Why the bitter taste in most healing herbs?

[Right]

Is it just a coincidence that all herbs having great medicational value is found bitter in taste ?

Aloe vera, neem and now garlic.....and even ginger.....they all have been told to have terrific healing properties......and one thing I find common in them is that..they all taste bitter.....

Does bitterness inherently have good herbal properties....It really makes me wonder !!!

Regards,

Right

[MrAloeVera]

Very good question!

The characteristic taste of bitter food comes from the presence of alkaloids like caffeine, nicotine etc, bitter principles like berberine and glycosides.

Other herbs having bitter tastes are aloe vera, gentian, dandelion, goldenseal etc. Bitter tastes are used for treating predominant conditions associated with the liver diseases.

As per Ayurvedic opinion, bitter foods reduce flesh, fat and marrow. In diabetic patients the bitter foods are much effective. Bitter foods absorb mucus. The minuteness of bitterness, which is characteristic of air and ether, enables the molecules of bitter taste to move through narrow channels and clear the way for better circulation.

Among the most widely used spices, the turmeric is probably most common and most beneficial internally and externally. Corriander is another bitter spice that is used in the curry, which helps to provide energetic balance as it is slightly cooling in comparison to other ingredients of curry, which are generally heating.

Remember that this doesn't mean you have to eat only bitter herbs; health comes from balance!