If your vitality were a tree, its roots would be your digestive system. And if your tree’s roots are impaired, then your entire well-being suffers.
Your overall health and vitality depend on how well you assimilate your food. And this depends on two things: the food you eat and the strength of your innate constitution. If you’re like most people, even when you follow a healthy diet, you still need occasional digestive support.
This is where bitter herbs come in. Despite their unpleasant taste, people have used digestive bitters for centuries. They’re still a reliable antidote to rich diets, overeating, and sluggish digestion.*
What are Bitters?
Herbs that taste bitter improve digestion by stimulating the flow of digestive juices like bile, hydrochloric acid, and pancreatic enzymes.*
They affect digestion by acting on the nervous system through a remarkable physiological cascade. First, bitter taste receptors on the tongue detect the flavor. This triggers a parasympathetic response via the vagus nerve, shifting the body into “rest and digest.” And in this relaxed state, the smooth muscles of the digestive organs function more efficiently, secretions are properly timed, and the overall digestive process is better coordinated.*
This promotes:
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A better appetite
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Improved nutrient absorption
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Enhanced breakdown of fats
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Healthier elimination*
And the benefits of bitters don’t stop with digestion. You have bitter receptors not just on your tongue but throughout the digestive tract, liver, pancreas, heart, vasculature, respiratory tract, and even in your brain. Bitters interact with all these tissues.
Non-digestive benefits of bitters include:
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Support for liver detoxification
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More balanced blood sugar
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Healthier blood pressure and heart rate
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Relaxation through the gut-nervous system axis*
The Energetics of Bitters
Bitters are cooling and drying. They have a downward, draining energy, making them perfect if you have a hot, damp constitution and are prone to congested conditions, especially those marked by heat and stagnation.*
But if your constitution is cold and dry and you tend toward tense or weak type issues, use caution with bitters. Their cooling, drying energy can aggravate your constitution. Instead, try warming aromatic bitters or blend them with pungent herbs like Ginger (Zingiber officinale).*
Some bitters also have a relaxing, nervine quality, perhaps through their action on the vagus nerve, but likely through other mechanisms as well. Many classic nervines like Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata), Chamomile (Matricaria recutita), and Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) are also bitters. These bitter nervines are ideal if mental tension and stress leave you with knots in your stomach, impairing your digestion.*
Types of Bitters: Pure & Aromatic
Pure bitters
These are the most cooling and drying bitters, and they strongly stimulate digestion. This category is great if you have a hot, damp constitution. But they may aggravate cold, dry constitutions or worsen active digestive inflammation.*
It’s worth noting that there is a spectrum within this category in terms of strength. Some are mildly bitter, whereas others are intensely bitter. The stronger the bitter flavor, the stronger the impact on the body, especially leaning towards influences on the liver and gallbladder.
Examples: Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), Gentian (Gentiana lutea)
Aromatic bitters
These bitters contain volatile oils that give them a warming, fragrant, carminative quality. They relieve gas and bloating, relax the digestive tract, and are a great choice for those who tend towards a cooler digestive system.*
Examples: Chamomile (Matricaria recutita), Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
Our Top 6 Bitter Herbs
Our Favorite Pure Bitters to Support Digestion
Dandelion root (Taraxacum officinale)
Cooling and slightly moistening, Dandelion root gently stimulates bile and digestive enzymes, easing indigestion and constipation while supporting detoxification, liver clearance, and skin health.*
Gentian root (Gentiana lutea)
Gentian powerfully stimulates bile flow, fat absorption, and pancreatic secretions. It’s cooling and drying, and its alterative qualities support metabolism and may influence blood sugar via GLP-1 pathways.*
Oregon Grape root (Mahonia aquifolium)
Oregon Grape root has a cooling, drying energy. It increases bile production and secretion to improve fat digestion and ease constipation. Berberine alkaloids support metabolic health and optimize the digestive microbiome. It also supports detoxification, metabolism, and skin issues.*
Our Favorite Aromatic Bitters
Chamomile flower (Matricaria recutita)
Slightly warm and drying, Chamomile’s a gentle nervine that calms the mind, supports sleep, and soothes digestion. Aromatic oils promote secretions, relax spasms, and gently warm the gut.*
Mugwort aerial parts (Artemisia vulgaris)
Mugwort moves sluggish digestion, dispels gas and bloating, and gently activates the parasympathetic nervous system, lifting the mood and easing mental tension. It’s warming and drying.*
Angelica root (Angelica archangelica)
Pungent as well as bitter, Angelica warms the gastrointestinal tract to soothe indigestion, gas, and flatulence. Traditionally, Europeans used this delicious carminative herb in tasty desserts.*
What are Bitters? Emerging Information About Their Effects
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the bitter flavor is associated with the heart. And science may be catching up to explain why.
