Flora - Mariaas Swedish Bitters Alcohol-Free - 250 mL

Why We Need Bitters
Our ancestors consumed a diet that included bitter herbs, roots and vegetables, which helped them maintain efficient digestive systems. Poor digestion, so common now, was foreign to them. Despite having four different taste buds on the surface of our tongues to discern taste (sour, sweet, salty and bitter), we rarely eat bitter foods as the typical modern diet is overloaded with sweet and salty flavours. Yet bitters play an important role in digestion as they stimulate bile production to break down the fats we consume.

Maria's Swedish Bitters provides many of the traditional herbs that were so important in generations past. Austrian herbalist Maria Treben provided the basis for this formula in the 1940s when she was given an old recipe for bitters while she was ill at a refugee camp. Regaining her health, she revived the centuries-old formula and devoted her life to promoting this stimulating bitter tonic.

Once an integral part of European folk medicine, the original bitters recipe dates back to the 16th century, when it was created by the famous Swiss physician Paracelsus. It wasn't until 1850, when Dr. Claus Samst of Sweden refined, researched and confirmed its benefits that it was given the name "Swedish Bitters." Dr. Samst was a zealous believer in the potion and consumed it himself for much of his long life. He died at the age of 104 - in a horse riding accident! The amazing story of this formula is told in Maria Treben's best-selling book, Health Through God's Pharmacy.

Maria's Swedish Bitters represents the essence of Flora's skill, knowledge and experience in producing the finest quality herbal bitters. Only premium ingredients have been selected to achieve the highest quality and potency. They are ideal to use before meals to stimulate digestion, or after meals to lessen feelings of fullness or gas.