Digestive Bitters Tincture
Let’s make a digestive bitter tincture to assist with your gut health & digestion!
Digestive Bitters Tincture
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There is one thing that’s becoming more important as time goes on & that’s gut health. After all they do say the gut is the root of the vital tree, at least that’s what the physio-medicalists of yesteryear have taught us. Source.
So many of our bodily functions such as immunity, our overall health & mood begins in the gut. The best thing I’ve ever added to my gut health regime is a digestive bitter tincture.
Let’s go over a bit of information regarding digestive bitters, why I’ve chosen these particular herbs in this formulation & then I’m going to show you how easy it all comes together.
The digestion pathway & it all begins with a taste
Specifically the bitter taste. Something happens as soon as the bitter taste touches our tongue which sets off a chain of events that are preparing your body for digestion.
Bitter taste → vagus nerve is stimulated & secretions are increased → increased parasympathetic response (rest & digest branch of your nervous system) → release of gastrin which is the hormone that governs the majority of the digestive process → increase of digestive secretions.
This pathway is what sends the signal to the digestive system. Digestive bitters prepare the body for digestion & is best taken 10-15 minutes before meals.
Did you know that if your body is in a sympathetic response which means your body is in a state of fight or flight your digestion pretty much shuts off. Think for a moment what our fight or flight response is doing, it’s preparing the body to fight or to run; digestion & the functions of digestion can not occur when your body is in this state. Read more about that HERE.
Who are digestive bitters for?
People with low digestion, gas, bloating, belching after eating, distention, low appetite & those with low bile. Low bile means you are experiencing low fat & oil digestion.
How do you know if you have low bile? Check your stool. Everybody poops so it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Signs to look for that may point to low bile production are lighter color or yellowish stool, if it’s floating or if you notice an oily film in the bowl after you evacuate your bowels.
That being said if you are someone who experiences constipation, bitters could point to a remedy as well.
Who should avoid digestive bitters?
If you have excessive heat in the gastrointestinal tract.
This includes:
Ulcers
Acid reflux
Crohn's
Ulcerative colitis
Increased inflammation in the GI.
If you have any of those things going on you would want to look to a different herbal category referred to as demulcent.
Energetically bitters move energy down; these secretions are going to eventually leave the body & you have the possibility of having something called a net drying effect. This is something we want to avoid. Bitters are cold & drying we wouldn’t want to give them to anyone who is constitutionally cold or dry.
Signs of dryness in the body would include dry eyes, skin & hair.
Hands & feet that are constantly cold are signs of cold in the body.
Digestive Bitters Tincture
Blessed Thistle
Cnicus benedictus
Taste: bitter
Action: bitter tonic, cholagogue (stimulates bile production), inflammation modulating
Affinity: Liver, digestive system
Energetics: cooling, drying
Contraindications: anticoagulant & anti-platelet drugs, drugs that are metabolized by the liver. I would avoid this particular tincture if you are on any medications for the duration you are on them.
Ruling planet: Mars
Ruling element: Earth
Dandelion
Taraxacum officinale
Taste: bitter
Action: bitter tonic, cholagogue
Affinity: Hepatobiliary system (the liver and bile, bile ducts, and gallbladder), Digestive system
Energetics: cool with a net drying effect. It helps open up & loosen stagnation within the tissues while simultaneously nutritive & restorative.
Contraindications: Certain antibiotics may not be absorbed as effectively as they should be as well as it does negatively interact with lithium medication. I would avoid this particular tincture if you are on either of those types of medications for the duration you are on them.
Ruling planet: Jupiter
Ruling element: Water
Ruling principle: Salt
Since we don’t want this formulation to become too bitter we are going to balance it out by adding some carminatives & a harmonizer. You are probably already familiar with carminatives if you cook as most of them are used as spices.
Carminatives are herbs that dispels gas, wind & bloating. They move energy up & out
Fennel
Foeniculum vulgare
Taste: pungent, aromatic
Action: Carminative, spasmolytic, inflammation modulating
Affinity: Digestive system, liver
Energetics: moistening, warming, relaxing
Contraindications: pregnancy due to its emmenagogue effect. This means it has the ability to bring on menses.
Ruling planet: Mercury
Ruling element: Air
Ruling principle: Sulfur
Ginger
Zingiber officinale
Taste: Pungent
Action: carminative, spasmolytic
Affinity: digestive system
Energetics: warming, drying, relaxant
Contraindications: If you are on any medications I would just talk to your pharmacist about possible drug interactions.
Ruling planet: Sun
Ruling element: Earth
Ruling principle: Sulfur
Licorice root
Glycyrrihiza glabra
Taste: Sweet
Action: demulcent, (provides a soothing, cooling, moistening effect), hepatoprotective (detoxifying effect on the liver cells), inflammation modulating
Affinity: digestive system
Energetics: sweet & neutral leaning to cool, moistening
Contraindications: if you are taking steroid drugs or have high blood pressure (on medication or not) it should also be avoided in instances of edema, hyperglycemia or osteoporosis.
Ruling planet: Venus
Ruling element: Water
Ruling principle: Mercury
Recipe
Make sure your plant materials are ground up. You can use a coffee grinder that is dedicated to this job. Currently I just use my blender so use whatever you have.
30% Blessed thistle
30% Dandelion root
20% Fennel seed
10% Ginger
10% Licorice root
Instructions
Pour some vodka over the herbs covering the plant matter with 2 fingers worth.
Put a piece of wax or parchment paper over the top of the jar. This is going to prevent any corrosion that may happen from falling into your tincture.
Place the jar in a dark spot for 6 weeks making sure that you share it daily to ensure everything is properly saturated & infusing
Once the 6 weeks are up, strain the contents over some cheesecloth & a small strainer over a measuring cup.
Pour the strained tincture into an amber dropper bottle, label with contents & the date.
Dosage
Take one dropperful in your mouth or in a small glass of warm water 10-15 minutes before a meal.
Increase the dosage if required.
Be sure to come back next week where I’ll be sharing an herbal tea formula that can help support your digestion while you wait the 6 weeks for your bitters to be ready for use.
Comment down below & let me know how you like to support your gut health.
Watch the video & tutorial HERE
