Flora Flora - Maria's Swedish Bitters Alcohol-Free, 250 ml
Flora Maria's Swedish Bitters - Alcohol-Free - Bitters play an important role in digestion as they stimulate bile production to break down the fats we consume. Use before meals to stimulate the stomach and help improve digestion or use after meals to lessen feelings of fullness or gas. This blend of extracts provides the bitter leaves and roots generally lacking in the average diet, which stimulate the production of bile to help digest fatty foods, promote regularity and ease hyperacidity.
Price
Regular Canadian retail price: $34.39 CAD. Price Vault members pay below retail on this product. Member pricing is private and shown after a free opt-in, with no membership fee, no minimum order and no subscription.
In stock. Free shipping across Canada on orders over $89, flat $9.95 under that. 30 days to request a return, with return shipping paid by the customer. Ships from Victoria, BC.
See member pricing on Flora Flora - Maria's Swedish Bitters Alcohol-Free
Why people keep reordering it
- Researched strains
- Specific, studied strains at counts high enough to reach your gut.
- