How traditional aperitifs improve digestion

France has a number of well-known aperitif drinks including Pastis, Suze and Lillet. But, did you know that these three drinks are all produced from plants ? Aniseed, licorice root, fennel seeds, star anise, quinquina bark, bitter orange and gentian make up just some of the ingredients of these drinks. Quick fun quiz : which ingredients are associated with which drink ? (Response at the end of the article)

Many plants used in aperitif drinks all over the world have one thing in common : their bitterness. When Antonio Benedetto Carpano elaborated the recipe for Vermouth in Turin in 1786, he used wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) also known as absinthe, an extremely bitter tasting plant, along with a range of other botanicals.

You’re probably thinking at this point, "Hold on a moment, wasn’t the alcoholic drink Absinthe banned due to its neurotoxicity due to the presence of thujone?" The response to this question is "Yes, indeed it was". However, the Absinthe produced and sold on the market today is highly regulated and includes 10 times less thujone than the original recipe. On a side note, all alcoholic drinks, food and medication can be toxic if taken at high doses over a long period of time. 

Artemisia absinthium

Wormwood gets its common name from its ability to expel internal parasites [1]. In addition, the plant has numerous pharmocological actions including antifungal, anti-depressive and antioxidant properties (for more details on what exactly antioxidants do, click here) It has also been used for centuries as a bitter to improve digestion [1].

So, how do bitters improve digestion ?

Digestion is a highly complex process during which food is broken down into units that the body can assimilate or evacuate. Bitter tastes before a meal trigger the secretion of digestive juices and enzymes involved in the break down of nutrients. They also stimulate the repair of the gut wall lining, increase the flow of bile (necessary for the correct functioning of the liver) and regulate the secretion of two hormones which balance the level of sugar in the blood (insulin and glucagon). These actions lead to more efficient digestion and better assimition of nutrients [2].

Personally, I rarely drink alcohol, but I do love bitter tastes. Indian Tonic is made using the bitter quinquine from the Cinchona tree (Cinchona sp.) and there are a number of non-alcoholic bitter aperitifs on the market made from juniper berries, citrus fruit and spices.

So, whether you’re drinking Gin and Tonic, or simply plain Tonic, your body is benefitting from the bitter properties.

Santé ! Cheers !

***Please note that all alcohol drinks should be drunk in moderation***

Do you remember the quick quiz at the beginning? Well, here are the answers:

Pastis : anis seeds, star anise, licorice root and fennel seeds

Suze : gentian root

Lillet : quinquina, bitter orange

To find out more about the benefits of plants, plant walks and workshops, sign up to the newsletter here.

[1] Batiha GE et al. Bioactive Compounds, Pharmacological Actions, and Pharmacokinetics of Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). Antibiotics (Basel). 2020 Jun 23;9(6):353. doi: 10.3390/

[2] Zuluaga G. Potential of Bitter Medicinal Plants: A Review of Flavor Physiology. Pharmaceuticals. 2024; 17(6):722.