Bitter Herbs: Powerful Immune Boosters!Bitter Herbs Guide Whenever an herbal tea shop or stall is spotted, it never fails to lure me away from whatever I’m doing. Gulping down a glass of black, cruelly bitter tea is for sure―not that I enjoy drinking bitter herbs; but they are beneficial to health. Besides, our diet is often lacking in them. Hmm, I think I should start an herb garden … one day. Why Bitters Bitter herbs help stimulate the taste buds of our tongue and cause the digestive system to release digestive juices. Bitters may stimulate the secretion of stomach acid and digestive enzymes. Because it’s the bitter taste (felt in the mouth) that starts triggering the release of digestive juices (in the stomach), taking them in capsules or tablets will render this in a way “ineffective.” They however, have other health benefiting properties. A person with a damp-heat physical constitution can benefit from taking bitter herbs. 
These bitters are good in removing “dampness” or “water”; and can clear away “heat” or “fire” from the body, i.e. cool the system. Or you can put it the other way round, cooling the body helps “water” to flow in the body. It drains excess fluid (hence, the word diuretic). Based on Chinese medicine, dampness makes a person feel tired, sluggish and heavy―all these are signs of stagnation. Water retention in all parts of the body; excess mucus; absence of sweat; little urination; scanty dark urine; nausea and vomiting; constipation; tumors and cysts; parasites and yeasts; skin edema; and even excess body weight are related to dampness. Besides the stagnation of dampness, “dampness” itself too will cause “heat” to stagnate―thus, neither will go away! Just imagine burning damp firewood. □ Liver functions: TCM Guide According to Ayurveda, bitter herbs can be “strongly anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-parasitical due to their strong drying effect. The bitter flavor tends to dry out the microbes’ environment, hence, rendering it inhospitable. Andrographis tea, anyone? Bitter gourd tea works fine too. Did I hear someone mentioning pau d’Arco … or neem? Water extractions, tablets or capsules are favored over alcohol extractions throughout Chinese medical practice. One of the reasons for this is that alcohol creates heat in the liver. This is especially inappropriate for Chinese bitters, which are used to cool the liver. Bitters can counter-act many poisons and environmental toxins. Think of toxins as “toxic fire” and bitters as “anti-fire”. Accumulation of “toxic fire” in our blood can cause skin problems. Bitter herbs that help clear the skin are known as alteratives or blood purifiers. And most importantly … Bitter Herbs – Immunity Booster! Bitter herbs help boost our immune system. Let’s start with the liver, the largest organ in our body. Why the liver? 
Andrographis paniculata is also known as the “King of Bitter”. In Malaysia, it is known as Hempedu Bumi, which literally means “bile of earth”. This “neem of the ground” herb plant is not only used as an Ayurvedic herb but also in traditional Chinese medicine as a cooling, liver tonic immune booster!□ Andrographis: Super Immune Booster! Another “anti-fire” bitter herb, milk thistle has been used traditionally as a liver protector for over two thousand years. This natural detox cum immune booster has shown to protect us from environmental toxins and prescription drugs. Although they boost immunity, these bitter herbs do not over-stimulate the immune system. Instead, they help regulate an overactive immune system, minimizing allergic response and have anti-inflammatory properties. □ How Does Milk Thistle Benefit Your Liver? Side note: When our “strike force” team responds to an SOS call, they will act immediately to clear and fight the infection. (Once done they will clean up the place and leave behind the healthy cells.) This is normal. The abnormality only starts when our forces become “overactive” with the “OFF” mode switch malfunctioned! At this stage, they become misdirected and attack the very organs that they are designed to protect. This is called autoimmune disease. “Spice” Up Your Defense Some bitter herbs are also favored for food use because of their secondary taste. Turmeric, also known as “Indian Gold” is a sharp bitter herb with an astringent secondary taste. A respectable antioxidant, turmeric too has been used as an immunity booster in Asia for thousands of years. Research has shown turmeric extract enhances antibody production and help increase immune system activity. □ The secrets of turmeric benefits revealed! However, it was only in the last two decades that turmeric was found to prevent cancer while giving cancer cells a solid smack. While munching your turmeric, why not digest a few more cancer articles. □ Cancer! What is the truth? (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) Another one here about Dr. Burzynski's cancer research. □ Can cancer be cured? Black cumin from the Nigella sativa flowering plant, native to southwest Asia, is another immune-boosting bitter herb spice with a pungent bitter taste and smell. In the book entitled “The Magical Egyptian Herb”, black cumin was touted as an “immune” extraordinaire, and is effective against immune-system disorders, allergies, asthma, and skin problems. Super “Antioxidant-Immune” Boosters Are you aware that our body’s defense force is made up of two systems, namely the antioxidant and the immune systems? Your body’s capability to heal itself depends on the health and well-being of these two systems. □ The Antioxidant Immune System Flavanoids are potent antioxidants found in the plant kingdom. Having a variety of these potent natural compounds in your supplement is a great asset to your health. Among the several thousand antioxidant flavonoids found in food, we’re going to talk about two of the very potent (and bitter) ones here. Oleuropein has many times more antioxidants than the best extra virgin olive oils! Honestly, I don’t think this is a fair comparison, and is more of a marketing strategy. You don’t go for olive oils if antioxidants are what you’re after, right? However, there’s no denying that olive leaf extract’s defensive antioxidant prowess is exceptional. □ Olive Leaf Extract: The Pathogenic-buster! Catechin, another cancer preventive extract, is the active bitter polyphenolic compound from green tea leaf. As an aggressive antioxidant, it blends in well with other bitter herb extracts to put the brakes on the reactive free radical activities. □ Catechins: The Power of Green Tea Antioxidants! Why Standardized Extracts Standardization guarantees the potency and amount of active extracts in every batch. Moreover, side effects of an herb plant are usually not found in an extract. Please take note that all the bitter herb extracts recommended here are natural “whole herb” concentrated extracts. Active compounds that are “isolated” from a plant, and then purified are NO MORE natural, obviously. To proof my point, here's an article showing how researchers go about developing a new pepper drug, (“synthetic” pepper) from a pepper plant. The phrase “not all supplements are created equal” is almost a cliché. But how can you be really sure that your supplements are of real quality?
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Today, scientists have discovered a bitter polyphenolic compound in olive leaves called oleuropein.
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