At the end of the book of Genesis, Israel (Jacob) has been reunited with his son Joseph and the entire family has been brought into the land of Goshen. Goshen was considered to be a more fertile land in Egypt, providing a lush area for grazing livestock. It wasn’t long before this sweetness turned bitter.
And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.
Exodus 1:14
Once the Lord brought them out from under this bondage, He instructed them in preparing the Passover meal. Bitter herbs were included in the meal to remind the Israelites of the “bitterness” they were leaving behind.
And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
Exodus 12:8
While eating bitter herbs with the meal might seem somewhat foreign to our modern palates, eating bitters has been a common practice among all people groups throughout history. Only recently have we turned our nose up at anything remotely bitter, while consuming more and more sweet foods. These sweet foods have wreaked havoc on our bodies in the form of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, thyroid disorders, infertility, and more.
Interestingly, most sweet plants in their natural form have a bitter component as well. Sugarcane, stevia, and licorice all leave a bitter aftertaste unless they have been refined, removing the bitter component as well as most nutrients. It makes you wonder if many of our “sugar cravings” are actually a deep craving our body has for bitters.
James Green, herbalist and author of “The Male Herbal”, coined the term Bitter Deficiency Syndrome to describe what he believes to be a root cause in many illnesses and disorders.
It is my opinion that the nearly complete lack of bitter flavored foods in the overall U.S. and Canadian diet is a major contributing factor to common cultural health imbalances such as PMS, other female and male sexual organ dysfunctions, hormonal imbalances, migraine headache, indigestion, liver and gallbladder dysfunction, abnormal metabolism, hypoglycemia, diabetes, etc.
James Green, The Male Herbal
What are bitters and why are they important?
Bitters are plants that leave a distinct bitter taste in the mouth. That bitter taste is important. Your taste receptors need to actually taste the bitterness in order to start the cascade of beneficial actions in the body. The bitter flavor can be found in mild, nutritive plants such as salad greens or in the more intense flavored medicinal herbs such as gentian and angelica.
The most prominent action of bitters is in stimulating digestive secretions including saliva, stomach acids, enzymes, hormones used in digestion, and bile. These secretions break down food for absorption and free up minerals for assimilation. Blood sugar levels are supported through stimulation of the pancreas while bile produced by the liver and excreted by the gallbladder helps to remove toxins from the body. Bowel transit time is also decreased with the aid of the lubricating bile, reducing constipation. The entire digestive tract is nourished and toned as we consume bitters in our daily diets.
Where to start?
Some of you may be thinking, “Yes, I do need to increase my bitter consumption, but where do I start?”
The most natural place to start is to eat salad greens each day. I am not talking about iceberg lettuce which has had all of its nutritional value and flavor bred out of it. Most grocery stores now carry organic spring mixes with a variety of dark, leafy greens such as arugula, frisee, mizuna, chard, mustard greens, and radicchio. You can also grow trays of mixed greens on your window sills or in the greenhouse, for year round fresh salads. Some of the best wild greens are right outside in your yard.
In addition to increasing your consumption of greens, you might also consider keeping a spray bottle of bitter tincture on hand. The handy spray bottle can easily be carried in a purse or bag for use away from home. I like to spray my tongue before each meal in order to begin the digestive process, but the bitter spray can also be used at the end of each meal.
Last, treat yourself to some nice dark chocolate. The higher the percentage, the more bitter it will be. Dark chocolate can sometimes take some time to get used to if you are more accustomed to eating milk chocolate. I like to dip nuts or fruit in dark chocolate. The bitter taste is still there, but is somewhat offset by the sweetness of the nuts and fruit.
The key is not to be discouraged in your lack of desire for bitters. Over time, the bitter taste becomes more palatable, sometimes even pleasant.
Check out my Holiday Spiced Bitters recipe on Instagram!