The basics – what are bitter substances?

The collective term bitter substances includes all substances that cause a bitter taste. Bitter substances are secondary plant substances that are highly valued by health-conscious people. There are both natural bitter substances and synthetic bitter substances. Natural bitter substances can be found in almost all plants and fulfill an important function there: They offer the plants protection from predators, which are successfully deterred by the bitter taste!

Bitter substances are mainly found in natural herbs, spices and wild plants. The root of the gentian (Gentiane radix) in particular has the highest proportion of bitter substances compared to other natural herbs.

The really big problem?

In conventional agriculture, the bitter substances that are particularly valuable from a nutritional point of view are deliberately bred out of many types of fruit and vegetables. The reason for this lies in the taste, as many consumers are bothered by a bitter taste and prefer a milder taste.

The result: Compared to earlier times, fruit and vegetables contain a significantly lower proportion of bitter substances, which is why you should pay even more attention to ensuring you have an adequate supply. Even if the decision in favor of better taste seems plausible, this measure reduces the health benefits of these foods. You will now find out what bitter substances can do to your body.

What important functions do bitter substances have in the human body?

Bitter substances are not only of great use to plants, they also offer a whole range of health benefits to humans. Bitter substances are involved in many bodily processes: they stimulate digestion, promote blood circulation, support a balanced acid-base balance and strengthen the immune system. Bitter substances are also essential for the liver and gall bladder, as they support the liver in detoxification and also stimulate the flow of bile.

Bitter substances stimulate digestion

When bitter substances enter the digestive tract, your body sends out a nerve signal. This signal causes all digestive organs to produce digestive juices.

Digestive juices are all secretions that are involved in the breakdown of food and the absorption of nutrients in the gastrointestinal tract (e.g. saliva and gastric juice). The production of these secretions optimizes digestive processes and relieves the liver and gall bladder.

Bitter substances are particularly effective for digestion if they can already develop their digestive effect in the mouth. For this reason, taking them in through natural foods or liquid food supplements makes much more sense than taking capsules, as the bitter substances enclosed in the capsule shell are only released in the stomach.

However, if foods containing bitter substances are chewed or liquid preparations come into contact with the bitter substance receptors in the mouth, the digestive properties develop much sooner.

Bitter substances help regulate the acid-base balance

Bitter substances not only offer real benefits for digestion, but also play an important role in maintaining a balanced acid-base balance.

The human organism is always busy keeping the acid-base balance in balance.

Specifically, the body ensures that the blood has a basic pH value of 7.35 - 7.45, which is the optimal range. If the value falls below 7.35, there is hyperacidity (acidosis).

Acidosis is a common metabolic disorder that can cause serious health problems (e.g. reduced bone stability, high blood pressure, increased risk of kidney stones).

The kidneys also suffer when they are constantly busy regulating the pH value in the blood. Bitter substances help to bind excess acid, which is why they support a balanced acid-base balance and thus health.

Bitter substances can prevent cravings and help with weight loss

Bitter substances can also indirectly help with weight loss because they reduce the desire for sweets and are therefore an effective remedy against cravings.

This helps to keep sugar consumption under control and thus makes an important contribution to combating obesity. Why are bitter substances able to regulate appetite?

How can bitter substances be easily integrated into everyday life?

Now that it is clear what benefits bitter substances offer you, it is important to integrate these health all-rounders into your everyday diet.

You probably unconsciously consume bitter substances in the morning, because coffee contains a lot of bitter substances (including caffeine).

The exact amount of bitter substances contained in coffee is largely determined by the roasting of the coffee beans and the method of preparation of the coffee.

An espresso, for example, contains a particularly high amount of bitter substances because it is prepared using high pressure and at high temperatures.

However, it would be a bad idea to drink a lot of coffee in order to absorb enough bitter substances. The same applies to alcohol, as alcoholic drinks also contain a lot of bitter substances (e.g. hops in beer).

In the section “The Basics – what are bitter substances?” you learned that bitter substances are contained in some wild plants, natural herbs and spices. It is also possible to ingest bitter substances through fruits and vegetables.

However, it is important to note that the concentrations of bitter substances today are significantly lower than in the past.

In order to offer consumers a mild and pleasant taste, conventional agriculture is taking measures to drastically reduce the bitter substance content in many fruits and vegetables.

Unfortunately, this also reduces the nutritional benefits of these foods. For this reason, you should preferably eat organic produce, as organically grown fruit and vegetables usually contain a higher proportion of bitter substances.

Highly bioavailable food supplements – your source for an optimal supply of bitter substances

It is also possible to specifically supply bitter substances using high-quality nutritional supplements. Joy Naturals nutritional supplements offer the advantage of containing a wide range of different bitter substances with live cultures. It is also important that the bitter substances with probiotic cultures have a high bioavailability.

With special:OFFER-Bitterstoffe-COMPLETE, Joy Naturals delivers an all-round, worry-free package when it comes to the supply of bitter substances.

Appropriately processed bitter substances can be absorbed more easily by your body, reach your organism in larger quantities and can therefore also have a better effect.

You benefit from 3 high-quality nutritional supplements and a detailed guide that presents 30 bitter plants in detail and also contains numerous application tips for treating complaints such as allergies, susceptibility to infections, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, hyperacidity or skin problems - ideal for deepening your knowledge of the health benefits of bitter substances and ensuring your optimal supply.