Taking bitter herbs for digestion is a relatively new remedy for many the western world. However, bitter herbs have been a popular plant ally among healers, functional medicine practitioners, clinical herbalists, and our clients for centuries!
In this article, you’ll learn what bitter herbs are, how they work in our body, what’s so special about them, and how to get started working with them on your gut-healing journey.
Disclaimer: This article is educational and informational, not to be used as a replacement for medical advice! Please consult a doctor if you’re on medication and/or navigating medical issues of any kind. I also recommend consulting with a functional dietitian and clinical herbalist for custom herbal recommendations and more optimal digestive health outcomes.
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Table of Contents
Digestion 101
“Digestion” refers to the process in which our digestive organs (aka our gut, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas) break down and process the food that we eat.
It’s how we can extract what we need from food (i.e. nutrients), and leave (eliminate) the rest as waste.
The first phase of digestion (the “cephalic phase”) actually begins before food touches our mouth!
How it works: When you SEE your food, and SMELL the tasty aromas before you start eating, your brain and nervous system will start sending signals to your digestive system to start preparing for a meal.
Next, once food enters our mouth, as soon as we start chewing, our taste buds are sending even more signals to our digestive system so it can start releasing digestive secretions.
Enter: bitter herbs!
What are bitter herbs?
Quite literally, bitter herbs are any and all herbs which have a predominantly bitter taste. (Go figure!)
Bitter herbs have been shown to stimulate the bitter taste receptors located on the very back of our tongue.
As it turns out, the bitter taste signals cues to our digestive organs (pancreas, stomach, liver and gallbladder) to start cranking out digestive secretions, to help prepare for a meal.
What are herbal bitters / “digestive bitters”?
Herbal bitters, aka “digestive bitters”, are liquid extracts of bitter herbs.
They most often come in the form of herbal tinctures (alcohol extracts of herbs), but they’re also on the market in the form of glycerites (herbs extracted into glycerin) and as spagyrics.
Herbal bitters are popular in the world of mixology and mocktail/cocktail creation…
But they’re called “digestive bitters” specifically because of their many digestive health benefits!
Digestive bitters health benefits
Our bodies and subconscious nervous systems are incredibly intelligent!
They already know what to do, but sometimes after getting pushed and pulled in so many different directions that we need a little extra guidance to recalibrate and restore balance.
Especially in cases of digestive insufficiency or indigestion which are quite common nowadays.
In many cases of indigestion, leaky gut, and other types of health issues, bitter herbs can serve as a catalyst by supporting, enhancing and optimizing the systems we already have in place for digestion and other processes throughout the body.
Bitter herbs have been shown to stimulate the bitter taste receptors located on the very back of our tongue.
The bitter taste signals cues to our digestive organs (pancreas, stomach, liver and gallbladder) to start cranking out digestive secretions, to help prepare for a meal.
But the benefits don’t stop there.
May improve digestive sufficiency
As I mentioned above, as soon as bitter-tasting herbs make direct physical contact with the back of our tongue, they stimulate our bitter taste receptors. This then starts a cascade of other signals to the brain and nervous system.
From there, messages are sent unconsciously from our brain to our digestive organs like our liver, gallbladder, stomach, intestines, and pancreas, resulting in an increased production and release of gastric “juices” (like stomach acid and bile to name a few).
The immediate result most people experience within ~15 to 20 minutes of taking digestive bitters is usually a sudden noticeable surge in appetite and possibly some rumbling in the stomach.
When done properly, this is a good thing! (It’s considered healthy and normal to feel relatively hungry with a slight growl or rumble in your stomach when it’s time to eat.)
It’s important to note that bitters should make direct contact with the back of your tongue for optimal results.
(Popping bitter herb capsules will likely dilute the impact that bitter herbs can have on digestion, because it bypasses that pretty important step. It just won’t “work” as well.)
Given their ability to stimulate gastric and intestinal secretions (1), taking herbal bitters can potentially help reduce irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) symptoms like gas and bloating, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, reflux, indigestion, and more – if the “root cause” is related to low stomach acid.
