(originally published
Llewellyn's
2010 Herbal Almanac)
Check out my 2 hour online class
on bitters,
with updated handouts,
HERE!
In
medicinal herbcraft,
we sometimes speak of the “actions” of herbs. Most
herb books will have a section listing such properties
as anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, hepatic,
alterative, diuretic, tonic and a plethora of other
words both familiar and obscure. But while these
terms are all grouped together, some actions are far
more telling than others. For example, saying that
an herb is “anti-inflammatory” seems useful, since it
indicates what the herb is used for. But it tells us
nothing of how the plant achieves this end; it tells us
nothing of the herb’s essential nature. Why is the
plant anti-inflammatory? Is it aromatic,
containing volatile oils? Is it rich in
antioxidant flavinoids? In soothing mucilage?
Is it astringent? It is these actions that provide
a foundational understanding of traditional herbcraft,
for in these properties the plants speak to us of their
virtues. A plant’s scent is its language.
Its color communicates. In its flavor it speaks to
us; not in our language, but in its.
Among the most pervasive flavors found in healing herbs
is that of bitterness. Isn’t it interesting that
this flavor, so widespread and variant in so many of
our most trusted remedies, is an unfamiliar one to us?
One that people often claim deters them from plant
medicines? If plants’ tongues speak to our
tongues, then what do we not hear when we taste no
bitterness?
Bitter Deficiency
Syndrome
Bitters are imperative; everyone needs
some bitters in their diet. No traditional culture could
have imagined a diet virtually (if not absolutely)
devoid of any bitter foods - as we seem to have
established in most modern diets. This is not to
say that one should force themselves to eat a bowl of
raw dandelion roots, but to posit that the “medicinal”
actions associated with bitters might be viewed in an
entirely different light.
I am a firm believer in "Bitter Deficiency Syndrome"; a
notion that posits that much of the health woes faced by
modern folk has at its root a lack of bitter flavor in
the diet; and that many of the digestive problems for
which we see bitters as a “remedy” are actually symptoms
of deficiency of this flavor. Perhaps it is not
right to think that bitters should be used to treat
sluggish digestion, but that a lack of bitter flavor in
one’s diet can be a cause of sluggish digestion.
Perhaps many of the conditions calling for bitters as a
remedy arise from their omission, not unlike rickets
arises from a lack of vitamin D.
I was first introduced to the idea of bitter deficiency
syndrome by James Green, who wrote in The Male Herbal:
"It is my opinion that the nearly complete lack of
bitter flavored foods in the overall U.S. and Canadian
diet is a major contributing factor to common cultural
health imbalances such as PMS, other female and male
sexual organ dysfunctions, hormonal imbalances, migraine
headache, indigestion, liver and gall bladder
dysfunction, abnormal metabolism, hypoglycemia,
diabetes, etc."
As the years have passed since I
initially read this, I have come to agree more and more
fervently with this notion, seeing firsthand the
restorative actions of dietary bitters. To better
understand the notion of bitter deficiency syndrome, let
us look at the scope of bitter’s virtues.
A Flavor and an
Action
One cannot separate the taste of
bitterness from its medicine. Though as with all things
there are exceptions, it can be broadly stated that by
simply tasting bitterness in an herb, one can
immediately know a number of the plant’s virtues. Should
one not taste the plant’s bitterness (perhaps the plant
is trapped inside a capsule), the actions of the plant
will not fully manifest. Its potential is masked with
its flavor.
What is it that bitters do? It is often summarized that
bitters stimulate digestive secretions and the
metabolism as a whole, and in so doing increase
appetite, relieve constipation, and generally ease the
heavy glumness of sluggish digestion. But, this is
really too simple and cursory a summation, and a deeper
look into the actions of bitters is not only
theoretically insightful but practically invaluable.
The Scope of
Bitters
Bitters stimulate all digestive
secretions: saliva, acids, enzymes, hormones, bile, and
so forth. Each of these acts as a solvent to break down
food for absorption, and the quantity and quality of
these fluids ensure proper nutrition. Inadequate
production of these secretions is common in modern
cultures (i.e. cultures lacking bitters in their diet),
and the implications of such deficiencies are myriad.
