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Dietitian says everyone should be eating ‘bitter foods’ for better gut health
It may be a bitter pill to swallow, but one dietitian has a recommendation for those who want to improve their gut health.
Many of us overlook our gut microbiome, but its important to look after it. There are rudimentary but reasonably effective tests you can do at home to see how well your digestive system is functioning. Alternatively, you can wait until its too late like when you find blood in your stool. Best nip these things in the bud. How? Simple dietary changes: complete proteins, and& bitter foods.
The top bitter foods that you should be consuming
Gut health dietitian Erin Kenney says theres a group of foods everybody should be consuming regularly to optimize digestion and detoxification.
In other words, to give the gut what it needs to stay on top of things. That group is bitter foods.
She has much to say on the ability of bitter foods to stimulate certain parts of the body to produce things that help maintain digestive health, which well get to below.
But first, because were all dying to know, here are Kenneys top bitter foods she recommends to her clients experiencing digestive difficulties:
- Cacao
- Turmeric
- Endives
- Watercress
- Artichokes
- Kale
- Citrus peels
- Milk thistle
The milk thistle plant is native to the Mediterranean, in Europe. Its similar to the Scotch thistle, which is the national plant of Scotland.
Healthline cites folk traditions that connect the milk thistles leaves white veins to the breast milk of the Virgin Mary. Historically, it has been used to treat liver and gallbladder issues. Its available to buy in various forms; Erin Kenney recommends making milk thistle tea.
What are the digestive benefits of eating bitter foods?
Erin says bitter foods have a positive impact on the lower oesophageal sphincter, a muscle at the end of the esophagus that needs to be able to close and open properly to prevent acid reflux. Eating bitter foods stimulates the closure of the lower oesophageal sphincter by stimulating the vagus nerve, she says.
On the specific notion that bitter foods stimulate the vagus nerve and cause the lower oesophageal sphincter to contract, there doesnt seem to be a scientific consensus. However, there is persuasive evidence that bitter substances can stimulate gut hormones, according to one recent metastudy.
Erin says bitter foods encourage the liver to produce bile. Secreted by the gallbladder, bile helps carry waste out of the body and assists in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K. This does appear to be borne out by science.
Finally, bitter foods help stimulate the production of digestive enzymes, which in turn help to prevent bloating, acid reflux, constipation, and diarrhea.
Bile helps the body break down fats so that they can be absorbed along with fat-soluble vitamins, notes Viral Health Nutrition. Bitter foods also support the bodys absorption of key nutrients such as iron and Vitamin B12.
Erin Kenney has a master’s degree in nutrition science and specializes in gastrointestinal disorders, and sports nutrition.