Why is low stomach acid bad?
Let’s pause here and hone in on stomach acid. Why exactly are we trying to stimulate stomach acid production?
Reducing acid in the stomach may be helpful and appealing short-term for people seeking fast relief from heartburn or reflux.
However… a suboptimal stomach pH left unchecked can actually amplify indigestion by impeding nutrient breakdown and by allowing for dysbiotic (unhealthy) pathogens to grow out of control in the gut (2).
Low stomach acid caused proton pump inhibitors / acid reducing over-the-counter medications left unchecked can and will often tend to disrupt our natural biochemistry, creating a slew of new medical complications for people (2).
(If you read the warning label on these acid-inhibiting pharmaceuticals, you’ll likely see that you aren’t supposed to take them for more than 14 consecutive days. This is a conversation for another time!)
In addition to enabling microbial imbalance in the gut, low stomach acid levels left unchecked may also impair our body’s natural ability to break down and absorb proteins, fats, and micronutrients such as vitamin B12, iron, magnesium, calcium, zinc, and more (2).
The type of bitters to fit each of these options will vary depending on which condition or set of symptoms you’re dealing with.
For example, certain types of bitters tend to stimulate movement and reduce transit time in the colon, while others tend to dry out the colon and amplify constipation.
Gas and bloat relief
Some bitter herbs also have a carminative affect.
Carminative herbs tend to be dispersive and have been shown to help expel trapped gas and move stagnation in the gut.
Bitter herbs can be especially helpful if your gas and bloating happens to be amplified by constipation and gut stagnation, which are often relieved by bitter herbs.
Related article: Best Carminative Herbs & Supplements for Gas and Bloating
Liver detoxification
Most if not all types of digestive bitters seem to stimulate bile flow (if a gallbladder is present) and liver detoxification.
Liver-stimulating herbs are often referred to as “alteratives” among herbalists, and most if not all of them happen to also be bitter.
- If you have gallstones: please make sure to first consult your doctor and your registered dietitian before delving into digestive bitters – even if the benefits sound appealing and promising. The last thing you want or need is for bitters to trigger a gallstone flare!
(In many cases, people with digestive issues of any kind tend to have a more over-burdened liver, in my experience. That’s because an unhealthy gut means impaired detoxification which increases the burden on our liver.)
Blood sugar regulation
Bitter herbs aren’t my go-to for treating people with diabetes. However, it’s worth knowing that many types of bitter herbs (such as bitter melon) and even certain constituents present in certain bitter herbs (such as berberine) have been shown to help improve insulin sensitivity in clinical studies. (3, 4)
Heart health
In clinical herbalism, bitters are often used by herbalists to help support heart health.
(I’m not going to further discuss bitters for heart health in this article, since it’s outside the scope of digestive health. But just keep in mind bitter herbs for heart health is an entirely different rabbit hole!)
List of bitter herbs
Below is a pretty thorough list of my favorite types of bitter herbs for digestion, which you can refer back to, as needed.
Each of these is powerful on its own, or you can get creative combining a few different options together.
(As a reminder, this list is not exhaustive! There are entire courses and books out there, just on bitter herbs and herbal bitters alone.)
- Agarita / “Algerita” (Mahonia trifoliolata)
- Angelica root (Angelica archangelica)
- Artichoke leaf (Cynara cardunculus)
- Bayberry bark (Morella cerifera)
- Bitter melon fruit (Momordica charantia)
- Burdock root (Arctium lappa)
- Cacao (Theobroma cacao)
- Chamomile flowers (Matricaria chamomilla)
- Coffee (Coffea arabica)
- Dandelion root (Taraxacum officinale)
- Gentian root (Gentiana lutea)
- Grapefruit peel (Citrus Racemosa)
- Lemon peel (Citrus x limon)
- Milk thistle seed (Silybum marianum)
- Mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris)
- Orange peel (Citrus x sinensis)
- Oregon grape root (Berberis aquifolium)
- Reishi mushrooms (Ganoderma lucidum)
- Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)
- Yellow dock root (Rumex crispus)*
How to make herbal bitters
If you’d like to make your own herbal bitters for digestion, you can make any of the above herbs (fresh or dried) whether alone or blended into an herbal tincture.