When first tasted, bitters promote
salivation, which begins the process of digestion by
breaking down starches and beginning to work on fats.
Taste receptors in the mouth (there are over twenty-five
different bitter taste receptors) recognize the presence
of bitters, and trigger a system-wide reaction throughout the digestive tract.
In the stomach, sufficient hormones, acids, and enzymes
are needed to help break down proteins and
carbohydrates, and to free up minerals for assimilation.
Bitters stimulate the secretion of the hormone gastrin,
which regulates the production of gastric acid.
Inadequate stomach acid will prevent the uptake of
minerals, which will in turn rob the body of essential
nutrition needed for wellness (even if those nutrients
are being consumed as foods or supplements). Low acid
also weakens stomach tissues, and is often the
foundational cause of esophageal reflux (though most
people mistakenly believe they have too much acid). It
is well known that as people pass into their elder
years, they produce less stomach acid. This is sometimes
remedied by taking supplemental hydrochloric acid, but
it makes far more sense to restore bitters to the diet,
which will allow the body to produce its own acid,
rather than relying on a supplement and allowing bitter
deficiency to continue. Bitters also increase production
of the enzymes pepsin, which helps break down proteins,
and intrinsic factor, which is essential for the
absorption of vitamin B12, which has far-reaching
effects ranging from blood building to neurological
function.
Bitters act on both the pancreas and liver/gallbladder,
helping to normalize blood sugar and promote the
production and release of pancreatic enzymes and bile,
which ensure good digestion of fats and oils. A healthy
flow of bile helps rid the liver of waste products,
prevents the formation of gallstones, and emulsifies
lipids, which the pancreatic enzymes then break down
along with proteins and carbohydrates for absorption in
the small intestine. Bile also provides
lubrication for the intestines, helping to facilitate
the passage of digested food. Deficient bile and
sluggish liver/gall bladder function can lead to dryness
in the intestines, which is often a cause of chronic
constipation. Bitters also promote secretion of
digestive juices within the small intestine, further
aiding bowel transit and nutrient assimilation. New Mexican herbalist Kiva Rose
adds:
"In close relationship to the effects on both the
liver and pancreas, bitter herbs and foods can often
dramatically help the irritability, bloating, moodiness,
and digestive up- set of PMS."
In addition to the action of bitters on digestive
secretions, they also strengthen the tone of tissues
throughout the digestive tract, as well as aid in the
healing of damaged mucous membranes. This helps resolve
conditions ranging from gastroesophageal reflux to
ulcers to leaky gut syndrome. Peristalsis, the wavelike
contractions of muscles lining the digestive organs is
likewise enhanced, helping move digestate through and
out of the body.
All these actions, taken together, can have a net result
of re- storing appetite, indicating bitters for loss of
appetite resulting from causes ranging from chronic
indigestion to illness to anorexia nervosa. On the other
end of the spectrum, bitters also seem to be very useful
when addressing cravings, particularly of sweets. I
believe the craving our minds feel for sweets is literally the craving our bodies have for bitters. In their
natural form, most sweet flavors are associated with
some degree of bitterness (sweet foods and herbs such as
pure sugarcane, licorice root, and stevia all possess
some bitterness). Any bitter flavor, though, is removed
entirely when sugars are refined. Our bodies evolved
with this association and they still remember it; hence,
sweet cravings are a way our bodies have of asking us
for bitters, and they can often be sated by tasting
things that are bitter. Cravings need not be relegated
to food, however. Small doses of many bitter herbs can
be very helpful for cravings associated with many
addictions, due to their calming affect on mood
(elaborated on below). An example of this is the chewing
of calamus root to ease the cravings for tobacco.
Traditional herbalism in cultures throughout the world
consider bitters to have a “downward” action. This
refers not only to bitters more readily perceived
digestive actions (including their admirable efficacy in
resolving bad breath arising from the gut), but also to
their more esoteric virtues.
