Digestive Bitters

Digestive bitters help support and improve your digestion. They are made from a combination of bitter-tasting herbs to stimulate the digestive system and promote better digestion. Bitters have a long history of use in traditional medicine around the world.

1. Bitter Herbs: The primary ingredients in herbal digestive bitters are bitter-tasting herbs. I have made many different combinations of bitters, but my favorite one (and the one I try to always keep in stock!) includes Oregon grape root, rosehips, dandelion root, lemon balm, and cardamom. It has a yummy spiced bitter flavor!

2. How they work: Bitters work by stimulating various digestive processes. When you taste the bitterness, it triggers the release of saliva and digestive enzymes in the mouth and stomach, which helps you break down food more efficiently. Bitters also stimulate the gallbladder to release bile, which is important for fat digestion, and they can promote peristalsis which moves food through your digestive tract.

3. Benefits: Digestive bitters can help address a wide range of digestive issues: indigestion, bloating, gas, sluggish digestion, etc.

4. Liver support: Many of the bitter herbs used in digestive bitters are herbs that help support the liver…Oregon grape root & dandelion root are two amazing liver support herbs in my favorite blend.

5. How to use them: Digestive bitters are usually found in a tincture form. I have made bitters either with an alcohol or apple cider vinegar base, but the most popular one I make is in an alcohol base. You just take a couple of droppers about 15 minutes before a meal! Super easy. A lot of bitter herbs aren’t recommended during pregnancy or nursing, but I have a pregnancy safe blend in the works that is made with an apple cider vinegar base & herbs that are safe to take while pregnant and/or nursing!