Recent research shows that activating bitter taste receptors in the heart and major vessels may reduce the force of each heartbeat and help to downregulate blood pressure.* Since balanced blood pressure is associated with a longer life, taking bitters may benefit your overall cardiovascular health and longevity.*
How to Work with Bitters in Daily Life
Take bitters immediately before eating, especially if your appetite is weak. Tinctures work well, since bitter tea can be unpleasant to drink. They also improve digestion when taken after a meal and can help with occasional indigestion and digestive upset from rich foods.*
Try making bitters into a delicious, non-alcoholic apéritif (a beverage drunk before or after a meal to promote healthy digestion).
Bitter Tonic Spagyric Apéritif Recipe*
Ingredients:
1 oz water or alcohol of choice (whiskey and brandy are both great options)
2 dropperfulls Bitter Tonic Spagyric Formula
3-4 drops Orange Peel Spagyric Essence
2-3 drops Angelica or Fennel Spagyric Essence
1/2 tsp honey simple syrup
Orange twist, as garnish (optional)
Directions:
- First make the honey simple syrup by combining 1 tsp honey with 1 tsp hot water and stirring until the honey is fully dissolved.
- Combine water (or alcohol), spagyrics, and simple syrup in a small cordial or shot glass, and stir to combine. Garnish with orange twist, if using.
- Sip about 30 minutes before or after a meal to support healthy digestion.*
Explore our Bitter Spagyric Formulas
Bitter Tonic Spagyric Formula
Featuring Gentian, Artichoke leaf (Cynara scolymus), and Mugwort to improve bile flow, nutrient absorption, and digestive vitality. Carefully blended with aromatics to support all constitutions.*
Alterative Compound Spagyric Formula
This blend supports detoxification of the liver, kidneys, skin and digestive tract with Dandelion, Oregon Grape, and Burdock (Arctium lappa) roots.*
Gut Calm Spagyric Formula
A bitter-nervine blend of Chamomile, Catnip (Nepeta cataria), and Hops (Humulus lupulus) that soothes the nervous system and supports the gut’s neural plexus.*
Digest Well Spagyric Formula
A blend of warming aromatic herbs like Chamomile and Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) balances stimulating bitter herbs like Gentian and Oregon Grape to support overall digestion.*
Add Bitters to Your Daily Routine
Bitters are a time-honored way to restore digestive balance and support whole-body vitality. Whether you’re looking to enhance nutrient absorption, regulate appetite, or support liver detoxification, bitters can be a gentle way to support your overall health.*
More Resources:
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To read a deeper explanation of Vitalism and how to use herbs tailored to your own unique constitution, visit Sajah’s blog, “Vitalism is NOT just about Herbalism,” for the School of Evolutionary Herbalism.
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Check out our blog posts, “Renew Yourself: 3 Alterative Herbs for a Spring Cleanse” for more information about using herbs to support liver detoxification, and “How to Support Your Nervous System with Spagyrics” for information about relaxing herbs.
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Shop our spagyrics for digestive, liver, or gallbladder support.
We also regularly share herbal and alchemical wisdom, along with seasonal sales, in our newsletters and on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. We look forward to seeing you there!
