by Steve Byers
An exploration of the bitter taste has experienced great attention in the last decade as more people are rediscovering the essential role that this taste plays in human health. Herbalists have certainly placed a major role in reviving the use of bitter tasting foods, or “bitters”, often in the form of pre-meal digestive tinctures or simple bitter greens like endives.
Bitters are regaining popularity for their ability to bring relief to various gut-based health issues by helping restore normal digestive functioning, increase nutrient assimilation, and regulate the elimination of waste. In addition, exciting research is beginning to ask questions about how the tongue perceives bitterness, why bitter taste perception seems to vary from person to person, and what genetic factors are contributing to the bitter taste function.
Some of the popular bitter tasting plants used today include dandelion root (Taraxacum officinale), gentian root (Gentiana lutea), orange peel (Citrus reticulata), and artichoke leaf (Cynara scolymus), all of which stimulate a complex physiological response referred to as the “bitter reflex.” The bitter reflex is activated the second the tongue tastes bitterness. Signals sent from nerves on the tongue to the vagus nerve running down from the brain and terminating close to the enteroendocrine cells lining the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract prepare the body for digestion by increasing salivation, relaxing the esophagus, stimulating hydrochloric acid production in the stomach, initiating peristalsis, stimulating liver and gallbladder function, and even initiating enzyme production in the pancreas and small intestine.
These enteroendocrine cells are responsible for the production of important peptides and hormones such as serotonin, gastrin, secretin, and cholecytstokinin (CCK) critical for regulating appetite, glucose homeostasis, peristalsis, and many other gastric functions. Some bitters such as gymnema (Gymnema sylvestre) and bitter melon (Momordica charantia) not only improve digestive function but also act as hypoglycemic agents to lower blood sugar levels in diabetics (Winston, 2011).