Full Transcript 0:00 What if one of the simplest ways to improve digestion is something modern diets have largely removed? 0:04 I'm talking about bitterness. 0:06 For centuries, traditional healing systems used bitter herbs before meals to stimulate digestion. 0:12 And today, research is helping us understand why this ancient practice may actually work. 0:17 Your body has specialized receptors that detect bitter compounds not only on your tongue but throughout your digestive tract. 0:23 When those receptors are activated, they can trigger signals involved in saliva production, digestive secretions, gastrocustinal hormones, 0:32 gallbladder pancreatic function, and the digestion and absorption of food. 0:36 So what are digestive bitters? 0:39 Well, biters are exactly what the name suggests. 0:41 They're herbs containing compounds with a distinctly bitter taste. 0:46 Some commonly recognized bitter herbs include jianxian root, danguline root and wormwood. 0:53 Bitter herbs have a long history of medicinal use in traditional Chinese medicine. 0:58 European herbal medicine and North American naturopathic medicine. 1:02 In fact, by the early 20th century, the medical profession recognized the ability of bitters to improve digestion. 1:10 But as modern medicine became increasingly focused on pharmaceutical treatment, their traditional use of digested biters largely disappeared from conventional practice. 1:20 They never disappeared from herbal and naturopathic medicine. 1:23 And today we're beginning to understand some of the physiology behind them. 1:27 Now, one important caution. 1:28 Not every bitter plant is safe simply because it tastes bitter. 1:32 Some bitter herbs can be toxic. 1:34 So I'm talking specifically about established, medicinal herbs and properly formulated digestive bitters, not randomly consuming bitter plants. 1:44 Now when you taste something bitter, specialized bitter taste receptors detect it. 1:49 Most people assume these receptors are located only on the tongue, they're not. 1:53 Research has demonstrated that bitter receptors found throughout the gastrointestinal tract. 1:58 They're found in areas including the stomach, intestines and pancreas. 2:04 They're also present on specialized cells in the digestive tract called enteroendocrine cells. 2:10 And humans have more than 25 different types of taste receptors that detect bitterness. 2:15 So bitterness isn't simply a flavor, it's information. 2:19 When bitter compounds activate these receptors, they can initiate physiological responses involved in digestion. 2:26 So how does this all work? 2:27 Well, one proposed mechanism begins your mouth and throat. 2:31 You taste something bitter, bitter receptors become activated. 2:34 That signal stimulates the nervous system, saliva production increases, and importantly, there's stimulation involving the vagus nerve. 2:42 The vagous nerve is one of the major communication pathways connecting your brain with your digestive organs. 2:48 This is part of something I emphasize frequently in integrative medicine. 2:52 Digestion doesn't begin in your stomach. 2:54 It begins before food ever reaches your tummy. 2:57 Think about what happens when you smell your favorite meal cooking. 3:01 You may begin salivating. 3:02 Your digestive system is already preparing for food. 3:05 Gators appear to take advantage of some of these natural preparatory mechanisms. 3:10 Now again, the vagus nerve deserves special attention. 3:13 Your digestive tract doesn't operate independently from your nervous system. 3:17 The brain and digestive track are in constant communication. 3:21 And the Vagus nerve is a major part of that communication system, so when you're relaxed and preparing to eat, your body can shift toward what is commonly 3:30 called the rest and digest state. 3:32 Digestive activity is supported, but think about how people eat today. 3:36 They're stressed, they're working, looking at their phone, answering their emails, or eating in the car. 3:43 And then they wonder why they feel bloated after eating. 3:47 It's well known that chronic stress can interfere with normal digestive physiology. 3:52 This is one reason I found digestive bitters are particularly interesting for people whose digestion seems to worsen during periods of chronic stress. 4:01 Bitters help support digestive function, while you're also addressing the underlying stress, of course they don't replace stress management though. 4:09 You still need to address the root cause. 4:11 Hey, one second, if you're looking for help with any type of health issue, I put together a line of doctor grade supplements that I formulated myself. 4:20 They're the same formulas I use with my patients. 4:23 Click the link below to check them out. 4:25 Okay, back to the video. 4:27 Then there's another mechanism that I mentioned at the beginning. 4:30 That's equally interesting. 4:32 Bitters don't necessarily have to work only through taste receptors in the mouth. 4:37 Remember, bitter receptors are located throughout the gastrointestinal tract. 4:42 And when bitter compounds interact with these receptors, they can influence the release of hormones involved in digestion and nutrient absorption. 4:51 One particularly important digestive hormone is called cholecystokinin or CCK. 4:57 Cck is produced by cells in the small intestine and released into the bloodstream when we eat. 5:03 It then communicates with digestive organs, including the gallbladder, pancreas, and stomach. 5:09 These signals help coordinate digestion and absorption. 5:12 Research has showed even when bitters are taken in the capsule, they stimulate the release of CCK. 5:18 That's interesting because it tells us something important. 