Taste

Liquid Herbs Taste Yucky

The bitter taste of herbal remedies may be perceived as a disadvantage to the use of liquid herbs and indeed can be a shock to the system initially.  The western palate is predominantly accustomed to sweet or salty tastes, and is unaccustomed to the bitter taste of herbal mixtures.

I usually find that after a few days, most people come to tolerate, then enjoy and sometimes even crave the taste of their herbal mixture.  This is especially true of young children who have been introduced to herbal mixtures at an early age.

An advantage of a liquid formula is that it tends to be absorbed quickly and effectively rather than being excreted undigested as are many tablets and capsules.  In other words, a liquid formula may have greater bio-availability.  Tablets and capsules must be digested before their contents can be absorbed and many people (particularly the over fifties) have poor digestion.  Thus the product is under-utilised.

Liquid herbs also tend to be less processed and thus more likely to retain the chemical constituents of the original plant.  Thus a liquid formula may be more effective.

There are several techniques to cope with the taste of liquid herbs.

• Store the bottle in the fridge to lessen the bitter taste.
• Suck ice cubes immediately beforehand to deaden the taste buds.
• Take the recommended dose with a small amount (10 or 20 mls) of water or juice.
• Swallow quickly and eat something immediately.

Different liquid herbal extracts have their own particular taste and mixtures provide even more variety. Enjoy the experience.