Swedish bitters, Swedish herbs – what exactly are they?

Swedish bitters generally refers to an alcoholic preparation that contains the so-called Swedish herbs. Swedish bitters are not considered a luxury item but a natural remedy and can be used both internally and externally.

Why Swedish…?

The name probably goes back to two Swedish discoverers: the naturalist Urban Hjärne is said to have developed the recipe in 1690, and the doctor Klaus Samst is said to have rediscovered it in the 18th century. However, Swedish bitters became well known to us through the Austrian herbalist Maria Treben with her bestseller Health from God’s Pharmacy.

Swedish bitters – various herbs in alcohol

Swedish bitters are said to have a soothing and sometimes even healing effect. They always contain a mixture of herbs and roots from bitter herbs, such as gentian, wormwood, angelica, but also varying other additives like saffron, camphor, or aloe. All of this is infused in an alcoholic solution and then filtered.

Swedish bitters – not protected

Neither the name Swedish bitters nor the recipes are protected by patents or copyrights in any way. Therefore, the composition and quality of products sold under this name can vary greatly. In addition, the alcohol content of most Swedish bitters is often quite high (often 30% alcohol), so many of these Swedish bitters should be classified more as herbal liqueurs than as medicinal remedies.

Original BitterKraft! with less alcohol

As a sensible alternative to conventional Swedish bitters products, we offer you our BitterKraft! Drops, which are made according to the original recipes of Hildegard von Bingen. For our BitterKraft! drops, we use only herbs and roots from 100% organic cultivation. They are therefore free from pesticides, artificial preservatives, and flavorings – and of course vegan.

What is Swedish bitters good for?

Swedish bitters combine numerous herbs (extracts). What is special here is that many preparations rely on herbs that grow in Sweden or Scandinavia and ideally were also harvested there. Consequently, the herbs contain the plant power of Sweden. Since each region is unique with its geographic and meteorological conditions, the plants adapt accordingly. Since Sweden is also a very natural country, you benefit even more from the millennia-old flora.

Generally beneficial to humans are the secondary plant compounds contained in Swedish bitters. These include:

• Essential oils
• Terpenes
• Minerals
• Flavonoids
• Tannins
• Bitter substances

Often, the alcoholic bitter solutions are drunk directly, inhaled for colds and coughs, or applied to the skin - for example, for minor injuries or warts.

How do I take Swedish herbs?

The use of Swedish herbs is very simple. The (mostly) alcoholic solutions can be either simply drunk, thus taking in the plant substances orally. Alternatively, you can inhale them by adding a few drops to a hot water bath and inhaling the steam. Furthermore, applying Swedish herbs to the skin is quite popular, for example with herpes, warts, or minor injuries. Alternatively, you can apply Swedish herbs externally using a compress.

Herbs in Sweden: A world of their own

For German visitors, Sweden is often a natural spectacle. While in Germany you probably won't see a single fallow or natural field, nature in Sweden thrives freely. Meadows and pastures with boulders, endless forests, and a very lively flora and fauna characterize the Scandinavian peninsula.

Swedish medicinal herbs became famous in Germany and thus worldwide through the Thirty Years' War. Wounded Swedish soldiers had to be cared for - for which, of course, the local medicinal herbs were used. At that time, the inventor of the Swedish herbs, Dr. Urban Hjärne, personal physician to the Swedish royal family, was also active.

Typical medicinal herbs originating from Sweden include:

• Dahlias
• Dipladenia
• Wax begonias
• Geranium
• Gladiolus
• Golden dandelion

Make Swedish bitters yourself

Basically, you need to make herbal extracts and finally dissolve them in an alcoholic carrier solution. If you buy ready-made Swedish bitters products, you benefit from the high-quality extracts that the industry can produce. If you prepare a remedy at home, many enjoy the freshness of the herbs.

First, you need a collection of Swedish herbs. In fact, you can find numerous recipes online; here we want to present one as an example. You need:

• 10 g gentian root
• 10 g angelica root
• 5 g wild ginger root
• 5 g myrrh
• 10 g manna
• 10 g natural camphor
• 10 g senna leaves
• 10 g ginger root
• 0.2 g saffron
• 1 liter grain alcohol (40% vol.)

Put the herbs in a container with grain alcohol and place it in a warm spot. Shake the bottle daily. After a few days, you can filter the tincture, transfer it to a dark bottle, and store it in a cool place. You can of course adjust the herbal mixture used.

Swedish bitters: The tradition around the herbal remedy

Swedish bitters recipes have existed for centuries. Depending on the herbal composition, different properties of the tincture can be promoted. Accordingly, there are many traditional uses for Swedish bitters.

Whether Swedish bitters can actually help with these applications is still partly a subject of research.