Bitters tend to be grounding, helping to strengthen
one’s connection to instinct. They help to shift people
from intellectual “brain” energy (which looks at things,
takes them apart, and sees the pieces) to gut energy
(which reacts to things instinctually, independent of
intellectual consideration). An example of this might
be when a person meets someone, and initially gets a bad
vibe for them, but then goes on a head trip about how
they’re being judgmental and how they’re probably
projecting and they’re going to let go of their
preconceptions... only to discover (time and again)
after doing so that their gut was right in the first
place.
Bitters can also help people return to present moment
reality. In “not here” situations, bitters will help
bring someone from wherever they’re “at” back to the
present. This has to do with the head/gut dynamic as
well. Head energy is notoriously “not present;” rather,
the person’s consciousness exists where their thoughts
are. A taste of bitter helps to reground a person to the
present.
British herbalist Sarah Head has called the bitter
flavor of bitters “releasing.” Reaching beyond the
physiological release of gastrointestinal (GI) fluids,
we can see that they help one let go of stuck
energy—particularly anger and frustration—emotions often
viewed in traditional medicine as being tied to
stagnant/sluggish liver energy. Bitters, in addition to
releasing bile, also help people let go of the emotional
energies housed in different organs.
This correlation between bitters and mood may seem to
some speculative or even spurious, but here there is
abundant rational evidence to support the assertions
(for those who are stuck in their head energy). The
gastrointestinal system, as a whole, houses the enteric
nervous system (ENS), a part of the autonomic nervous
system that controls the involuntary goings-on of
digestion. But this isn’t the only role played by the
ENS. Many people are surprised to discover that the
brunt of mood-related hormones and neurotransmitters,
including serotonin, dopamine, endorphins, and
benzodiazepines, are produced not primarily in the
brain, but in the gut by the enteric nervous system. So,
if your metabolism is deficient, and the GI tract has to
deal with the problems that come along with deficiency,
wouldn’t it seem reasonable that some- thing we know
perks up GI functions (bitters) might perk up the
production of mood-related hormones as well? This seems
especially likely when we consider that we know bitters
stimulate the production of the hormone gastrin, and the
action of serotonin in the gut, which is to calm
irritation, and promote peristalsis and digestive
secretions. Practically speaking, bitters do indeed
serve as excellent calmatives and often can banish
depression correlated with digestive deficiencies.
So, to summarize, we see that bitters possess a
corrective influence over sluggish metabolism, deficient
stomach acid, and bile secretion resulting in difficulty
digesting fats, oils, and proteins, nutrient deficiency,
loss of appetite, cravings, addictions, ungroundedness,
anxiety, depression, and other conditions that are
rampant in our culture. That these conditions are among
the most frequently medicated, using both over the
counter and prescription drugs, underscores the merit of
using bitter plants.
Contraindications
and Considerations
Bitters are considered “cold” in energy
in traditional herbcraft, and long-term or heavy use is
said to “cool the digestion,” something not seen as
desirable. This doesn’t mean their use should be
avoided, but that they can benefit from combining them
with a warming herb (ginger, for example), or by the use
of bitters that are also warming (like calamus or
angelica).
Another consideration is that if a person is frequently
bothered by intestinal gas, pungent, aromatic,
“carminative” herbs (such as fennel, orange peel,
chamomile, or anise) should be added, as the volatile
oils they contain possess a dispersive effect and their
use helps to expel gas.
Bitters are also said to be drying, because the
increased secretions they stimulate remove fluids from
the body. Constitutional dryness is often associated
with nervous anxiety, and again our friend Kiva Rose
offers an insightful observation:
"I have observed bitters having the ability to space out
already airy people. This seems to be because of the
drying qualities, and these vata-ish airy people need
extra moisture to keep them grounded and present, when
they dry up, they have a tendency to blow away."
This isn’t really a contraindication for bitters, but it
does present a need to complement them with something
moistening. Licorice (itself mildly bitter) is an exemplary consideration
here.
