The Benefits of Bitter Herbs by Dylan Parry BSc Hons - Clinical Herbalist

Health Benefits of Herbal Bitters

Most people wrinkle their noses at bitter-tasting foods and make strange faces when consuming them. But have you ever thought that this taste could provide numerous health benefits?
Today, we’re going to discuss the benefits of herbal bitters and how they affect physiological functioning.

 Herbal Bitters

Herbal bitters are plants that contain various chemical compounds which elicit a bitter taste and have a physiological action on the body.
These herbs contain constituents such as volatile oils, phenolics, alkaloids, or sesquiterpenes, which give the herb its bitter action and taste.
There are numerous bitter herbs growing throughout the world, and they all have therapeutic value due to their bitterness!

The Energetics of Bitters

Herbal energetics are a mode of herbal medicine, in which herbalists describe the therapeutic character and personality of the plant, which can be relayed into their action on the human body.

Bitters are described as having cooling, dispersing and downward moving energetics. This is because they reduce inflammation, help disperse congestion (i.e. build-up of toxins in the liver) and have a downward action (i.e. they are emotionally grounding). 

The Therapeutic Value and Action of Bitters

Let’s start with the taste and the sensations that eating bitters causes!
Bitterness is one of the five “basic tastes” and is usually undesired by humans. However, when a bitter herb is consumed, 26 membrane proteins called type-2 taste receptors (TAS2Rs), also known as bitter taste receptors, are activated. These receptors are in your mouth and throughout your gastrointestinal tract.
This activation sends numerous nerve signals throughout your body, triggering

various physiological functions: 

 The Vagus Nerve

• The vagus nerve carries signals between your brain, digestive system, and heart. Its main role is to control automatic functions, such as breathing, digestion, and heart rate. The vagus nerve is a crucial part of your parasympathetic nervous system, which is one-half of your autonomic nervous system and is involved in the "fight or flight" response. Bitters have a strong affinity for stimulating the vagus nerve, which triggers a cascade of events throughout the body
• Digestive Benefits
  When bitter compounds interact with the receptors in the gut, they stimulate the gut’s own nervous system (enteric nervous system). This system then communicates with the brain through the vagus nerve, creating a feedback loop that helps regulate digestive processes, including gastric motility and enzyme secretion. This aids in proper digestive contraction and the movement of food through the gastrointestinal system, helping to prevent diarrhoea or constipation. Increased secretion of digestive enzymes—such as bile from the liver, gastric acid in the stomach, and saliva in the mouth—improves digestion and nutrient absorption, while also supporting liver function to detoxify the body.
• Nervous System Benefits
  In herbal medicine, the bitter taste is considered emotionally grounding and can help quell fears and promote calmness. This effect is also linked to the vagus nerve, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system, regulating breathing and slowing heart rate, thus snapping the body out of the fight-or-flight response.

               Who Are Bitters Good For?

 The stereotype of a person who benefits from bitters is someone with sluggish    digestion that struggles to function properly, as bitters help regulate the gastrointestinal system. They are also beneficial for those who are nutritionally depleted due to poor gut health, which hinders nutrient absorption. Bitters are useful for individuals who feel "on edge" or "up in the air" and need something to bring them back down to earth. However, use caution when taking bitters if you don’t feel ready to relax and be grounded.

Examples of Bitter Herbs and Their Uses:

