Bitters: Why Use Them?

judsoncarroll4
judsoncarroll4 Posts: 5,490 admin
edited October 2020 in Herbal Medicine-Making

Just got this from Healthy Hildegard.... one caveat though, I don't like Bitters in tablet form, because I think you need to taste the bitter herbs and most people just swallow them down quickly - you are supposed to let them melt on your tongue or dissolve in a beverage. I think bitters in liquid form are far more effective. But, the tablets are convenient for travel and such.

Bitters: Why Use Them?

The body's ability to recognize positive and negative bitters implies these flavors are not just a means to survive, but also a means to thrive.Most western diets have all but abandoned the bitter flavor profile. Among the five flavors we humans appreciate (salt, sweet, umami, sour, and bitter), most westerners actively avoid bitter foods. In fact, bitters serve an important role, by awakening bitter receptors throughout the body, including the gastrointestinal tract and the skin. Reacquainting with bitter flavors helps balance the palate, while contributing to digestive health.  

For centuries monks and nuns throughout western Europe have used bitter herbs and roots to manage cravings during spiritual fasting periods and intermittent fasting. Ancient Romans used bitter herbs as pre-meal digestives to stimulate digestion and manage portion control

Reintroducing bitters to a western diet with Hildegard’s Original Bitters Tablets, serves to re-acquaint the palate with an under-represented flavor, and loosens the grip of longstanding vices, such as cravings for sweets. Add bitters tablets to tea, as an alternative to coffee, to help break addictions to caffeine.

An appreciation for bitter flavors corresponds with digestive health and balanced appetite. The old German adage implores: “the less you like bitter, the more you need it!”

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