Do Swedish Bitters also called Digestive Bitters have effect on digestion because of the Bitter Taste or is it just a myth?

Do Swedish Bitters also called Digestive Bitters have effect on digestion because of the Bitter Taste or is it just a myth?

According to a Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, bitter taste receptors and α-gustducin regulate the secretion of ghrelin with functional effects on food intake and gastric emptying.

First, What Does the Terms ‘Gustducin’ and "Ghrelin" Mean?
Gustducin is a G protein associated with taste and the gustatory system, found in some taste receptor cells. Research on the discovery and isolation of gustaducin is recent. It is known to play a large role in the transduction of bitter, sweet and umami stimuli.

Ghrelin (pronounced /ˈɡrɛlɪn/), the "hunger hormone", also known as lenomorelin (INN), is a peptide hormone produced by ghrelinergic cells in the gastrointestinal tract which functions as a neuropeptide in the central nervous system. Besides regulating appetite, ghrelin also plays a significant role in regulating the distribution and rate of use of energy.

The Link Between Swedish Bitters that have a Strong Bitter Taste and the Better Digestion Process
To better understand how the process works, lets get to know about our Bitter Taste receptors also know as (TAS2Rs or T2Rs). These Bitter Taste receptors belong to the superfamily of seven-transmembrane G protein-coupled receptors and are responsible to the detect the taste in a different variety of the food we eat.

Bitter Taste receptors (TAS2Rs or T2Rs) are located in taste buds of our tongue and when we eat or drink these T2Rs receptors are stimulated. When stimulated a nerve signal is triggered that reaches an important parts of our brain called Cerebral Cortex. Once Cortex in our brain perceives the bitterness, hypothalamus which is also a portion of the brain that links the nervous system and where the vagus nerve is born relays the bitter sensation to our salivary glands, stomach, pancreas and liver and promotes the production of digestive juices and enzymes, while at the same time employs the valves of the stomach to close and keep the digestive juices to digest the food in the stomach. As well because more T2Rs that are all along our gut are as well stimulated by the Bitter mixture, cells covered with T2Rs secrete hormones into our bloodstream and contribute to the feeling of fullness.

Potential Bitter Taste Benefits from Swedish Bitters on other Organs
Because T2Rs are found on our heart, blood vessels, our lungs and upper airways, where they seem to be able to coordinate an immune response when detect Bitter Taste from Swedish Bitters, it might be that our other organs greatly benefit from Swedish Bitters as well. There are just not enough case studies done to prove all the great potential benefits from Swedish Bitters, but most people who tried using Bitters Tasting Bitters have testimonies that their entire health and immune system was rejuvenated.


» For Further Reading: Everything You Need to know About Swedish Bitters

The Bottom Line Regarding Swedish Bitters effect on Digestion
To quickly recap, we’ve learned that some existing evidence seems to indicate a correlation between Bitter Taste and the overall healthier digestion process. And there’s some evidence for the testimonies that consuming the right amount of Swedish Bitters could have a beneficial impact on digestion in general, and as well other organs.

The bottom line is that as consumers, we should maintain realistic expectations about the impact Bitter Taste can have on healthier digestion, whether ingested through Swedish Bitters or other supplements. With all the benefits that Swedish Bitters offer, we have to be careful that we don’t consider them as a panacea, and always seek professional advise .

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So, if you’re considering taking Swedish Bitters to have a better digestion or health in general, we recommend you to consider the following:

Talking with your doctor.
Your daily food intake; especially how much fruits and vegetables you consume, compared to processed foods.
Your daily stress level.
Whether or not you exercise.
Medications or other Supplements you’re taking.
Finally, you’ll want to investigate the Swedish Bitters product you are using, specifically, do they apply good manufacturing practices? Are there are toxins? What ingredients are there? How long this company been on the market? Price versus Quality? Are there any customer testimonies?
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