Natural Benefits Swedish Bitters Offer To The Body

By Melissa Ross


The ideas associated with the word bitter include anger, pain, disagreement, reactivity and resentment, among others with a negative connotation. How then can food products with a similar name offer any benefit to the body? Nutritionists have been working to identify the benefits Swedish bitters offer to the body. They seek to reverse a growing trend where the plate is becoming increasingly sweet denying your body the rewards of this naturally occurring bitter taste.

Bitter is a concoction that brings together natural herbs such as aloe vera, angelica, myrrh, bark and roots in different proportions. There are different flavors depending on branding. The primary use of this concoction is to alleviate digestive problems. This includes discomfort resulting from excessive fullness or bloating. It helps the body to produce digestive acids and enzymes to speed breaking down of food.

Irritation resulting from insect bites are cleared using bitter. The best results are achieved when it is applied directly when the bite is still fresh. You may use mild compresses to ensure penetration and full coverage. Bitter protects the wound from infection.

Bitters are also used as gargle to sooth or relief throat infection. It helps to minimize hoarseness enabling you to perform ordinary functions related to speech. About three tablespoons are added into a glass of water and used to gargle. When not gargling, half a teaspoon is added to a cup of tea and taken either thirty minutes before or after meals. You might need to take as many as six cups of tea for full recovery.

When used as a mouth wash, bitter soothes tooth ache and blisters. The concoction is prepared by adding a single tea spoon of bitter into a glass of water or tea. The mixture is taken three times a day to provide relief against tooth ache. A cotton wad may be soaked in bitter and placed directly on the affected tooth. The taste is bitter but it comes with immediate relief.

The benefits of using bitters extend to include relieving heart burns. It has been proven to ensure balance in body sugar levels as well as curb craving for sugar. It helps the body to effectively absorb fat soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K. Besides normalizing bowel movement, bitter eases constipation and ensures that your appetite is balanced at all times.

There are user instructions that provide guidance on the dosage and restrict people who should not take bitter products. The idea is to shield the body from harmful side effects and ensure that it is effective. Bitter produces laxative tendencies and is thus prohibited for people experiencing or recovering from diarrhea. In case you have liver or stomach problems, you should keep away from bitter. Prolonged use also leads to intestinal complications as some ingredients may cause the walls to wear out. It is advisable that you consult your primary health care provider before commencing the consumption of bitter.

Pregnant women are advised against using bitter. It may cause uterine bleeding and even miscarriage. Nursing mothers are also discouraged from consuming bitter. The ingredients may affect milk production or cause secondary side effects to the suckling child. Individual herbs are also effective in dealing with allergies, chicken pox, eye strains and other conditions. Seek the guidance of a health specialist before using bitters.




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