📌 Actions of Bitter Herbs (gentian, dandelion root, artichoke leaf, andrographis, wormwood, etc.)

  1. Bile Flow & Digestion
    • Bitters stimulate cholecystokinin (CCK) → bile release.
    • Bile helps emulsify fats, which supports ketosis and reduces reliance on glycolysis → less lactate made.
  2. Mitochondrial Support
    • Many bitters contain polyphenols and terpenes that increase oxidative phosphorylation.
    • This allows lactate to be pulled into mitochondria as fuel instead of accumulating.
  3. Microbiome & Endotoxin Reduction
    • Some bitters (gentian, dandelion, andrographis) suppress gut pathogens and LPS.
    • Lower LPS means less immune-driven glycolysis (Warburg-like shift), indirectly reducing lactate production.
  4. Liver Support
    • Bitters upregulate phase I & II detox enzymes.
    • Helps with lactate clearance since the liver is a key site of lactate recycling (Cori cycle).

📌 Lactate Connection

  • Indirect Lactate Reduction: by improving fat metabolism, bile flow, and liver function, bitters make the body less dependent on glycolysis.
  • Supports Clearance: by improving liver conversion of lactate back to glucose (Cori cycle).