As an integrative and functional nutritionist, gut health expert, and clinical herbalist who’s been in remission from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) since 2014, digestive herbal bitters are a long-time ally– both personally (for myself) and in clinical practice!
That’s because bitter-tasting herbs have been shown to offer a wide range of research-backed health benefits, mostly in the realm of digestive support (when taken in liquid form, such as in herbal tinctures).
But there are countless types and combos of bitter herbs, and an equal or greater number of herbal bitters brands and products on the market to choose from.
So, I’ve done some heavy-lifting to help you to narrow down your options! Check out my current favorite brands and types of bitters for digestion (and why), below.
Disclaimer: This article was written for educational and informational purposes. The information in this post is generalized and should not replace 1-1 consultation with qualified healthcare providers.
- The information in this article is subject to change quickly, so this article will be updated periodically.
Affiliate disclosure: This post contains affiliate links* for some of my favorite products. Whole-istic Living may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our affiliate links, at no extra cost to you!
Table of Contents
Best digestive bitters brands
If you’ve landed here, you most likely already know what bitter herbs are – and that they’re good for supporting and enhancing digestion, especially for many people with IBS, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), or sucrase-isomaltase deficiency – whether congenital (CSID) or acquired (ASID).
So let’s get right down to business, starting with my favorite brands of bitters! (Side note: these types of bitters are totally different from the kinds of bitters you’ll see recommended from bartenders and cocktail connoisseurs. That’s because these herbal bitters are not meant for recreational purposes – this stuff is clinical-grade!)
You should be really picky when it comes to choosing brands of herbal products.
My non-negotiable criteria for endorsing herbal bitters brands include the following:
- Certified organic
- Sustainable and ethical harvesting and sourcing
- Quality-controlled storage practices
Additional criteria I always try to go with when endorsing brands include the following:
- Third-party tested, whenever possible
My top 11 favorite digestive bitters brands include the following:
- JÜJ Digestive Bitters*
- Texas Medicinals
- Mountain Rose Herbs*
- Herbalist & Alchemist
- Urban Moonshine
- Gaia
- Dr. Shades (QuikSilver)
- HerbPharm
- Vitannica
- Natura Sophia Spagyrics
- Dr. Mercola
- WishGarden Herbs
(If you’re new to bitter herbs for digestion, you may want to check out my beginner’s guide to bitter herbs for digestion here.)
Below are my favorite herbal bitters products, by category (and what I love about each of them!).
Best herbal bitters products: RD picks
Most economical (best for the price)
- Texas Medicinals Lemon, Lime & Gentian Bitters (a local biz & new product!)
- On Fullscript: Herb Pharm’s Better Bitters
- Off Fullscript: Mountain Rose Herbs Classic Herbal Bitters*
Best-tasting
These are great on their own or in some seltzer water, or added into a mocktail, for the sober-curious:
- JÜJ Cranbiscus Bitters* (currently sold out, but subject to change!)
- Affiliate code: JENNA for 10% off
- Texas Medicinals Lemon, Lime, and Gentian Bitters
- JÜJ Cacao Digestive Bitters*
- Affiliate code: JENNA for 10% off
- Mountain Rose Herbs Chai Herbal Bitters*
Best celiac-safe bitters
JÜJ Bitters* is a top-notch high-quality, 100% celiac-safe brand of bitters specially formulated and crafted by my colleague (Meg Gerber), a functional registered dietitian with celiac disease.
As a JÜJ customer and connoisseur, I’ve tried all four kinds in this variety pack and highly recommend it – even for folks who don’t have celiac!
I also love WishGarden Herbs, a small family-owned farm & business since 1979 which uses certified gluten-free alcohol in their herbal tinctures and digestive bitters.
- These products are often available in the supplement aisle of some stores such as Sprouts, natural food stores, and Whole Foods!
Best for SIBO
As a natural prokinetic herb, artichoke leaf extract has become one of my go-to bitter herbal extracts for clients with SIBO.
That’s because artichoke leaf extract is naturally bitter, prokinetic, and liver-supporting – all characteristics of herbs/supplements needed for a holistic SIBO treatment plan. (Why add more, when we can consolidate and keep things as simple as possible?)
I also prefer to recommend artichoke leaf as a single-herb extract (versus in a fancy blend) in these cases. That’s because many of my clients with SIBO are highly sensitive, and don’t do well with too many cooks in the kitchen (metaphorically speaking) when it comes to herbal blends. (How will we be able to discern what’s doing what?!)
Here are my fave artichoke leaf tincture products:
- HerbPharm artichoke leaf tincture (also available on Fullscript)
- Mountain Rose Herbs artichoke leaf tincture*
Most effective for constipation
Even those of us in remission from IBS can be prone to occasional bouts of constipation… especially when traveling!
IMO, generally speaking (disclaimer: this is not medical advice), the best and most effective herbal bitters for constipation-prone peeps tend to be bitters that contain the following types of herbs, which I find to be more moving and stimulating for a stagnant gut compared to many other bitter herbs:
- HerbPharm artichoke leaf tincture (also available on Fullscript)
- Mountain Rose Herbs artichoke leaf tincture*
- Texas Medicinals yellow dock root (Rumex crispus) tincture
- Mountain Rose yellow dock root (Rumex crispus) tincture*
- Mountain Rose Herbs dandelion root tincture (Taraxacum officinale)*
If your constipation is triggered by a bout of stress, on the other hand, bitters containing calming herbal ingredients (like chamomile) may help to take the edge off.
