Bitter Taste is Good for Health
The bitter taste helps to balance Pitta and Kapha. It decreases water retention and is used as a tonic for a congested liver. It is cleansing and helps to take away burning and itching sensations. In excess it can aggravate Vata and dehydrate the body.
The astringent taste internally purifies the blood and helps balance Pitta and Kapha. In excess, it creates gas and constipation.
Bitter foods act as a gentle diuretic to purify your blood, cleanse your system, assist in weight reduction; cleanse your skin, eliminate acne, improve your bowel function, prevent or lower high blood pressure, prevent anemia, lower your serum cholesterol by as much as half, eliminate or drastically reduce acid indigestion and gas buildup by cutting the heaviness of fatty foods.
The following are examples of foods and spices for the bitter taste:
- Bitter melon and gourd
- Japanese eggplant
- Turmeric
- Fenugreek seeds
- Leafy greens
- Barley
- Basil
- Lettuce
- Aloe vera
It is important to eat many of the beneficial bitter foods, such as cruciferous veggies, leafy greens, green tea, fermented foods, and even coffee, all of which have health benefits beyond their bitter compounds! For those who are non-tasters, this may be easy. For those who taste them too much, it may be difficult to find them palatable.
Luckily, there are a few things you can do to improve the taste! You can try adding some lemon juice to work on the bitter taste. Alternatively, adding small quantities of salt or sugar may help the taste, but you want to be careful, as excessive sugar and salt have also been linked to chronic health conditions.
A better idea may be to play around with different herbs and spices to season your vegetables to improve the taste.