Optimizing Digestion
with Functional Medicine
In functional medicine, digestion is seen as the cornerstone of overall health. If you can’t properly break down and absorb your food, even the healthiest diet won’t deliver its full benefits. Optimizing digestion means supporting your stomach acid, enzymes, bile flow, and nervous system, the key players in nutrient absorption and gut health.
1. Activate Your Digestive Reflexes with Bitters
Before you eat, include bitter foods such as arugula, dandelion greens, radicchio, or ginger. Bitters help “wake up” digestion by stimulating the vagus nerve, which signals the body to release stomach acid, bile, and pancreatic enzymes.
Tip: Try a few drops of a liquid bitters tincture (without added sugar or alcohol if sensitive) 10–15 minutes before meals.
Research: Studies show bitter herbs can stimulate gastric secretions and bile flow, enhancing nutrient breakdown and assimilation (Camilleri et al., Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2020).
Click here for my favorite bitters/ digestive enzyme blends !!
2. Don’t Drown Your Stomach Acid
While hydration is essential, avoid drinking large amounts of water during meals. Excess fluid can dilute stomach acid, making it harder to digest proteins and absorb minerals like zinc and iron.
TIP - Sip small amounts instead, and focus on hydrating between meals.
3. Support Digestive Enzymes
If you experience bloating, heaviness, or discomfort after rich or higher-fat meals, adding a broad-spectrum digestive enzyme supplement can be helpful. Enzymes assist in breaking down proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, supporting smoother digestion and reducing post-meal sluggishness.
Functional insight: Certain nutrients, such as zinc and vitamin B6, are required to produce digestive enzymes, so deficiencies can directly impair digestion (Institute for Functional Medicine, 2022).
Click here for my favorite bitters/ digestive enzyme blends !!
4. Eat in a Relaxed State
Digestion is parasympathetic; it happens best when you’re calm. Eating while stressed, multitasking, or rushing can suppress stomach acid and enzyme secretion.
Before meals:
Take 3–5 slow breaths to shift into a “rest and digest” state.
Practice gratitude or mindfulness before eating.
Sit down, avoid screens, and focus on your food.
Why it matters: The vagus nerve links emotional state and digestive function; research shows stress can slow gastric emptying and alter gut motility (Mayer et al., Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 2021).
5. Chew Your Food Thoroughly
Chewing is the first step in digestion! Breaking food down mechanically increases surface area for enzymes to act on and signals the stomach to release gastric acid. Aim for 20–30 chews per bite, especially for proteins and fibrous foods.
6. Support the Stomach, Liver, and Gallbladder
Include lemon water or apple cider vinegar (if tolerated) before meals to help prime stomach acid.
Support bile flow and liver health with beets, dandelion root tea, artichokes, and cruciferous vegetables.
Ensure you’re eating enough healthy fats (avocado, olive oil, coconut, grass-fed ghee) to keep bile moving.
7. Address Root Causes of Poor Digestion
Functional medicine always asks why. Common underlying drivers of sluggish or painful digestion include:
Low stomach acid (often misinterpreted as excess acid)
Gut dysbiosis or microbial imbalance
Stress and nervous system dysregulation
Food sensitivities
Nutrient deficiencies (zinc, magnesium, B vitamins)
Liver congestion or bile stasis
Identifying and treating these root causes can dramatically improve not only digestion, but energy, skin health, and hormone balance.
8. Honor Your Body’s Rhythms
Finally, give your body time to rest and digest:
Allow at least 3–4 hours between meals.
Avoid late-night eating to support circadian rhythm and overnight repair.
Get consistent, restorative sleep to keep your gut-brain axis balanced.
The Takeaway
Optimizing digestion isn’t about taking more supplements; it’s about re-training your body to digest naturally and efficiently. Functional medicine views digestion as an interconnected process involving the brain, gut, and liver. By incorporating bitters, mindful eating, and supportive nutrients, you can restore your digestive flow and nourish every cell in your body.
References
Camilleri, M., et al. (2020). Bitter taste receptors and the regulation of gastric secretion. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 14, 541-553.
Mayer, E. A., et al. (2021). The gut–brain axis and stress-related disorders. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 18(5), 323–339.
Institute for Functional Medicine. (2022). Functional Nutrition and Digestive Health. IFM.org
Rupa Health. (2023). Functional Medicine Approach to Digestion and Gut Health. RupaHealth.com
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (2022). Herbal Bitter Compounds and Digestive Function. NCCIH.nih.gov
