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Bitters Simply stated bitter herbs are exactly what they sound like. In fact most herbs tend to have a bitter flavour. So why is it important to single out this action and how is it useful? Well, bitter herbs evoke an energy that stimulates our parasympathetic nervous system, inducing the rest and digest state. This can be helpful for digestion as blood and energy are rerouted to the digestive system. Bitters can also be helpful for shaking us out of an anxious state or panic... attack as the strong bitter flavour pulls our thoughts out of our immediate consciousness and temporarily take us into the present moment as we experience the intense taste sensations. We can then reorganize and reframe our perceptions to approach the stress from a better angle. One pattern that has emerged is that the more bitter the herb, the stronger affinity it has for stimulating production and release of bile. Bile, which is comprised mainly of cholesterol and salts is synthesized by the liver and stored and released by the gallbladder. When bile is stimulated to be released from the gallbladder it enters the small intestine to emulsify and prepare dietary fat for absorption. In fact this highlights two more botanical actions. Choleretics - herbs that increase the production of bile. Cholagogues - herbs that increase bile secretion. The herbs that fall in these categories for the most part are particularly bitter. The following are herbs that are often selected for their bitter action: Gentiana Lutea - Gentian (the main ingredient of Angostura bitters used to flavour cocktails) Artemisia Absinthium - Wormwood (the famous ingredient in Absinth) Angelica Archangelica - Archangelica Taraxacum Officinale - Dandelion Chelidonium Majus - Greater Celandine Culturally an aperitif (drunk before a meal) such as vermouth, gin or Aperol is served about 15-30 minutes before a meal to stimulate and prepare for digestion, which is often the same way bitters are prescribed. Digestifs, consumed after meals such as Jaegermeister, grappa or Becherovka also tend to also have lots of bitters, as well as sweet and carminative herbs. There are also contraindications to be aware of if thinking about using bitter herbs. Ailments such as ulcers and gallstones can be negatively affected by bitter herbs and it is alway important to consult a licensed practitioner when using herbal medicine to be aware of all risks, benefits and interactions with other medications. Dr. Jordan Ungerman ND #botanical #botanicalmedicine #herbal #herbalmedicine #naturopathicmedicine #naturopathy #alcohol #digestif #aperitifs #bitters #herbs #digestivehealth

Carminatives The use of carminative herbs are most commonly utilized to treat digestive complaints. They are rich in a compound called volatile oils, which has been used interchangeably with essential oils. Essential in this case refers to the plants essence, which should not be confused with the term essential fatty acids like omega 3 & 6 fats, where essential means that they are required by diet because the body cannot synthesize them. Volatile oils as their name suggests a...re not stable compounds and when ingested can stimulate and gently irritate the stomach to contract and relax. Thus increasing motility, while helping to reduce cramping, bloating and gas in the stomach. Carminative herbs are great as teas, but can be even more potent in tinctures. I usually make sure to steep the herbs at least 15 minutes to extract more of the oils. Below are a list of herbs that may be chosen when looking to treat with the primary action of carminatives. Mentha Piperita - Peppermint Zingiber Officinalis - Ginger Foeniculum Vulgare - Fennel Matricaria Recutita - Chamomile Melissa Officinalis - Lemon Balm Pimpinella Anisum - Star Anise Angelica Archangelica - Archangelica To reiterate from a previous post, herbs can have many actions and formulas are put together with primary actions in mind first, then the secondary and tertiary actions of the herbs are considered. Thus insinuating that each herb has its only profile of compounds and actions. It is alway important to consult a licensed practitioner when using herbal medicine to be aware of all risks, benefits and interactions with other medications.

Botanical Actions You may be thinking how do naturopathic doctors and herbalists choose which botanicals to proscribe to their patients? Well before scientists had the ability to extract and observe how small plant constituents affect the human body we relied on an understanding of whats called botanical actions. Thus meaning the observed affect the botanicals have on our bodies. Many practitioners use the actions of botanicals as the main way in which they formulate their re...medies, as this wisdom had been past down and continually perfected since the earliest times of human culture. Single botanicals can have several actions. Usually a primary actions is decided for the patient based on their presentation, then botanicals are picked with that action in mind. However practitioners often consider secondary and tertiary actions that the chosen botanicals have in order to individualize the formula to be more specific to the patient’s needs. Some examples of actions are the following: Antimicrobial, Adaptogen, Alterative, Anti-inflammatory, Astringent, Carminative, Demulcent, Expectorant, Hepatic, Immunostimulant, Nervine, Sedative, Vascular tonic and Vulnerary to name a bunch of my favourites. There are many more and I will highlight some of these actions in future posts to continue to showcase the benefits of botanical medicine. Dr. Jordan Ungerman ND