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8/16/2021

Bitter and Carminative Herbs for Digestive Health

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One of the great things about herbs is that they directly contact our digestive tracts when we consume them, making it quite easy for herbs to affect this body system which is at root of good health. There are two kinds of herbs in particular that support digestion: carminatives and bitters. Keep reading to learn more!

And please keep in mind that things vary from person to person. Please seek medical advice if you are experiencing concerning GI symptoms. If you would like any guidance in using herbs to support digestion then please schedule an appointment with one of our herbalists.

And also please keep in mind some of these ideas for supporting good digestion in general:
  • Eat mindfully - smell, taste, chew slowly and savor your food without distractions from screens, etc.
  • Eat whole foods
  • Eat what matches your constitution and avoid foods that your body doesn't tolerate well
  • Seek out food that your ancestors ate
  • Eat with the seasons - what's in harvest right now?

Carminatives

Carminatives are a great kind of herb for digestion. They generally help because of the presence of volatile oils (also known as essential oils) which relax smooth muscle and relive pain.

Carminative herbs often have many benefits for digestion, but they are most well known for relieving gas and bloating, as well as feelings of fullness, distension or spasm.

A nice way to enjoy carminative herbs is as a warm cup of herbal tea taken after the meal which can help to better assimilate the food and relive discomfort.

Example carminative herbs include:
  • Fennel
  • Peppermint
  • Ginger
  • Cardamom
  • Catnip (yes, for humans too!)
  • Lemon balm
  • Chamomile

Bitter
The bitter flavor is one that has been largely removed from the modern U.S. diet, but it has a lot of beneficial effects!

Simply tasting the bitter flavor 10-15 minutes before a meal (such as with 5-10 drops of a bitters tincture) can stimulate the body to begin the digestive process. This means especially that digestive juices including saliva and stomach acid begin to flow.

With the stimulating of digestive secretions this may help the body to more completely break down the food, preventing digestive problems further down the line, as well as increase feelings of satiety earlier in the meal, and increase motility in the lower GI.

Example herbs include:
  • Dandelion
  • Burdock
  • Yellow dock
  • Orange peel (also carminative)
  • Ginger (also bitter)

Putting it together
Bitters are often combined with warming herbs or carminative herbs to balance their strongly cooling and drying qualities when taken in excess. Some herbs such as ginger carry several of these properties in the same herbs.

To round out a meal you could try a little bit of a bitters to stimulate things at the start, and a nice cup of carminative tea at the end to settle things down.

You could also try adding in bitter and carminative herbs INTO your food - kale, arugula, endive and other greens are bitter, and most of the common kitchen spices are carminative, especially if they are very aromatic (and especially those listed above).

So go ahead, give some of these herbs a try, and please reach out if you'd like an individual advice with a consultation. Enjoy!

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8 Comments
Michelle link
9/21/2021 08:35:58 am

Very much appreciated. Thank you for this excellent article. Keep posting!

Reply
Nick
9/27/2021 06:16:02 am

Glad you enjoyed! Will do! :)

Reply
Lhynzie link
4/28/2022 04:23:49 am

Awesome content. Very interesting. Thank you for sharing this information. Thanks for the great read.

Reply
Nick
5/2/2022 09:12:38 am

Glad to hear, thanks for letting us know! :)

Reply
Lexynne link
5/25/2022 12:57:01 am

Wow, great blog design! When did you start blogging? You made blogging appear simple. The overall appearance, the design of your website, as well as the information, it's fantastic!

Reply
Nick
5/25/2022 11:57:57 am

Thanks! We've been blogging for a few years now. Appreciate your support!

Reply
coupon4hub link
1/31/2023 10:45:37 pm

Nice Post Very Informative Article Thanks for sharing

Reply
Nick
2/1/2023 07:40:06 am

You're welcome!

Reply



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  • About
    • Our MIssion
    • Our Team
    • Apothecary
    • Testimonials
    • Herbal formulations
    • 5 Year Anniversary
    • Local Farms
    • COVID-19
  • Shop
  • Learn
    • Classes & Events
    • Class Recordings
    • Blog
  • Consultations
    • Book Herbal Consultation
    • Other wellness consultations
  • For Practitioners
  • Herbal Justice
    • Racial Justice
    • Herbal Justice Fund
    • Resources
  • Contact
    • Directions
  • Space Rental
    • Studio Space