The earliest origins of bitters can be traced back as far as the ancient Egyptians, who may have infused medicinal herbs in jars of wine. This practice was further developed upon the emergence of the Middle Ages, where the availability of distilled alcohol coincided with a renaissance in pharmacognosy, which made possible far more concentrated herbal bitters and tonic preparations.
The herbal or botanical ingredients used in preparing bitters have historically consisted of aromatic herbs, bark, roots, and/or fruit for their flavour and medicinal properties, some of the more commonly used ones included cassia, gentian, orange peel, and cinchona bark.
The most well known cocktail bitter is Angostura bitters. German physician Dr. Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert first compounded it in Venezuela in 1824. Originally, Dr. Siegert’s bitter was compounded as a cure for seasickness and stomach maladies, among other medicinal uses. Today it is consumed as a refreshing drink with lemonade and lime.
Swedish Bitters, as the name implies, were first produced in Sweden in the mid 1500s by Dr. Phillipus Paracelsus, a Swiss physicist. The recipe was somewhat lost throughout the next few centuries, until Dr. Claus Samst got the formula from an older relative and began making the tincture in the 18th century. Dr. Samst began making the formula and wrote a manuscript detailing the different ailments that were cured using the liquid.
Aperitifs and Digestifs
These are medicinal and enjoyable beverages, which enhance a meal. An aperitif is a digestive bitter usually served before a meal to stimulate the appetite, and a digestive is served after a meal, to aid digestion. A popular alcoholic aperitif is Campari and Ouzo and Limoncello are popular digestifs.
How do Herbal Bitters Work?
Most bitters contain water and alcohol, the latter of which functions as a solvent for botanical extracts as well as a preservative. Essentially the action of bitter substances is mediated by the bitter – sensitive taste buds in the mouth. They do more than just taste the food. They are connected neurally in such a way that their stimulation leads to the release from the gut wall into the bloodstream, a hormone called gastrin as well as enhance hydrochloric acid, saliva and bile flow. In short, the action of bitters is seen to enhance the whole upper digestive function and improve the assimilation of nutrients.
Bitters also contain complex carbohydrates, alkaloids, vitamins and minerals that have antioxidant, antiviral, and antispasmodic properties. These ingredients work together to reduce inflammation, control pain, relax muscles, stimulate the repair of the gut wall lining (leaky gut repair) and improve digestion and elimination.
My Favourite Herbal Bitters:
- Gentian root (Gentiana lutea) is indicated for low hydrochloric acid levels in the stomach, bad breath, indigestion, dyspepsia, food allergies and intolerances, nausea and loss of appetite.
- Dandelion root (Taraxacum offcinale radix) is indicated for constipation, dyspepsia, gall bladder issues, digestive aid and loss of appetite.
- Wormwood leaf and flowers (Artemisia absinthium) is indicated for dyspepsia, loss of appetite, worms/parasites and indigestion.
- Goldenseal root (Hydrastis canadensis) is indicated for loss of appetite, gastritis, colitis, digestive aid, dyspepsia, and digestive ulceration.
- Angelica root (Angelica archangelica) is indicated for digestive weakness intestinal inflammation, colitis, ulcers and stimulates circulation.
How to Take Bitters:
Bitters are best-consumed 15 minutes before each meal in a little water much like an aperitif.
Note: See your natural health practitioner for a prescription and specific dose in the form of a tonic/tincture or capsule/tablet form. Herbal tonics or tinctures are only available with a prescription from your Naturopath or Herbalist. A qualified practitioner will ensure your medication, supplements or disease state does not interact with the herbs. When a herbalist prescribes herbal medicine they consider one’s constitution: age, allergies, sensitiveness, robustness, size, temperature, current status of health and personality. Always remember to tell you practitioner if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.