5:21 Again, you may not necessarily have to taste the bitterness for every physiological effect to occur. 5:27 So this brings up a common question. 5:30 Are liquid biters better than capsules or are capsuls just fine? 5:34 Well, traditionally bitters have been taken as liquids, and there may be advantages to actually tasting the bitter compounds because you're immediately 5:42 activating receptors in the mouth and throat. 5:44 Most liquid formulas commonly contain combinations of bitter herbs. 5:48 However, research suggests that capsule forms can also produce, again, these physiological beneficial effects from digestion. 5:56 So really, both will work properly. 5:59 It's just a matter of what you're gonna use on a consistent basis. 6:02 Most of my patients actually use the capsule form, but liquid is a great form to use. 6:07 And traditionally, in European herbal medicines, the liquid forms have been preferred. 6:12 Now there's another proposed benefit to using these bitter herbs for digestion, and that is circulation. 6:18 Bitters have traditionally been thought to improve blood circulation to the abdominal digestive organs. 6:24 Why would that matter? 6:26 because your digestive organs require adequate blood flow to function properly. 6:30 Circulation supports the production of digestive juices, movement of food through the digestive tract, the absorption of nutrients, 6:37 and removal of metabolic waste products. 6:40 So healthy digestion depends not only in what you're eating, it also depends upon adequate nerve and bloodflow to the digest track. 6:49 Again, digestion is much more complicated than simply having enough stomach acid or digestive enzymes. 6:56 It's an integrated physiological process. 6:59 Now I want to talk about gentian root, one of the classic digestive bitters. 7:04 Also known as gentiana lutea, there are different species of gentians that have been used medicinally throughout the world. 7:10 Gentian is extremely bitter and has a long history as a digestive toner. 7:15 One German study showed that gentia root can be effective in helping people with heartburn, nausea and stomach aches. 7:22 even digestive symptoms such as vomiting, loss of archetype, constipation, bloating, and flatulence and so there's a wide variety of digestive conditions 7:33 that gentian appears to have a tonic effect on. 7:36 In one study, participants received 120 milligrams of gentia root in capsule form two to three times daily for 15 consecutive days. 7:45 The reported results were quite interesting. 7:47 31% reported excellent results, 55% report good results and 9% percent reported moderate benefit. 7:55 Only 5% reporting an inadequate response. 7:59 That means the large majority reported either good or excellent result. 8:03 And this type of study supports something that herbal practitioners have observed for a very long time. 8:09 Bitter herbs can influence digestive function. 8:12 Now, bitters are a great choice for chronic digestive problems. 8:15 In naturopathic and integrative medicine, Bitters aren't necessarily something we use only once. 8:21 For someone with chronic digestion problems, they may be used for several weeks or sometimes months. 8:26 Traditionally, we think of biters as a digestive toner. 8:30 One way to describe this is that bitter's may help retrain the digestive system to function more efficiently. 8:37 Now that's particularly relevant when digestive function has been chronically suppressed. 8:42 And once again, stress is an excellent example. 8:45 If you've been under tremendous stress for much, your nervous system and digestive system may not be functioning optimally together. 8:52 Bitters can be one component of a broader strategy while you're addressing again stress, your sleep habits, what you're eating, 9:01 meal timing, and overall digestive function. 9:04 And remember, bitters can also help with the health of the intestinal barrier and the microbiome. 9:09 But when should you take biters? 9:11 Well, timing is relatively simple. 9:13 Digestive bitter are generally taken before a meal or with a meals. 9:17 That makes physiological sense. 9:19 You're trying to prepare and support the digestive system at the same time that food is arriving. 9:25 And again, as I mentioned earlier, bitters can be used either in liquid form or capsule form. 9:30 Liquid biters allow you to actually experience the bitter taste and stimulate receptors in the mouth. 9:36 And capsules can activate receptors further down the digestive tract. 9:40 So who should not use bitter? 9:42 Digestive bitters are generally considered safe when appropriate medicinal herbs are used correctly, like any other Tycho supplement. 9:50 However, if you have active ulcers or gastritis, then you should avoid digestive biters. 9:55 We don't want to aggravate stomach acid from irritating the lining of the stomach, small intestinal, or the natural mucus layer. 10:02 has been reduced. 10:03 Also, caution should be used if you have abdominal pain, vomiting, blood in your stool, black or tarry stools, unexplained weight loss, 10:12 difficulty swelling. 10:13 Of course, these are all things you should review with your integrative doctor. 10:17 Again, persistent severe heartburn. 10:19 Now, sometimes bitters are helpful and in some cases it could be aggravating. 10:23 So again, work with you holistic doctor or nutritionist in terms of how you're using the bitter supplements. 10:29 I hope you enjoyed this video on bitters that can be an important part of healing up your digestive system.
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