• Gentian (Gentiana lutea)
  It would be foolish to write about bitters without mentioning the wonderfully potent Gentian, also known as Bitter Root or Bitter wort. This herb can be tasted even in a 1:50 dilution ratio! That’s how strong it is. It’s a fantastic herb for grounding those who are stressed. Due to its potency, it’s also great for stimulating the digestive system and helping it function properly. Additionally, Gentian helps reduce inflammation in the digestive tract.
• Dandelion Root (Taraxacum officinale radix)
  Dandelion root is a gentle herb with many therapeutic benefits and can be taken long-term. It is known as a cholagogue, which means it specifically stimulates the liver to secrete bile, supporting liver health and detoxification. This action can help alleviate conditions related to waste and toxin buildup, such as acne. Increased bile secretion also aids in breaking down fats and nutrients from food, improving nutrition.
• Vervain (Verbena officinalis)
  Vervain is a wonderful herb for both the nervous and digestive systems. Used for centuries as a nervous system restorative, Vervain helps with nervous exhaustion, low mood, and anxiety, likely due to its bitterness. Classified as a nervous system trophorestorative, it repairs the nervous system. It is also a tonic herb, meaning it can be safely used long-term. Additionally, its bitterness enhances liver function, helping the liver metabolize and excrete excess hormones. Thus, this herb is beneficial for individuals with mood swings due to hormonal fluctuations, as seen in PMS, menopause, and puberty.
• Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)                                                       This bitter is best known for its use in the alcoholic spirit, Absinthe. Wormwood’s most notable plant constituent is Thujone, which gives the herb some of its medicinal action, however it can be toxic in excess. Therefore, respect is needed and seeking advice when consuming this herb is recommended. However, Wormwood can be beneficial in cleansing the body of intestinal worms and parasites, due to its constituents. It is a digestive stimulant and can be beneficial where there is malabsorption and weak peristalsis due to a weak digestive system. The strong bitter and aromatic quality of this herb allows for it to have an antispasmodic action, causing the relaxation of the digestive tract, which aids with the clearing of trapped wind and bloating, as well as relaxing spasms in intestinal colic. Wormwood has also been shown to have a hepatoprotective action (liver-protecting), therefore it is useful in conditions such as hepatitis.

Please be aware that this herb is contraindicated in pregnancy, kidney disease, hyperacidity and children under 12 years old and caution is advised with peptic ulcers.

• Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)                                                                 This herb is in the same family as Wormwood and has actions which can be related to its plant cousin. This herb is a decongesting and stimulating bitter, with an affinity to the digestive, nervous and female reproductive system. It has a history of use as a menstrual and digestive herb. Mugwort is a great herb for secondary amenorrhoea (lack of menstruation), as it induces menstruation. Furthermore, its aromatic bitterness has an antispasmodic action on the uterine tissue and therefore can be used for painful periods (dysmenorrhoea). Again, like Wormwood, Mugwort can be used for weak digestion and digestive insufficiency, to help with lack of appetite, bloating, and colic and it has an antiparasitic action.

• Andrographis paniculata (Green chiretta)                                             This herb has been termed as the Ayurvedic king of bitters. It is used for digestive weakness and liver insufficiency, as it stimulates the liver to secrete bile which helps for the proper digestion of foods and increases liver health. This herb has an immunostimulant action, which means that it can be used for acute infections, chronic infections and can be taken as infection prevention. This herb also has an antimicrobial action and is beneficial where there is gut dysbiosis (Overgrown ‘bad’ gut flora), H. pylori infections and peptic ulcers where there is risk H.pylori. Please note that this herb is contraindicated in pregnancy.

 How to Take Bitter Herbs

You can take bitter herbs as tincture drops (Herbs extracted in alcohol + water) under the tongue or as an herbal infusion (Loose leaf herbs steeped in water).

 As long as you taste the bitterness, you’ll benefit from their full effects.

However, before taking any herbs, pregnant women and children under 12 years should consult a health practitioner and inform their GP. People suffering from major chronic illnesses such as heart, kidney or any other, should consult with their practitioners prior to taking any of the above mentioned, or any other herbs, especially if they are on medications.

                      References

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Behrens M, Ziegler F. Structure-Function Analyses of Human Bitter Taste Receptors-Where Do We Stand? Molecules. 2020 Sep 26;25(19):4423. doi: 10.3390/molecules25194423.

Bonaz B, Sinniger V, Pellissier S. The Vagus Nerve in the Neuro-Immune Axis: Implications in the Pathology of the Gastrointestinal Tract. Front Immunol. 2017 Nov 2; 8:1452. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01452.

Xinyue Zhou, Han Wang, Ming Huang, Jin Chen, Jianle Chen, Huan Cheng, Xingqian Ye, Wenjun Wang, Donghong Liu. Role of bitter contributors and bitter taste receptors: a comprehensive review of their sources, functions and future development, Food Science and Human Wellness,13, 4,2024,1806-1824. doi.org/10.26599/FSHW.2022.9250151.