The Six Tastes ~ Bitter

The bitter taste is one of the six tastes found in many foods and spices, including bitter melon, burdock root, leafy greens, eggplants, broccoli, cabbage, Jerusalem artichokes, sesame oil, coffee, dark chocolate, fenugreek, saffron, aloe, and turmeric.

The bitter taste is not just a flavor but stimulates and enhances all other tastes, increases digestive secretions and enzymes, and improves the digestive fire. Its profound cleansing removes fat and toxins (Ama) and clears heat and congestion. This reassures you of its purifying effects on the blood, its support for the liver, and its coolness that benefits the skin, relieving burning, itching, and swelling.

Overuse can lead to potential risks. The bitter taste's dryness can deplete the tissues, weakening the kidneys and lungs. It can also reduce bone density, induce nausea, cause dry mouth, and dry out Ojas (the body's life sap). Its extreme coldness can also cause excess coldness and tissue dryness, constipation, and a sense of confusion and disorientation. This cautionary note ensures you are well-informed about the balance needed in your diet.

If bitter isn't your favorite taste, try incorporating small amounts into your meals with some of the greens mentioned earlier and fenugreek to your dishes. You can also experiment with aloe vera juice, which has beneficial effects. Get creative in the kitchen and discover new ways to enjoy the bitter taste. It's healthy bene but has many options.

Bitter Facts:

Elements: Ether and air

Energetics: Dry and light

Taste (Rasa): Bitter

Temperature (Virya): Cold

Digestive after effect (Vipaka): Pungent

Location: Ileum (most extended part of the small intestine)

Digests: Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats

Balances: Pitta & Kapha

Aggravates: Vata

Benefits: Reduces weight and water intention, relieves skin rashes, fever and nausea

Bio-medical actions: Detoxificant, refrigerant, nervine stimulant, fat scrapper, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, cholagogue, laxative, anthelmintic, alterative, and diuretic.