6 Reasons to Add Bitter Foods to Your Diet

For our ancestors, bitterness normally meant that a food could be poisonous, but they understood that not all bitter foods were dangerous. In fact, they used bitter herbs like dandelion to improve digestion and fight off diseases.

Now, science has proven that eating bitter foods is actually beneficial to your health. This may sound like bad news to people with a sweet tooth, but you’ll be happy to find out that bitter foods can help you cut back on sugar.

BITTER FOODS FOR YOUR HEALTH

Below are the benefits of adding bitter foods to your diet.

1. Bitter foods may help you reduce your sugar intake.

Research shows that bitter foods may block your sweet taste and make you lose interest in sugary foods. A study on insects that have similar taste cells to human taste buds found that flies avoided sweet foods after they ate bitter food.

A human study also found that our taste buds release chemicals that may inhibit sweet taste when we eat bitter foods. 

This goes to show that adding bitter foods to your diet is a great way to curb your sugar cravings.

2. They may boost your energy levels.

Bitter foods are loaded with nutrients that can boost your energy levels. For instance, cocoa contains caffeine, iron and magnesium, which can reduce tiredness and make you energetic.

Dark leafy greens also contain energy-boosting nutrients such as magnesium, B vitamins, iron and folate.

3. They may fight free radicals.

Free radicals are unstable atoms in your body that can damage your cells. They have been shown to accelerate aging and increase the risk of numerous diseases including cancer.

Bitter foods contain high amounts of antioxidants, which can fight these free radicals. Dark chocolate that contains more than 70 percent cocoa is a good example of such foods. Bitter vegetables and herbs also have strong antioxidant properties.

4. They may improve your digestion.

Because of their taste, bitter foods stimulate the production of bile and digestive enzymes. This, in turn, improves your digestion and food absorption.

Most bitter foods also tend to contain fiber, which we all know is essential for healthy digestion.

5. They may cleanse your liver.

Eating these foods can be extremely beneficial if you’re on a high-sugar diet. Sweet foods lower liver function and can even cause fatty liver disease, according to research.

Bitter foods do a good job of cleansing your liver, thanks to glucosinolates. Glucosinolates are the compounds that give bitter veggies their bitter taste.

6. They help bring balance to your diet.

Almost every food in the supermarket contains sugar or artificial sweeteners. Adding bitter foods to your diet is a great way to cut back on these foods and add more plant-based, whole foods your diet.

BITTER FOODS TO EAT TODAY

Now, if you’re not sure which bitter foods to eat, here are bitter foods which science says are healthy:

• cranberries
• dandelion greens
• leafy green veggies
• bitter melon
• green tea
• coffee
• cocoa
• citrus peel
• dark chocolate