Some bitters, such as fenugreek, also provide a
mucilaginous based moisture
to address this aspect.
These considerations regarding bitters are easily
addressed by combining bitters with other herbs in a
formula, or by using those bitters that are also
warming, aromatic, or moistening. Also, such issues are
most pertinent when using more overtly medicinal
bitters, as opposed to nutrient-rich foods which possess
a bitter flavor.
Bitter Foods and
Bitter Medicines
The quality of a plant’s bitterness is
widely variable in both character and degree. Many
bitter herbs are more accurately referred to as foods,
while others are decidedly medicinal in their action. Bitter foods should be considered essential to good
nutrition, whereas bitters of a more medicinal nature
should be reserved to address specific concerns not
remedied by dietary bitters.
How can you discern between dietary and medicinal bitters? Primarily by whether the plant can be considered a
food you can easily eat. Dietary bitters consist of many
incredibly nutritious leafy greens. The very notion of
having salad before a meal originates from the role of
the bitter greens that were once the mainstay of salads.
Indeed, salad wasn’t always chopped iceberg lettuce and
fatty dressings, but used to be made from wild leafy
herbs such as dandelion and chicory, or many of the
common weeds that naturally spring up around human
habitations. These nutrient-rich herbs were complemented
by vinegar dressings, which also serve to extract their
minerals for optimal absorption. A salad of this nature
not only serves as a nutritious appetizer, but also aids
in the digestion of heavier foods, which often make up
the “main course” of meals.
Medicinal bitters are too powerful in flavor to make
useful foods. Few indeed (even me) would care to sit
down to a soufflé of gentian roots, or replace their
tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) with wormwood
(Artemisia absinthium). Such herbs are appropriately
used to address a particular need, be it chronic
indigestion or that heavy, stuffed feeling that often
follows liberal holiday feasting.
Using Bitters in
Food and Medicine
So how does one go about introducing
bitters into their diet? Initially, by the gradual
inclusion of bitter foods, which include a slew of
immensely nutritious greens, high in vitamins, minerals
and other nutrients we don’t yet value enough. When
making your next salad, try adding some of the many
bitter greens, available either from your own healthily
neglected lawn or even many supermarkets. Arugula,
watercress, endive, radicchio, and various mustard
greens can be found at many groceries these days, either
on their own or in herb or “spring mixes.” Even better,
dandelion, chicory, and other weedy plants will grow of
their own accord in your yard (without any work from
you) if you let them—wild bitter greens abound.
Likewise, such greens can be used to top sandwiches or
garnish familiar dishes. I often top pasta with a blend
of slivered dandelion leaves and sesame and ground flax
seeds, and have been known to bring in a small bag of
bitter leaves to re- place the sad looking lettuce
restaurants place atop a sandwich.
Stir fries are spruced up by such greens, thrown in
shortly before serving, and pestos can even be made
more nutritious and palatable by blending such plants as
garlic mustard in with the basil.
A few considerations are worthy of mentioning. If the
bitter flavor is new to you, and seems more agreeable
to your brain than your palate, ease bitters into your
dietary repertoire. Taste different bitters individually
to see which one’s you like best, and blend them into a
salad consisting of milder or sweeter greens (including
other wild plants, such as chickweed or violet leaves). You needn’t clobber yourself over the tongue with their
flavor; just add enough to sense their bite.
Acids generally complement both the flavor and effects
of bitters. As mentioned above, vinegar can be used as a
dressing on salads, and will both mellow the flavor and
aid in the assimilation of minerals. Ginger in a
dressing will also “warm up” the flavor. A splash of
lemon juice, or the addition of sun-dried tomatoes, can
likewise make bitter greens more palatable. Fats,
spices, and a bit of sea salt also help balance and
enhance the bitters’ bite.
Although initially an unfamiliar taste you may feel an
aversion to, you’ll probably find that the body quickly
recognizes the essential nature of bitters. After using
them a bit, the brain registers that the body is
reacting to them in an “Oh, finally!” manner. Once we
feel them satiate a craving we’ve long nursed and tried
unsuccessfully to fill with something else, it clicks.
