Bitters: Time for a New Paradigm
Joint Authors
Towell, Tony
McMullen, Michael K.
Whitehouse, Julie M.
Source
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Issue
Vol. 2015, Issue 2015 (31 Dec. 2015), pp.1-8, 8 p.
Publisher
Hindawi Publishing Corporation
Publication Date
2015-05-14
Country of Publication
Egypt
No. of Pages
8
Main Subjects
Abstract EN
In plant-based medical systems, bitter tasting plants play a key role in managing dyspepsia.
Yet when it comes to defining their mechanism of activity, herbalists and pharmacologists are split between two theories: one involves cephalic elicited vagal responses while the other comprises purely local responses.
Recent studies indicate that bitters elicit a range of cephalic responses which alter postprandial gastric phase haemodynamics.
Caffeine and regular coffee (Coffea arabica semen, L.) increase heart rate whereas gentian (Gentiana lutea radix, L.) and wormwood (Artemisia absinthium herba L.) increase tonus in the vascular resistance vessels.
Following meals increased cardiac activity acts to support postprandial hyperaemia and maintain systemic blood pressure.
The increased vascular tonus acts in parallel with the increased cardiac activity and in normal adults this additional pressor effect results in a reduced cardiac workload.
The vascular response is a sympathetic reflex, evident after 5 minutes and dose dependent.
Thus gentian and wormwood elicit cephalic responses which facilitate rather than stimulate digestive activity when postprandial hyperaemia is inadequate.
Encapsulated caffeine elicits cardiovascular responses indicating that gastrointestinal bitter receptors are functionally active in humans.
However, neither encapsulated gentian nor wormwood elicited cardiovascular responses during the gastric phase.
These findings provide the platform for a new evidence-based paradigm.
American Psychological Association (APA)
McMullen, Michael K.& Whitehouse, Julie M.& Towell, Tony. 2015. Bitters: Time for a New Paradigm. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine،Vol. 2015, no. 2015, pp.1-8.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1063444
Modern Language Association (MLA)
McMullen, Michael K.…[et al.]. Bitters: Time for a New Paradigm. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine No. 2015 (2015), pp.1-8.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1063444
American Medical Association (AMA)
McMullen, Michael K.& Whitehouse, Julie M.& Towell, Tony. Bitters: Time for a New Paradigm. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2015. Vol. 2015, no. 2015, pp.1-8.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1063444
Data Type
Journal Articles
Language
English
Notes
Includes bibliographical references
Record ID
BIM-1063444