What Are Bitters?

Holidays often involve eating huge amounts of food followed by declarations of “I can believe I ate the whole thing.” This is where herbal bitters can be of great use to those who tend to overeat. Bitters are absolutely the best herbs for digestion.

Gastric problems are usually caused by not enough of digestive juices and the result is your food gets stuck in your chest, bloating and gas occur, etc. Nothing you want to deal with around the holidays with a ‘to do’ list a mile long or a house full of guests present.

Herbal bitters work by stimulating digestive juices. When the herbs hit the tongue, the taste buds respond to their bitterness by signaling the body to produce the enzymes and acids necessary to digest food.

Many people are familiar with Swedish bitters which are taken before a meal to facilitate digestion. Typically, half a teaspoon is diluted in a quarter cup of water and sipped before the meal.
Herbal bitters are a great way to calm your stomach if you are suffering from the symptoms of indigestion–bloating, gas, and heartburn. This particular group of herbs can be traced as far back as medieval apothecaries.

Some typical herbal bitters include—

DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice) -- A compound in licorice called glycyrrhizin raises blood pressure. Remove it and you have DGL which is a safer form of the herb. DGL stimulates mucus secretion which lines the gut and helps neutralize gastric acid. Chew it thoroughly and take at least 20 minutes before eating.

Ginger –  Ginger relieves stomach spasms and stimulates production of digestive fluids. You can make a tea of fresh grated ginger by steeping  it in a cup of water for 10 minutes.

Chamomile – Chamomile tea is gentle enough for a child’s stomachache. Yet, it’s strong enough to relieve adult indigestion. Stomach cramps are eased by bisabolol, a chemical compound in the flowers of the plant.

The first time you try Swedish bitters you may think it's your last, but remember it's supposed to be diluted in water. Besides, no one said that everything that's good for you has to taste good. If you'd like to make it through the holiday season without any type of gastrointestinal problems, give bitters a try.

Have you noticed that many people start the new year off with some sort of detox or cleanse? I think a lot of that has to do with the amount of fat they’ve digested over the holidays. Swedish bitters are made of herbs, barks, and flowers that help your liver and kidneys do their work despite the punishment you give them over the holidays. Try the bitters and you may find that you don’t need to jumpstart your digestive system.