The traditional use for digestion is the most famous. For decades to centuries, people have taken Swedish bitters as a bitter remedy to alleviate digestive problems.

The use of Swedish bitters for skin conditions such as inflammations is very well known. The secondary plant compounds and essential oils might help here.

Swedish bitters are especially used by fans of Swedish flora and fauna for inflammations and colds. Many people inhale Swedish bitters for respiratory diseases.

Marie Treben and her teachings about Swedish herbs

Marie Treben was guided to herbal medicine by a key moment: After suffering a severe skin rash at the end of 1945, a tincture made from helped her recover. Previously, she considered medications the remedy of choice – this experience made her aware of the healing powers of plants again.

Following her recovery, she studied herbal medicine on her own, paying special attention to Swedish bitters. This is reflected in her most famous works on herbal medicine, through which Swedish bitters gained worldwide fame.
Even though some of her findings and recommendations have had to be disproven today, she made an important contribution to the preservation of herbal medicine.

Are Swedish bitters only available as tinctures?

For a long time, Swedish bitters were only available as alcoholic tinctures. An innovation was already the first non-alcoholic Swedish bitters. However, many users disagreed on whether the non-alcoholic Swedish bitters taste and work as well as the alcoholic versions. It was immediately appreciated that pregnant women and children could now enjoy Swedish bitters without worry.

Fortunately, today we have several forms of Swedish bitters or Swedish herbs. So you can have the right form of administration at home for every everyday situation.

Classic are still alcoholic tinctures with Swedish bitters. Non-alcoholic tinctures are water-based and may contain fewer herbs because some herbs are difficult to extract and dissolve in water.

Swedish bitters are now available as gels and powders. The gels can be applied to the skin, powders can simply be taken directly into the mouth and followed by water.

BitterKraft! drops as an alternative to conventional Swedish bitters?

Swedish bitters were one of the first bitter remedies ever. Mr. Gutsmiedl, the inventor of BitterKraft! drops, was the first manufacturer to distribute bitter remedies on an industrial or commercial level.

Accordingly, both bitter remedies naturally have quite a bit in common. If we look at the recipes for Swedish bitters and BitterKraft!, we see some overlaps in the herbs.

Gentian roots and angelica roots are found in most bitter drops as well as in Swedish bitters. Cardamom seeds and milk thistle herb can also be included in Swedish bitters.

The advantages of BitterKraft! at a glance:

• 1000 years of ancient monastery knowledge in a modern form
• pharmacy quality for over 25 years
• free from artificial flavors and sweeteners
• organic product with local herbs, made in Germany
• less alcohol, more herbal power than usual Swedish bitters
• long shelf life, even after opening and without refrigeration

Our BitterKraft! drops are 1000 years of herbal knowledge in a modern and contemporary form. The original from Gutsmiedl tastes pleasantly aromatic. Unlike many Swedish bitters, our BitterKraft! drops contain only 22% alcohol. The alcohol is necessary to extract as many helpful substances as possible from the medicinal plants, to preserve the ingredients, and to improve their absorption.

Original BitterKraft! also without alcohol!

The alcohol content in our tinctures is low—much lower than in comparable preparations. And as you have heard, alcohol also has advantages. If you still want to avoid alcohol completely, we recommend some BitterKraft! products that contain absolutely no alcohol.

You can find these alcohol-free BitterKraft! products here.

Swedish bitters: Frequently asked questions

Is Swedish bitters considered a recreational drink?

Because of the alcohol content, people often think Swedish bitters is a recreational drink rather than a remedy. However, Swedish bitters is considered more of a remedy than a recreational drink. Still, more voices are calling to classify Swedish bitters as a herbal liqueur.

Are there scientific proofs for the effectiveness of Swedish bitters?

Swedish bitters is a traditional remedy based on empirical medicine. Unfortunately, there are no explicit scientific studies on the effectiveness of Swedish bitters so far. However, there are some studies on the effectiveness of bitter substances. Since the specific herbal composition of Swedish bitters has not been tested, there is no scientific proof of its effectiveness. Therefore, Swedish bitters falls under empirical medicine.

Are there risks or side effects when using Swedish bitters?

Yes, there are, especially because Swedish bitters contain alcohol. Make sure to take Swedish bitters only in the recommended doses.

What are the alternatives to Swedish bitters?

If you do not want to use Swedish bitters, you can use other bitter remedies. BitterKraft!, for example, has a different taste due to its herbal composition and might therefore suit you better.

Is Swedish bitters suitable for pregnant women and children?

If an alcoholic version is used, the use of Swedish bitters is not suitable for pregnant women and children. However, there are some forms available without alcohol. During pregnancy, the principle is that a doctor should be consulted before taking any preparations, so please consult a doctor even when using alcohol-free Swedish bitters.