Once your tincture is ready, you can begin taking this extract of bitter herbs in drop doses, before meals as needed.
You may also like to check out this simple DIY digestive bitters recipe which can be fun and easy for those who would like to explore crafting their own herbal medicine.
Where to buy digestive bitters (best herbal bitters brands)
Not feeling crafty? Don’t feel like making your own bitters? I don’t blame you!
Don’t get me wrong: making your own digestive bitters is fun and empowering.
But going the “DIY” route is also not the fastest or easiest way to get started working with bitters, especially if you’re seeking relief from digestive health issues sooner rather than later!
If you’d like my two cents on which bitters are best when it comes to digestion, feel free to check out my favorite options for pre-made digestive bitters products available for purchase online, here.
(Generally, if you’re highly sensitive, you may be better off opting for bitter herbs as single liquid extracts, in cases where you don’t know how your body will react to multiple herbs.)
How to take bitters for digestion: best practices
For digestive benefits, bitter herbs are most helpful and effective when taken as herbal tinctures (an alcohol extract of an herb) or as a glycerite (an alcohol-free alternative to tinctures).
That’s because bitter tea is very unpleasant to drink, but capsules bypass your bitter tastebud receptors on your tongue.
Here’s a general step-by-step overview of how to take bitters for better digestion:
- Consult with your treatment team (if navigating any medical condition and/or taking medication) for safety purposes
- Pick an herbal bitters product that appeals to you (and consult with a functional dietitian nutritionist and/or clinical herbalist if unsure)
- Try a drop on your tongue first, to make sure it’s a good fit. Always start small! You can always take more.
- Take up to ~1 to 30 drops of bitters before meals, as needed. Make sure to capture the bitter taste on your tongue (the bitter, the better!) for optimal benefits,
How much is too much?
“Too much” is a relative term.
Bitter herbs are extremely potent, so even 2 to 3 drops of any herb can potentially trigger an adverse reaction (i.e. diarrhea or heartburn) in some cases.
That’s why I always recommend starting with just 1 drop.
Taking digestive bitters in excess can lead to dangerous symptoms such as heartburn, reflux, pain and discomfort, or worse. Since bitters amplify and increase stomach acid, too much bitters can actually cause, amplify or worsen things like hiatal hernias, ulcers, gastritis, colitis, etc.
If you’re experiencing any kind of adverse reaction or being prescribed more than a teaspoon or two of herbal bitters per day, this is likely too much and could be a red flag.
Bottom line: if something feels off, don’t ever hesitate to get a second opinion if you feel you could be overdoing it on bitters or anything else!
Related articles
- Herbal Tea for Digestion – 9 Ways
- Best Carminative Herbs & Supplements for Gas and Bloating
- Best Natural Prokinetic Herbs and Supplements
- Comprehensive List of Monash-Approved Low FODMAP Herbs and Spices (Round-Up)
- 37 Herbs for Leaky Gut & Digestive Health
- Gut-Healing Tea (recipe)
- IBS and Coffee – Can They Co-Exist?
Final thoughts
Bitter herbs can make a wonderful ally for anyone seeking relief from digestive ailments or even heart-related conditions, alongside medical nutrition therapy interventions as needed! Many people who work with digestive bitters are able to find natural relief and start feeling more inspired and empowered on their gut-healing journey.
Much like apple cider vinegar, bitters can serve to help boost and optimize the amount of stomach acid and gastric secretions available to help break down food properly.
However, if you’ve got ulcers or other issues amplified by too much stomach acid, herbal bitters may not be a safe option for you.
While you don’t need to be an herbalist to get started working with bitters, working with a functional dietitian nutritionist and/or a clinical herbalist along the way can help you to speed up your healing, by narrowing down your best options and uncovering which bitters will become your plant allies.
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