Rest & Digest Bitters and the Medicine of Blue Vervain
In the herb world there's kind of an inside joke that's basically this- some people are "Blue Vervain" people, meaning they're pretty Type A, love lists and order and control (but often get stressed-out trying to control everything), tend towards holding stress in their bodies- particularly the neck and shoulders- and are often a "work hard, play hard" type. In the Ayurvedic framework these are folks with LOTS of Pitta.
The medicine of Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata) is perfect for people of this disposition and anyone who has these tendencies which, let's be honest, is many of us in this day and age. This plant is classified as a nervine aka an herb that's nourishing and supportive to the nervous system. Blue Vervain is deeply relaxing and the effect can be felt almost instantly. It really can shift one out of a state of activation and anxiety to a state of calm and relaxation. Part of the way it accomplishes this is the taste- it's bitter! Extremely so. The moment we encounter the bitter flavor on our palate, we start secreting digestive juices, saliva being the first and most immediately noticeable. This happens system-wide throughout the digestive tract and also involves the release of hydrochloric acid, pancreatic enzymes, and bile, all the while moving us out of a state of autonomic nervous system activation aka the "fight, flight, freeze" reaction to a state of "rest and digest," sometimes also called "rest and repair." This is mitigated by a complex interaction of our vagus nerve, taste buds, and hormones like gastrin and, science aside, cultures the world over have recognized the medicinal benefit of taking bitter and aromatic herbs to help the body relax in order to optimize digestion and support nervous system health. Perhaps the most well-known examples are the numerous herbal liquors found throughout Europe and beyond, most commonly taken in small amounts before or after eating.
Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata) in flower
For this reason, one of the main places I work with Blue Vervain in my clinical practice is in a "Rest & Digest Bitters." The formula varies depending on the person I'm working with, but at its core it's a combination of digestive bitters and bitter nervine herbs like Blue Vervain, Wood Betony (Stachys officinalis), and Skullcap (Scutellaria officinalis), so folks are able to reap all the amazing benefits of bitters (digestion, metabolism, cardiovascular health, blood-sugar regulation, nervous system, and more) along with the calming and grounding support nervines have to offer us. Nervines truly are a medicine for our times!
Blue Vervain
Blue Vervain is a North American native plant that loves wet soils that can be easily cultivated and often self-seeds around the garden, especially if the soil is rich and holds a lot of moisture. I've heard from many people that it's absolutely flourishing in their gardens this year due to all the rain! I don't generally advocate for wildcrafting this plant, as it's not wildly abundant in our bioregion, although certainly pay them a hello should you find them on a hike! If you have an herb garden or native plant or pollinator garden I do highly recommend growing this herb, as it generally grows itself and provides potent medicine for the nervous system.
And if you'd like to give it a try, Blue Crow Botanicals makes a wonderful Blue Vervain tincture with plants they grow in their gardens right here in western Mass. Or you can often get fresh Blue Vervain locally from Sawmill Herb Farm and Foxtrot Herb Farm has it available as a part of their pick-your-own membership. For those afar, the Sonoma County Herb Exchange has it available this month and they ship! The flowering tops are the part used and this is an herb that flowers now, in late summer, so now is the time to order it fresh or go looking for a wild sighting to enjoy.
I usually tincture it fresh using the folk method, using a 40-50% alcohol percentage, and the tincture turns a rich dark brown when made properly. The dosage will vary based on the individual and it's best to start with a lower dose as a starting point. for tinctures made in the folk method, start with 1 full squeeze of the dropper, confusingly known as one dropperful in herbalism, even though the dropper will only be 1/2 full with one squeeze. If you're taking it for acute symptoms of anxiety or musculoskeletal tension, wait 5-10 min for symptoms to subside, and work your way up to higher doses in 1 dropper increments, up to 4 droppers, until symptoms subside. Then you can re-up your dose as-needed throughout the day. Then once you know your dose you can take that 1-3x/day for support. It can be taken in bitters as well- see recipes below!
Rest & Digest Bitters
In my clinical practice I see lots of clients with both nervous and digestive system challenges and over the years I've leaned more and more towards crafting them formulas that address both these systems in the form of a bitters blend. As I talk about endlessly with my students and clients, bitters are amazingly helpful for a wide variety of issues and the digestive and nervous systems are in constant communication with each other- when one is relaxed the other is and visa versa.
The final formula for each client slightly differs, based on their constitution, but at it’s core the blend always involves bitter nervine herbs in combination with aromatic, carminative herbs, which further help relax the nervous system and bring blood flow and movement to the digestive tract, helping expel gas and ease bloating. Carminatives are also generally warming and bring balance to the formula, as many strongly bitters herbs are very cold in their herbal energetics. You can use the basic ratios below to make your own and I also included some sample formulas I've made for clients, which don't always match these proportions given below exactly, as I tend to be a bit more free-form with my formulation at this point in my practice, but the idea is for you to use this basic formula as a starting point and for the sample formulas to give you some inspiration and ideas!
Basic Rest & Digest Bitters Formula Basic Proporations
Basic Rest & Digest Bitters:
Bitter Nervines 70%
Carminatives 30%
My personal favorite strongly bitter nervines I work with in my practice for Rest & Digest Bitters are Blue Vervain, Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), Wood Betony (Stachys officinalis) and Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora). Other great choices would be Catnip (Nepeta cataria), Motherwort (Leonaris cardiaca), and Garden Sage (Salvia officinalis), and Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia)
Favorite carminatives I often add to these blends include Ginger, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Fennel seed, Orange Peel, and Fenugreek. Other lovely ones to include are Basil (Ocimum spp), Mints (Mentha spp), and Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa, M. didyma) and there are many more!
Dosage: 2 dropperfuls in a small amount of water (shot glass amount) 5-10 min before major meals to help calm and ground before eating and to stoke digestive fires
The final formula for each client slightly differed, based on their constitution, but at their core they always involve bitter nervine herbs in combination with aromatic, carminative herbs, which further help relax the nervous system and bring blood flow and movement to the digestive tract, helping expel gas and ease bloating. They are also generally warming and bring some balance to the formula, as many strongly bitters herbs are very cold in their herbal energetics.
You can use the basic ratios below to make your own and I also included some sample formulas I've made for clients, which don't always match these proportions exactly, as I tend to be a bit more free-form with my formulation at this point ion my practice, but the idea is for you to use this basic formula as a starting point and for the sample formulas to give you some inspiration and ideas!
Sample Formulas
Sample Formula #1
-Equal parts: Skullcap, Blue Vervain, Wood Betony, Lemon Balm, Ginger, Cardamom, Orange Peel
Sample Formula #2
-4 oz total: Skullcap 30 ml, Chamomile 30 ml, Catnip 20 ml, Ginger 20 ml, Orange Peel 10 ml, Cardamom 10 ml
Sample Formula #3
-4 oz total: Burdock 50 ml, Blue Vervain 20 ml, Skullcap 20 ml, Fennel 20 ml, Cinnamon 10 ml
Sample Formula #4
-Equal parts: Wood Betony, Blue Vervain, Chamomile, Cinnamon, Fenugreek
Sample Formula #5
-4 oz total: Skullcap 30 ml, Chamomile 30 ml, Ginger 20 ml, Catnip 20 ml, Orange Peel 10 ml, Cardamom 10 ml
Sample Formula #6
-Equal part Skullcap, Blue Vervain, Wood Betony, Garden Sage, Orange Peel
I hope this post illuminates the powerful medicine of Blue Vervain and gives you some inspiration for making your own Rest & Digest Bitters!
