or gassy,” says Zellner.

Helps you make more saliva. Your saliva has enzymes that help you start to break down your food. Bitters can help you make more saliva, which could help with digestion. Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility: “The Bitter Taste Receptor Agonist Quinine Reduces Calorie Intake and Increases the Postprandial Release of Cholecystokinin in Healthy Subjects.” According to Zellner, some formulas will be targeted to specific conditions, and some examples include: It’s also important to remember that bitters are made with alcohol, so you shouldn’t take them if you’re pregnant or nursing, or if you’re in recovery. Can’t bear bitters? Bitters aren’t for everyone. Czerwony weighs in on who should avoid them — but first, she offers a bit of blanket advice for anyone who’s considering them.Therefore, by introducing more bitter elements to your diet, this could offer some immediate benefits (hence why they've been used traditionally as 'aperitifs'), including improvement of symptoms of fullness, indigestion or bloating, for example. Some people have gastrointestinal issues due to the fact that they don’t have enough stomach acid. In these cases, bitters can help create some of that extra juice to help break down food,” Czerwony says. “They increase the amount of gastric juices in your stomach, which ultimately helps with digestion.” Can digestive bitters help you lose weight? Bitters definitely aren’t the only option,” Czerwony says. “These ingredients are found in nature, and you can work some of them into your diet pretty easily.” Foods that can aid in digestion include: Anyone can experience sluggish digestion from time to time. Symptoms like bloating, heartburn, and acid reflux can be signs that your digestive system could use a bit of help to keep things running smoothly. One supplement that can help? Digestive bitters, which can give your entire digestive system a boost when things are off. Digestive bitters are distilled-down, concentrated blends of different bitter herbs and plants,” says Zellner. According to Zellner, a herbalist will create specific blends of digestive bitters based on the intended effect like to help improve digestion, detoxification, or blood sugar, for example.

If you’re already prone to these things, bitters aggravate them by making your digestive tract a little bit more reactive,” Czerwony cautions. 2. They can interfere with medications Since there are many different types of digestive bitters, the specific benefits can vary based on the blend of herbs, but Zellner points out that bitter tinctures and bitter foods can help with heartburn, indigestion, bloating, and stomach upset. A 2012 literature review in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition found that in general, bitter, aromatic, and pungent plants can have digestion-enhancing activities.

Through years of evolution we are hard-wired to prefer the taste of energy-dense fat and/or sugar-laden foods. Now that food is not in short supply and our needs are often more based around limiting our energy intake rather than maximising it, our liking for fat and sugar tastes is not so helpful. Consciously replacing some of these foods with bitter, fibre-full foods is a good step towards changing those troubling dietary patterns that are contributing to obesity. Herbs can interact with some medications. This can stop them from working and might cause health problems. Bitters can react with blood pressure medications, insulin, hypoglycemics and other medications, so it’s really important that you be cautious and talk to your doctor before taking anything them,” Czerwony advises. 3. They can worsen existing conditions

Whilst the researchers conclude that "Our data doesn't provide a set number, such as 12 servings of broccoli" they do follow up with some reassurances: "for people who avoid these foods because of their bitterness, but would like to include them in their diet, they should know their tastes will eventually change."

However, more bitterness could potentially be linked to a whole host of other, longer-term benefits. This includes helping to manage more chronic digestive issues such as those associated with IBS, or more general health such as maintaining bone health as a result of the effects it could have on nutrient absorption. How can we ensure we get more? 1. Remember that bitter foods will eventually taste good! They can also be used to calm an upset stomach, support healthy blood sugar levels, balance appetite, support liver/detox functions, and can help curb sugar cravings,” she says. Feverfew: Another plant with a dual purpose, feverfew can calm nausea and vomiting, but is also useful for treating psoriasis. There aren’t yet enough conclusive studies that delve deep into the benefits of bitters. But the biggest reason to try them is that they may give your digestive system a boost.

This new research is intriguing in light of the fight against obesity as the over-consumption of high-fat and high-sugar processed foods is often thought to be at the root of the problem. So, get trying that broccoli and don't be put off by assuming you don't like the taste initially! 2. Limit the sweetness as well as upping the bitterness DIRECTIONS: Shake well before use. Adults: One 5ml teaspoon, either neat or in a little water or fruit juice, before meals twice a day CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR: If on any medication or if you have a history of stomach, bowel, liver complaints or any other diagnosed illness. How to take digestive bitters: “To take bitters, drop one serving (usually around ¼ tsp) onto your tongue and hold them in your mouth for about 10-15 seconds, until you start to salivate. You’ll want the bitter tincture to fall all across your tongue, as we have bitter receptors on our entire tongue,” says Zellner. Holding the bitters in your mouth activates the T2R taste receptors which send a signal to the vagus nerve in your brain. “The vagus nerve then relays the bitter sensation to the salivary glands (loaded with enzymes), our stomach (where HCl is stimulated) our pancreas (where we have pancreatic enzymes), and our liver/gallbladder where our bile is created and concentrated,” explains Zellner. After holding the bitters for about 15 seconds, you can then swallow them and your digestive system is ready for your meal.

How good is your digestion?

Bitter tastes such as those found in an array of green vegetables have been somewhat lost from our diet these days. However, including sufficient bitter foods could help support a number of areas of our health including: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry: “Five bitter compounds display different anti-inflammatory effects through modulating cytokine secretion using mouse primary splenocytes in vitro."