Typical natural plants with bitter substances for the digestive system:

Bitter is more than a flavour

Bitter substances are an important part of the diet because they stimulate the production of digestive juices. It begins already in the oral cavity: As soon as one perceives the bitter taste, saliva is produced. At the same time, bitter substances promote the production of bile and stomach acid and the pancreas is stimulated.

Unfortunately, today unpleasant taste is very often bred away. As a result, many types of vegetables and fruit that originally contained significantly more bitter substances - such as chicory or grapefruit - are hardly bitter any more. Bitter substances have very positive effects on the human organism. In the past, they were even counted as natural eating inhibitors, especially for sweets.

Of course, not everyone likes it bitter. But you can become familiar with bitter substances. If you regularly enjoy bitter substances and gradually increase the amount, you will quickly get used to them.

Because bitter substances are so important for the digestive system, many traditional aperitifs are also bitter. They stimulate the appetite and activate the metabolism before eating. The bitter herbal digestive after a meal has the same effect: it is supposed to support the body in digestion and thus make the meal more "digestible".

Typical plants with aromatic bitter substances are, for example, the local artichoke or ginger and turmeric, which are said to have many good properties. Pure bitter plants are dandelion and gentian, the latter being the plant with the highest bitterness content natu¨rlichen This also explains the many gentian schnapps in the Alpine region.

Effect on stomach and gall bladder:

Bitter substances stimulate the production of gastric acid and bile.

Effect on digestion:

Bitter substances support the production of one's own digestive juices, so that the food can be metabolised more easily and used much better. This makes it easier for the important nutrients to enter the body.