The use of medicinal bitters often requires more
consideration, though there are a number of simple
indications for their use. Most simple, acute
indigestion can be allayed by a small dose of bitters;
10 to 30 drops of a bitter tincture will relieve the
slow, stuffed, stagnant feeling that comes with
too-liberal feasting. In fact, the addition of Angostura
bitters to champagne is intended to do just that. For
more developed or chronic health concerns, greater
discernment is required when choosing which herbs to
use, and further study or the insights of a
knowledgeable herbalist are likely warranted.
Bitter tinctures can be made simply by soaking chopped
dandelion or yellow dock roots in vodka in a mason jar
for a few weeks, or they can be formulated from several
plants for a broader action. I often make a
simple, mild but effective tincture blend of
dandelion root and orange peel spiced with a bit of ginger,
which tastes quite nice and works equally well. If
I want it to be more overtly bitter, I can add a bit of
gentian. Small quantities of bitter teas can also be used; and, in fact,
the familiar and tasty chamomile, if made by steeping an
ounce of the dried flowers in a quart of water just off
the boil overnight, yields a potent brew, both bitter
and aromatic. Such a strong infusion can be taken in an
ounce or so as a dose (you don't need to drink a whole
cup), with the excess frozen in ice
cube trays and thawed as needed to lessen the task of
daily tea making. It’s worth noting that bitters that
are also diaphoretic, such as chamomile, may favor
sweating over GI effects when drunk hot, and so best
consumed lukewarm, cool, or cold.
The Bitter End
What seems to us as bitter trials are
often blessings in disguise.
~Oscar Wilde
While not referring to the taste of plants, this
sentiment holds true when applied to them. People
associated bitterness with negative virtues such as
spite and resentment, and yet, what emotional bitterness
really originates from is stagnation; the inability to
release a belief or feeling that no longer serves, but
rather hinders, our wellness, development, and growth. The bitter person is oppressed by avoidance of the very
thing they cannot let go. Only by embracing bitterness
can we learn what it has to offer—to teach us. In this
embrace we find it rich in medicine.
As it applies to herbs, these same factors resonate. We
avoid bitterness because its taste seems uncomfortable;
it challenges us. And yet when embraced, we find what it
offers us is an abundance of medicine, which allows us
to escape from a state of stagnation and release those
things, both physiological and emotional, that hinder
the blossoming of our wellness.
Check out my 2 hour online class on bitters, with
updated handouts,
HERE!
References
Breakspear, Ian.
“The Bitters.” Client Handout. 2005.
Garner-Wizard, Mariann. “HerbClip™ Bitters: Their
History, Conceptual Context, and Health Benefits.”
Retrieved online at http://content.herbalgram.org/wholefoodsmarket/
HerbClip/pdfs/020442-258.pdf on September 10, 2008.
Green, James. The Male Herbal: Health Care for Men and
Boys.
California: The Crossing Press, 1991.
Hardin, Kiva Rose. “The Medicine Woman’s Roots Terms of
the Trade 4: Bitters.”
Retrieved on September 10, 2008,
online at http://bearmedicineherbals.com/.
Head, Sarah.
“Bitters: Herbs which promote release?”
Retrieved on September 13, 2008, online at http://kitchenherbwife.blogspot.com/2008/07/bitters-
herbs-which-promote-release.html.
Hoffmann, David. Medical Herbalism: The Science and
Practice of Herbal Medicine. Vermont: Healing Arts
Press, 2003.
Hoffmann, David. Healthy Digestion: A Natural Approach
to Relieving Indigestion, Gas, Heartburn, Constipation,
Colitis & More.
Massachusetts: Storey Publishing, LLC,
2000.
“Herbwifery Forum: Bitters.” Retrieved online at http://herbwifery.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=272
on September 14, 2008.
King, Dr. Rosalyn M. “The Enteric Nervous System: The
Brain in the Gut.”
Retrieved on September 8, 2008,
online at http://www.psyking.net/id36.htm.
© jim
mcdonald
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