Homemade Digestive Bitters

I am becoming increasingly interested in and curious about the world of herbs. I’ve always been a nature nerd – it’s what I went to college for before becoming a nutritionist. Even before college, I taught myself how to identify a good majority of the plants and trees that grew naturally in Ontario. I would go on a hike and spot St. John’s wort, yarrow, elderberry, goldenseal, red clover, etc. I would take pictures of anything I didn’t recognize, to go home and look it up in my books and learn about it. I knew that many of these plants were traditionally used for medicinal purposes, and while I found it interesting, I didn’t really realize that people still used herbs medicinally today. I never really gave any thought to using these herbs myself, I just enjoyed learning interesting facts about the plant and how to identify it.

Later in my life, I began studying nutrition and working at a health food store. We sold St. John’s wort capsules, yarrow tea, elderberry syrup, goldenseal tinctures, and many other herbals. But I never really put two and two together. This summer when my partner and I were hiking Sulphur Mountain in Banff, we came across some wild valerian. Suddenly, it all came together. This same beautiful flowering valerian I found while hiking in the mountains is the same plant that we sell in supplement stores. That plant right in front of me offered all sorts of health benefits that the majority of people don’t even know about. I guess some part of me realized all along these were the same things, but it was a strange sensation to actually contemplate that the innocent flower in the forest was sold in stores as a common herbal sleep aid.

Once I realized these wild plants are still being used effectively today, I became curious about how to use them. I learned that certain parts of the plant should be used for certain things – for example, it is the valerian root that is often used, not the flower or leaf. And many herbs must be prepared a certain way in order to fully benefit from them. I am currently learning all this and more through Rosemary Gladstar’s course, The Science & Art of Herbalism. When I have completed this course, I hope to incorporate my knowledge of herbals into my practice so I can better help people achieve their health goals. As my partner recently put it, this is a “weird melding of worlds” for me. My love of plants and nature is being fused with my love of nutrition and helping people.

This is really the first herbal formula I have prepared on my own, and it felt great to use and appreciate these herbs for what they can give us, while handcrafting something that took a bit of time to unfold. If you can’t find a store that sells quality herbs in your town, many of these herbs can be found on Mountain Rose Herbs. I buy my herbs at Optimum Health Vitamins in Edmonton, not only because I work there but also because we sell high quality, fresh herbs. But if you do some research to learn more about these herbs, I’m sure you’ll find that many of them grow wild in your area and can be harvested for free. Side note: Take caution when harvesting dandelion (or any other herb growing in urban areas), to be sure it has not been sprayed. Yes, even the notorious “weed” dandelion has many medicinal uses! Everything has its place.

So let’s get back to these digestive bitters. What are bitters and why should you take them? Digestive bitters are an alcoholic preparation of bitter-tasting herbs in alcohol that are used as a digestive aid. Bitterness is a lost flavour in many palettes these days, where processed foods play heavily on our sweet and salty taste receptors. Truly balanced meals should consist of each of the flavour components – sweet, salty, sour, umami, and bitter. This lack of bitter foods in today’s palettes has led to not only unbalanced meals, but also problems with digestion. By stimulating our bitter taste receptors, we stimulate the production of saliva, gastric juices, and bile, which in turn prepares our digestive organs for receiving and assimilating food. This leads to better digestion and absorption of our nutrients. Consuming bitter foods helps with digestion-related complaints such as bloating, gas, acid reflux, nausea, malabsorption issues, and indigestion in general. Bitters also help to support liver function, because bitterness stimulates bile production in the liver, which is just one way of the many ways that the body rids itself of toxins. When the body is properly able to detoxify itself, people often notice clearer skin as well.

Obviously I am a fan of using bitters, but I don’t think that using a tincture means you should never eat bitter foods. I believe that people should include bitter foods in their diet often, as it will provide many of the same benefits I listed above. The more you consume bitter foods, the less harsh they seem and the more you will develop a taste for them. There is something to be said for the person who can truly enjoy plants without trying to drown out their natural flavour. Even the biggest veggie-hater can be converted, once you start choosing whole foods over processed foods. To include more bitter foods into your diet, choose things like radicchio, endives, dandelion leaves, arugula, mustard greens, kale, escarole and rapini. Add them into salads and sandwiches, or top a bowl of soup with a handful for a pleasing garnish.

As for these digestive bitters, they are best used when taking 20-30 drops, 15 minutes before eating. I like to put my bitters in a shot glass and add a bit of water before drinking it down. If you forget to take it before eating, it’s not a big deal. They will work better taken on an empty stomach before a meal, but can be used during or after a meal as well. 


EDIT: A reader (aka my partner’s sister, Nicole) suggested I elaborate on using this tincture properly. These digestive bitters can indeed be diluted in a small amount of water, but they should not be taken like a shooter. They need to actually be tasted (savoured even?) to gain full benefit from them. This is because the digestive benefits of bitter herbs come from the actual tasting of the herbs – the bitter flavour stimulates the salivary glands, which in turn signals the stomach and digestive organs to prepare to receive food. That is also why bitters are best taken 20-30 minutes before a meal – waiting before eating gives your digestive organs a chance to gear up, so you’re good and ready by the time you begin enjoying your food. Thanks Heather for bringing my omission of this important information to my attention!