Bitter is Better for Digestion

“Happiness for me is largely a matter of digestion.”
― Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living

Heartburn, indigestion, constipation, and bloating are all familiar – and uncomfortable – symptoms of sluggish digestion. But there’s a way to stimulate your digestion and address the underlying causes of digestive discomfort – naturally and simply.

Digestion is a cascade of physiological events that starts before you even put food in your mouth. That anticipatory “mouth-watering” effect that happens before a delicious meal is your digestive process being sparked by sight and aroma!

Bitters provide a similar effect when taken before a meal. When we eat bitter foods, they stimulate specific receptors on the tongue that send messages to the brain. This prompts the release of a hormone known as “gastrin,” which promotes the secretion of gastric acid.

Using traditional bitters strengthens digestion and helps to set its process in motion, with benefits including:

Reducing Heartburn and Indigestion

Contrary to popular belief, inadequate stomach acid production is often responsible for heartburn – not too much. Antacids can exacerbate the issue. When there isn’t ample stomach acid, food is slower to break down and can sometimes back up into the esophagus, causing “heartburn.” Bitters trigger the healthy production of stomach acid to sufficiently break down food. They are also said to help tone the muscles at the bottom of the esophagus, discouraging reflux.

Lighting Your “Digestive Fire”

Bitters encourage the production of hydrochloric acid, digestive enzymes, and bile – the crucial elements of the “digestive fire” or agni, an Ayurvedic concept of digestive power. These secretions are essential for breaking down and metabolizing food throughout the entire gastrointestinal tract.

Reducing Sugar Cravings

Bitters can help to cut back on sugar cravings, as their taste counters the brain receptors that encourage a sweet tooth.

Increasing Nutrient Absorption

By promoting gastric juice secretion, appetite, and general digestion, bitters help your body break down food and metabolize nutrients effectively.

St. Francis Herb Farm’s Canadian Bitters

St. Francis Herb Farm’s Canadian Bitters contain a spectrum of many traditional, natural bitters with a variety of health-supporting properties:

• Globe artichoke has proven antioxidant, liver-protective, bile-enhancing, and cholesterol-lowering activity.
• Dandelion is helpful in treating digestive disturbances (dyspepsia) and increasing bile flow.
• Gentian is a quintessentially strong bitter that makes for an excellent appetite stimulant.
• Chamomile relaxes and tones the nervous system while soothing the gastrointestinal tract.
• Turmeric acts as a digestive stimulant and powerful anti-inflammatory.
• Cardamom relieves gas and enhances the activity of trypsin, which relates to the digestion of protein.
• Burdock is used medicinally as a blood-purifying herb, helping to stimulate the detoxifying systems of the body and remove accumulated waste through the kidneys and other organs.
• Black walnut helps eliminate unwanted microbes from the large intestine and is antifungal and effective against dysentery.
• Ginger is a warming digestive stimulant with superb anti-cramping and anti-inflammatory qualities, making it a classic and highly effective remedy for colic, nausea, and any kind of stomach upset.

Canadian Bitters can be taken daily to help support and strengthen the organs of digestion. They are not habit-forming, unlike other laxative-heavy bitters formulas.

Adding bitters to your routine is easy – simply take 1–1.5 mL (30–45 drops) three times daily in a little water, on an empty stomach. Take them 15–60 minutes before meals, after a heavy meal, or when discomfort occurs. They can also be added to cocktails, mocktails, or a splash of natural juice to liven up the flavour – with added benefits.

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