10/26/2022
-Digestive bitters are foods/herbs that stimulate the production of stomach acid (HCl), and other secretions involved in the digestion process
-They support the liver and gallbladder
-They also help the body produce digestive enzymes, which help to break down proteins, fats, and carbs.
Tell me if any of this sounds familiar to you- We have a tendency to eat in a rushed and stressed state, we arenāt connecting with our food, weāre distracted, and barely able to even sit down to actually look at and enjoy the meal in front of us.
Why is this important? Because I'm a broken record when I say this, but digestion is a north-to-south process and when this happens, the brain doesnāt send signals to the rest of the digestive processes to turn on/trigger necessary secretions for proper food breakdown, therefore our food is not properly broken down, or absorbed. This can lead to uncomfortable symptoms like bloating and gas to name a few, along with mineral/vitamin deficiencies (think about this- we are trying to eat nourishing, nutrient-dense foods, but if we arenāt properly digesting and absorbing their nutrients, then what is the point?).
Consuming digestive bitters before a meal can help to stimulate salivary enzymes, and the production of HCl, which we NEED to properly digest food (HCl is also essential to kill off potential pathogens, disinfect the stomach, activate pepsin so proteins can be digested, etc.). Digestive bitters also stimulate bile so we can digest the fats we are consuming, and they are supportive of liver detoxification.
There are a variety of ways to take digestive bitters- purchased tinctures containing concentrated amounts of bitter herbs, consuming bitter, whole foods like dandelion greens, arugula, etc. before meals.
My favourite way to consume bitters is in tincture form, I love and
*Not medical advice
-Meels