The pre-meal bitter
A bitter preparation traditionally taken about 20 minutes before the meal: the bitterness stimulates the digestive secretions that help break food down.
Composition
- 1.5 measurescinnamon chips
- 1 measuredandelion roots
- 1 measuremotherwort (leaves/flowers)
A “measure” is a unit of proportion (e.g. a tablespoon) to adjust to the volume you want. Underlined ingredients link to their plant entry.
Preparation
Decoction
Put the tough parts (roots, barks, rhizomes) in a pan of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, then strain.
Precautions
- Motherwort: uterotonic, to be avoided during pregnancy.
- Cinnamon: caution at high doses and over a prolonged period (coumarin).
These preparations belong to herbal tradition: they aim for comfort and support, do not “cure” anything and do not replace medical advice. Ask a doctor, pharmacist or herbalist before prolonged use, if under treatment, pregnant or breastfeeding, or for a child.
Sources
Formulas from the Western herbalist tradition, knowledge passed down, not a clinically validated protocol. The texts of this collection are Permagora's own; each plant's precautions draw on its known safety data (EMA, ESCOP).
- · Pharmacopée européenne : Cinnamomum verum J.Presl, cortex
- · EMA/HMPC, monographie européenne : Taraxacum officinale, radix cum herba
- · EMA/HMPC, monographie européenne : Leonurus cardiaca L., herba