Need help transitioning off a low-fat diet until your body adjusts to digesting healthy fats again? Herbal bitters can help!
People transitioning from a low-fat to a Traditional Diet rich in whole, natural fats like cream, butter, and coconut oil are sometimes shocked to discover that their bodies no longer seem able to digest fats very well at all.
Eating fats might even make them feel sick to their stomach!
The cause is a liver and gallbladder that are not accustomed to producing and storing the amount of bile necessary to digest the level of fats present in a Traditional Diet.
The solution is not to go back to a low-fat diet even for those who have had their gallbladders removed.
In many cases, a slow and steady increase in the quantity of fats consumed will over time allow the liver and gallbladder to adjust with no further problems noted.
This approach works particularly well for those who are consuming coconut oil as a supplement prior to meals to suppress appetite and help them lose weight.
Another tip is to employ a most ancient remedy that modern science has all but forgotten: Herbal Bitters.
Herbal Bitters Stimulate Bile Production
Herbal bitters are extracts of medicinal plants that are rich in minerals. In fact, herbal bitters are an ancient tonic for stimulating the production of bile in the liver which correspondingly improves the digestion and absorption of fats.
It is critical that sufficient bile is produced to digest the fats present in the diet. This liver enzyme also permits assimilation of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and K2 which are critical to health as noted by researcher Dr. Weston A. Price. These activators synergistically supercharge mineral absorption.
Even those who have had their gallbladders removed find herbal bitters a welcome aid to a meal rich in fats and many are delighted to find that fats can once again be consumed with ease.
Traditional Asian cultures have long valued herbal bitters not only for their digestive benefit but also for cleansing properties as well which promote increased strength and healing.
Most health food stores have herbal bitters available for purchase at very reasonable prices.
Bitters During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Please note that most brands of herbal bitters are not appropriate for pregnancy or nursing.
However, this particular herbal bitters formulation made with chamomile is safe to use for occasional nausea, bloating and heartburn issues that may occur during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Gallbladder Cleanse May Be Needed
If despite your best efforts using herbal bitters, you still have a problem digesting fats, you may wish to consider a liver and gallbladder cleanse as there may be gall or liver stones inhibiting the bile flow process in your body.
Check out the linked article for the protocol on how to flush stones and potentially avoid gallbladder surgery with a simple, at home gallbladder cleanse.
Reference and More Information
(1) Bitters: Revival of a Forgotten Flavor
Tips for Easy Fat Digestion after Gallbladder Surgery
Nutritional Balancing Basics: Your Missing Link to Restored Health?
Michael Schmidt Ends 37 Day Hunger Strike
Where do you purchase Herbaforce bitters? I googled it and only found foreign websites.
Exactly. I am also facing the same problem. Would love to hear from @Michelle about it.
yes, where do you purchase bitters? I have had this problem and was wondering why i was having this reaction. thanks so much for the info.
I love love love my citrus bitters that is made by a company called Urban Moonshine. You can buy it from amazon or from their website. They even have a small spray that can fit in your purse 🙂
Should you consume the bitters before, during, or after meal?
The Swedish Bitters from Maria Treban are the best to use. I could hardly tolerate the liquid so I bought the herbs to make tea, which was also gross but better than the liquid. Check at Amazon.com There is a whole list of different types of capsules, liquids and loose tea herbs to purchase. Just type “swedish bitters” into the search box once you get to their site.
If you don’t think you want to try the bitters, you can order Lipase (the enzyme responsible for helping with fat digestion). I used some from Progressive Labs and I think I also got them from Amazon.
Sorry, the correct spelling is Treben. Here’s a link to amazon for her herb mixture for tea:
http://www.amazon.com/Original-Schwedenkrauter-Swedish-Mixture-Naturwaren/dp/B0006NZ5NI/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1320596190&sr=8-12
Not knowing anything about bitters before, I was intrigued by today’s blog. But I find myself with more questions than answers. Is there any way you can elaborate more? Like the posters above, I want to know how it is consumed (is it add to food or do you drink it?), when is it consumed (before, during or after a meal), and where on earth do you buy it? More importantly, which brands do you recommend? I found *some* bitters for sale on Amazon, but mostly they were on overseas sites and not available in the US. The brand that you showed in the picture was nowhere to be found as far as I could see. Thanks in advance for any further information you can provide!
Hello Celia. Reading the source article that’s linked above will provide many answers to your questions. See the link at the end of Sarah’s post.
Thanks for writing about this, Sarah. Interesting stuff! Revival of time-tested practices is so exciting!
Here’s another site I found. Don’t know if it’s in USA or overseas, but what difference does that make? I order lots of stuff from London and never have a problem. The shipping is almost as fast as some of the American companies and they’ve regulated their S&H costs to be comparable to US shipping.
This site shows all kinds of products like bitters, teas, creams, etc., from her company. Instead of ordering her MUD stuff, I made my own out of the leftover tea herbs and mixed them with quality kaolin and french green clay (from Mt. Rose Herbs) and made my own masks.
Bitters: Invaluable Aid to Fat Digestion – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/9EjYhp7V
Very timely post for this. I recall Cheeseslave recommending swedish bitters for severe nausea related to taking FCLO. Now I wonder how effective that might be because I don’t have any problem digesting fats, at all. Still worth a try I suppose. I know if I got pregnant again I’d totally try it to help out with morning sickness at least, help digest things before my tummy wants to expel everything haha.
What exactly are bitters?
I was just wondering if Oregon Grape Root tea would be considered one of these “bitter teas” or if you need a specific blend of things? I have heard a lot about the Oregon Grape Root tea. It seems to address a lot of problems that GAPS gutts have and it’s definately a bitter tea that’s for sure!
Thanks, Sarah. We just got some bitters since we eating so much more fat now. Good stuff! Well, not tasty good, lol.
This is so timely for me! I have been working on healing my gut for a couple years, yet something still seems off. Lately I’ve been researching liver congestion/issues and is what I am tackling next in the puzzle of my health. Thank you so much for posting!
Do you know of any good bitters to try for nursing mothers? Every bitters formula I’ve looked at contains angelica, which is not supposed to be used if you are pregnant or nursing. I definitely have a hard time with fat digestion (it gives me heartburn and digestive upset), and really want to find a way to make this better. I’ll likely be nursing for at least another year, so it seems hard to wait so long to try anything out. Any suggestions?
Is there a local herbalist of doctor of Chinese medicine you could consult with?
Thank you for this article Sarah. My father-in-law has been having trouble digesting fats. I will pass this information along to him.
iHerb.com sells bitters. Here’s the search link
You can use this code to get $5 off of your 1st purchase at iHerb. code: JON053
Also here is a pdf on bitters too…
I just bought some recently but haven’t started to use them yet.
I just checked and Mountain Rose Herbs has bitters. Just type in bitters in the search box.
I use cacao nibs. They’re pretty bitter, yet tasty. Great with coconut smoothies.
Ciao, Pavil
Do the cacao nibs work the same way as the swedish bitters?
Dandelion root tincture, a few drops taken in water before meals, can be easily tolerated by most people as an introduction to bitters. It is safe for pregnant and nursing women.
Thanks Christine!
I had my gall bladder removed (big mistake by the way) and I found eating small amounts of healthy fat all day long helps. I mean, 1/2 a teaspoon of coconut oil or a dime size piece of butter at a time.
You used to be able to find bitters in the grocery store section where you find alcoholic drink mixes such as for pina coladas. I don’t know why or if it is the same product.
Perfect timing, thank you!