Bitters with Apple Cider Vinegar – A New Spin on a Traditional Digestive Aid

You’ve heard the adage, “you are what you eat”, but it should really be “you are what you digest”.

The many benefits of a robust, balanced digestive system – especially in these stressful times where our health is more valued than ever – inspired St. Francis Herb Farm to formulate an herbal digestive aid that’s the first of its kind!

NEW Canadian Bitters® + Apple Cider Vinegar is a unique and powerful formula that offers the potent, time-honoured digestive benefits found in St. Francis Herb Farm’s award-winning original Canadian Bitters®, now with the additional benefits of healthful apple cider vinegar. All in a de-alcoholised formula!

Canadian Bitters® + Apple Cider Vinegar’s innovative digestive-aid blend helps relieve the discomfort from indigestion, gas, bloating, and stomach upset with a carefully crafted formula that contains a broad spectrum of certified organic traditional bitter herbs, including:  

• Ginger and turmeric = pungent, warming digestive herbs  
• Gentian, artichoke, burdock, black walnut, and dandelion = cooling bitters  
• Cardamom = an aromatic digestive especially effective for sluggish digestion, colic, and flatulence

PLUS, organic apple cider that offers a wide range of health-promoting benefits by complementing the digestive benefits of bitters, helping to promote healthy digestive fluids, and supporting metabolism as part of a comprehensive solution for managing that waistline! 

This exceptional formula contains balanced herbal actions for optimal digestion in a de-alcoholised liquid that retains the efficacy and high absorption of its beneficial properties without the alcohol found in most tinctures. It’s also slightly sweetened with a touch of honey – to help the medicine go down!

Bitters Basics

Bitter herbs work to prompt healthy digestion by stimulating specific receptors on the tongue causing the “bitter reflex”.  

This reflex extends to the vagus nerve, which communicates with the digestive system, kicking it into action. This increases circulation to digestive organs and signals the release of saliva, gastric juices, enzymes, and bile – secretions that are essential throughout the entire gastrointestinal tract for breaking down food and metabolizing its nutrients.

Traditionally, bitter foods were included in the diet to stimulate the palate and appetite, but bitter foods are often missing from modern diets! Our palates have become accustomed to eating patterns and agricultural practices that have selectively removed bitter flavours. Bottom line: our digestion isn’t as stimulated as it would be with more bitter flavours in the diet.

Bitters also help to switch the nervous system into “rest and digest” – where it can concentrate resources on digestion, helping to optimize the nutrient absorption that’s essential to maintaining overall health.  

NEW Canadian Bitters® + Apple Cider Vinegar joins top selling Canadian Bitters® in a line of natural, non-habit-forming tinctures that: 

Effectively relieve immediate digestive issues 

PLUS  

Help establish stronger, more efficient digestion for the long-term without continuous use, unlike enzymes and probiotics, that require constant supplementation as temporary solutions.  

Benefits of Canadian Bitters® + Apple Cider Vinegar and Canadian Bitters® include: 

Reduced heartburn and indigestion – It’s a common misconception that too much stomach acid is responsible for heartburn – while, in fact, too little is often the underlying cause. This line of bitters triggers the healthy production of stomach acid, stimulates the smooth muscle in the stomach to increase the rate of gastric emptying, and helps tone the muscles at the bottom of the esophagus, discouraging reflux. 

Increased nutrient absorption – By promoting gastric juice secretion, appetite, and general digestion – bitters aid the body in breaking down food so that it effectively absorbs the nutrients from it! These vitamins and minerals are essential for maintaining other body systems including a strong immune system. 

Reduced sugar cravings – The taste of bitters counters the brain receptors that encourage our sweet tooth, and they also work to stabilize blood sugar.  

Gentle and non-habit forming! Some formulas can create dependence or irritate tissues, and contain stimulant laxatives like aloe, senna, and rhubarb, which can encourage dependency or can even become addictive.  

Build Stronger Digestion – Naturally! 

Adding Canadian Bitters® + Apple Cider Vinegar to your daily routine is easy: simply take on an empty stomach to a maximum of 1 tablespoon (15mL) daily. Ideally, bitters are taken 15-60 minutes before meals, but they can also be taken after a heavy meal, or when discomfort occurs. Bitter late than never!