Bitters

Bitter: increases digestion by stimulating digestive secretions

Bitters increase the tone of the gastric mucosa and stimulate the release of digestive enzymes from the stomach, pancreas, liver, and gall bladder.

Examples:

Strong Bitters:

  • Achillea millefolium (yarrow) (Affects almost all systems)

  • Acorus calamus (calamus)

  • Artemisia absinthium (wormwood) (GI)

  • Artemisia vulgaris (mugwort) (GI)

  • Eupatorium perfoliatum (boneset)

  • Gentiana spp. (gentian) (GI)

  • Harpagophytm procumbens (devil’s claw) (GI, MSK)

  • Humulus lupulus (hops)

  • Hydrastis canadensis (goldenseal) (GI, derm, EENT, immune, etc.)

  • Leonurus cardiaca (motherwort) (Female repro)

  • Marrubium vulgare (horehound) (Female repro)

  • Matricaria recutita (chamomile)

  • Menyanthes trifoliata (bogbean)

  • Momordica charantia (bitter melon) (Endocrine)

  • Nepeta cataria (catnip)

  • Picorrhiza kurroa (bitter root)

  • Rumex crispus (yellow dock) (GI)

  • Ruta graveolens (rue)

Mild Bitters:

  • Arctium lappa (burdock) (GI, derm)

  • Berberis (Mahonia) aquifolium (Oregon grape) (GI, derm, EENT, immune, etc.)

  • Berberis vulgaris (mugwort)

  • Bupleurum chinense (bupleurum)

  • Chelidonium majus (greater celandine) (GI)

  • Chionanthus virginicus (fringe tree) (GI)

  • Cynara scolymus (artichoke) (GI, CV)

  • Cnicus benedictus (blessed thistle)

  • Inula helenium (elecampane)

  • Taraxacum officinalis (dandelion) (GI, GU)

  • Verbena officinalis (vervain) (Female repro, CNS)