Digestion can be a problem for many people and bowel irregularities can be caused by a number of factors, including poor diet, poor water intake and a lack of daily fibre (which is common with our modern-day diet).
Bitter plants are a great way of "waking up" our digestive system. It is common knowledge that having lemon in warm water is a great way to start the day, as it helps to activate your digestive juices in preparation for the food you are going to ingest. Bitter plants will also do this, and more.
Bitter plants activate your taste buds and that is how they signal to your digestive system that you are getting ready to eat. When you taste something bitter the taste buds start to produce saliva which contain lots of enzymes to help break down the food we are eating. Once the taste buds have been activated, it sends a message to our nervous system that starts a chain reaction signalling to the body to release chemicals needed to break down food and absorb the nutrients.
With constipation, there is a lack of bile being produced by the body to help with digestion. The inclusion of bitter plants will help to increase bile production and alleviate digestive discomfort. Bitter plants can also help with soothing flatulence, bloating and can calm an upset stomach.
Globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus) is one of plant medicine's most bitter plants and has been shown to stimulate bile flow. It can also help fat digestion and bowel regularity. In a study of 208 IBS sufferers who took Globe Artichoke for 2 months there was a 26.4 per cent reduction in IBS symptoms, with the sufferers advising their bowel motions moved towards normal, giving a 20 per cent increase in their quality of life.
