7 Bitter and Digestive Herbs for You to Know
Gentian (Gentiana Lutea): This is a classical bitter herb used in many digestive bitters. Gentian creates significant “digestive fire.” The flavor is initially sweet and warm, followed by an intense bitter that lingers, leaving behind a balanced moisture.
Benefits include: Anti-inflammatory, increases bile flow, liver decongestant, stimulates GI secretions (promotes digestion, promotes peristalsis, and relieves constipation).
Schisandra (Schisandra Chinensis): I’m personally drawn to this Siberian, resilient berry and take it often. Its complex flavor comes from a unique combination of sour, sweet, salty, warm pungent, and slight bitterness. While there is a dominant sour flavor, it’s followed by deeper almost umami-like aromatics with a slight acidity. Next, a warming quality arises, ending on subtle sweetness as the sourness fades. It’s a mighty adaptogen, which restores the adrenal cortex, generates strength, and improves fatigue.
Schisandra benefits include: Helps with sleep, protects the liver from toxins, increases bile flow, antibacterial, anti-ulcer, immunomodulator, antioxidant, and supports liver detoxification.
Angelica (Angelica Archangelica): This is a hot pungent, mildly to moderately bitter herb with a slight celery saltiness. The complex smoky aroma is followed by a distinct bitter aftertaste.
Angelica benefits include: Helps with dyspepsia (heartburn), flatulence, nocturia (overnight urination), arthritis, stroke, dementia, circulation problems, “runny nose,” nervousness and anxiety, and trouble sleeping (insomnia). It also has strong expectorant properties (loosens up mucus and expels it).
Ginger (Zingiber Officinale): Ginger is warming, pungent, and moist. It is a big digestive stimulant and a relaxant of the GI and nervous systems.
Its many benefits include: Anti-inflammatory, aromatic, stomachic (salivary and gastric secretagogue effect), GI tonic, antiemetic (acts on the parasympathetic nervous system), analgesic (pain reliever by inhibiting biosynthesis of prostaglandins and leukotrienes), relieves flatulence, increases bile flow, cholesterol reducing, antispasmodic, antimicrobial, and antifungal.
Burdock (Arctium Lappa): Burdock is a cool and dry herb.
Benefits include: Diffusive (bringing blood circulation to the skin), promotes detoxification, soothes muscle aches, reduces infections, calms allergies, decreases inflammation, stimulates the immune system. Burdock may also help incontinence, ease irregular, painful periods, and promote bile flow.
Anise (Pimpinella Anisum): This warm and pungent herb has a characteristic licorice-like note, with a slight bitterness. Anise is an excellent carminative (relieves flatulence), expectorant (loosens up mucus and expels it), and circulatory relaxant (relaxes the chest).
Andrographis (Andrographis Paniculata): In Ayurveda, andrographis is known as the “King of Bitters.” It is a dirty bitter and almost ash-like. This herb stimulates appetite, digestion, and bile flow, clears liver decongestion, calms GI nerves, and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. Andrographis also helps restore liver health, and it is antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory, with a special affinity for the GI tract.
All of these herbs, plus many more, are found in our
Wellena Liver & Digestive Bitters. If you’d like to learn more about bitter herbs and their benefits, please check out our new article, linked below. We cover the history of bitters, their use around the world, how they work, and their science-backed benefits.
How Bitters Can Help Your Digestion, Hormones, and BMs
Facebook Live Replay: 11 Magical Benefits of Digestive Bitters
Improving digestion
The immune system: foundational health insights and Beta Glucan’s dual role in innate and adaptive immunity.
Watch the full episode now at 
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