It goes without saying that most people prefer a sweet or salty flavor over a bitter one these days, but did you know that bitter foods are foundational parts of traditional diets because of their actions on digestion? It’s true! Bitter plants were incorporated into the beginning of almost all meals as a way to facilitate healthy digestion.
Why were these types of foods consumed? Well, I think Hippocrates summed it up well when he said, “All disease begins in the gut.” If you look at the majority of health problems we face these days, most times you can trace their roots back to some sort of nutrient deficiency or gut related problem.