- For example, Urban Moonshine’s Organic Calm Tummy Bitters (contains chamomile as a key ingredient) might be worth trying out for cases of stress-induced travel constipation (alongside other interventions, as needed).
You may try those out as single-herb extracts, or in blends such as:
- JÜJ Lemon Digestive Bitters* (affiliate code: JENNA for 10% off)
Best for nausea
Urban Moonshine’s Organic Calm Tummy Bitters (which contain ginger and chamomile as key ingredients) could make a great ally, if you’re prone to nausea.
Best for diarrhea
From a constitutional standpoint, gentian root is a cooling, drying type of bitter herb that may potentially help to “dry out” an inflamed, overly damp gastrointestinal (GI) constitution. 😎
You can find gentian root as a primary ingredient in (but not limited to) the following digestive herbal bitters products:
- Texas Medicinals Lemon, Lime, and Gentian Bitters
- Wise Woman Herbals Bitter Tonic (also on Fullscript)
- Mountain Rose Herbs gentian root tincture*
- Wise Woman Herbals gentian root tincture (also on Fullscript)
Note: if your diarrhea is caused by an underlying microbial imbalance (such as dysbiosis or fungal overgrowth), you may benefit from bitter-tasting herbs with antimicrobial properties such as:
- Oregon grape root
- Goldenseal
- Barberry
- Disclaimer: don’t take these without clinical supervision!
Best for gas and bloat
The best herbal bitters for folks experiencing gas and bloat would be single extracts or bitter herbal blends featuring the following carminative herbs:
- Fennel extract
- Chamomile extract
- Ginger extract
- Anise extract
Many, many bitter herbal extracts contain fennel and ginger!
If you’re looking for a carminative herbal blend featuring gentian root, ginger, and anise, Wise Woman Herbals Bitter Tonic (also available on Fullscript) might be worth checking out!
On the other hand, if you find that your gas and bloat worsens with (or is rooted in) constipation, consider scrolling back up to the best herbal bitters options for constipation. 😉
Best for iron deficiency anemia
While you can’t extract iron from herbs into alcohol (the primary menstruum or solvent used in making herbal tinctures), yellow dock (Rumex crispus) is unique in that it has been said to anecdotally help pull out dormant stored ferritin from the liver and release it into the blood – even when taken in the form of a bitter herbal tincture.
As long as you don’t have ulcers or gastrointestinal bleeding of any kind (in which case you should avoid digestive bitters, especially those containing alcohol), the best digestive bitters for anemia (IMO) would be those containing a significant amount of yellow dock root (Rumex crispus) such as:
- Texas Medicinals yellow dock root (Rumex crispus) tincture
- Mountain Rose yellow dock root (Rumex crispus) tincture*
- JÜJ Lemon Digestive Bitters* (affiliate code: JENNA for 10% off)
Pregnancy-friendly
At this point in time, to the best of my knowledge, Calm Tummy Bitters by Urban Moonshine is the only pregnancy-friendly digestive bitters product on the market. I’ll let you know if that changes!
Kid-friendly
If your kiddo has CSID, while bitter herbs can’t replace a low sucrose therapeutic diet, bitters may still help by optimizing digestive secretions when taken before meals.
The caveat: not all bitter herbs are kid-friendly! Enter:
It contains exclusively kid-friendly herbs, and the herbs are extracted in a glycerine (a gentle, alcohol-free menstruum, or solvent) in place of alcohol.
Who should AVOID digestive bitters?
Remember, just like any other food or supplement, bitter herbs aren’t for everyone!
More specifically, avoid bitters if you have any of the following:
- Kidney stones
- Gallstones
- You’re pregnant (consult your healthcare team first, and stick to the pregnancy-friendly option if anything)
- You have ulcers or GI bleeding of any kind
Related articles
- 15+ Low FODMAP Teas to Try (IBS-Friendly)
- Best Herbs for Leaky Gut & Digestive Health
- How to Make Fresh Ginger Tea (2 Ways)
- Blood-Building Herbs for Iron Deficiency
- Best Teas for Constipation
- Antimicrobial Herbs: List & Expert Guidance
Final thoughts & next steps
To my fellow gut health enthusiasts: we could probably agree we’re fortunate to live in an unprecedented time where we have access to SO many incredible brands of digestive bitters!
The list of products featured in this post isn’t exhaustive – in fact, it doesn’t even cover the tip of the iceberg when it comes to high-quality and effective digestive herbal bitters. We’ve got options, to say the least. 😉
This article is not meant to serve as medical advice, but rather to be a guide to give you some Jenna-approved options and to show you some examples of how you can start to approach herbs (and digestive bitters) more holistically, when it comes to gut health.
Also: I have yet to sample and test out all the different products from the featured list of herbal bitters brands, so this post will be updated periodically as I continue to expand my experiences working with these herbal bitters products.
If you’re navigating tummy issues, and you’re trying to narrow down your options, it can get overwhelming pretty quickly if you try to figure things out on your own. Don’t do that! I strongly encourage you to work with a functional medicine dietitian and clinical herbalist who can help you to choose the best options based on your bio-individuality (your body’s uniqueness).
- While my 1-1 nutrition practice is currently full, feel free to apply to join my 1-1 client waitlist here.
On the other hand, if you’re a fellow health prof interested in learning more about how to support your clients with gut issues in more holistic (but still evidence-based) ways, let’s stay in touch!
- Sign up to join my email list and download a complimentary PDF which features my top 10 favorite online herb stores, as a licensed healthcare provider here.
Thanks for reading, and hopefully I’ll talk to you soon! 🙂
XX – Jenna
