“Yuck!” might be your first reaction to bitter foods, but there are many health benefits if you can do it. I came across this information in a blog on the Nature’s Sunshine website and was intrigued by the topic. So, what are bitter foods and what can they do for your health? Let’s see.
First, a little biology lesson. In the body, the “bitterness” sends a chemical reaction throughout the body. The bitterness is what makes it healthy and sweetening the bitter food often negates many of the benefits. The chemicals responsible for the bitterness are carotenoids, flavonoids and polyphenols, but they are good for you. The modern diet is deficient in these compounds and can be partially the reason for the rise in digestive illnesses, inflammatory conditions, immune problems, diabetes and others.
The first reason you should eat more bitter foods is that they help you absorb nutrients. This is possible because the compounds in the bitter foods stimulate the production of gastric acid in the stomach. This helps prepare the stomach for the incoming food. The enzymes and bile that the bitter foods trigger help the food to be digested better. The lack of these acids and enzymes often leads to malabsorption and digestive issues.
A second reason to include bitter foods is that it balances the taste buds and controls a sweet tooth. Ayurvedic traditional medicine uses bitter foods to help reduce cravings and in weight loss. In traditional Chinese medicine, the bitter foods are known for ‘removing heat’ in the body. This could be important in reducing inflammation.
Another reason for eating these foods is that bitter foods cleanse the body. Bitter roots and vegetables contain fiber and help clean waste in the digestive tract. Bitter foods also contain sulfur-based compounds that support natural detoxification of the liver. Western nutritionists are just now starting to discover the benefits of bitter greens that the Eastern diets have included for centuries.
A fourth reason is that bitter foods and herbs like green tea have been shown to boost metabolism. Drinking tea is an easy way to include some bitter food and speed up the metabolism. The green tea, however as noted above, has to be taken in as extract or drunk unsweetened in order to have the health benefits.
A final reason is that bitter foods fight free radicals and stimulate immune function. Recent studies have shown this. Bitter foods are usually nutrient dense. Bitter foods often contain beta-carotene for healthy skin; folate for the nervous system; vitamin K for the blood and phyto-chemicals for healthy inflammatory response, regulating cholesterol, balancing hormones, detoxifying the blood and metabolizing fats. Many greens can be eaten raw, but gentle cooking makes the minerals more bioavailable.
Some common bitter foods that you can try adding into your diet are: kale, dark chocolate, black coffee, dill, dandelion, watercress, horseradish, parsley, radish, milk thistle, aloe, cilantro, goldenseal, arugula, Japanese eggplant, turmeric, fenugreek seeds, leafy greens, basil, lettuce, tea and chamomile.
I hope that you can re-train your taste buds to enjoy the taste of these bitter foods so you can benefit from all these wonderful health benefits. Remember, you can do a lot to improve your health by the choices you make every day. You don’t always need a doctor and medicine. Why not try helping your body naturally.
At the Canton Fitness Center, our motto is: Believe in your health; we do!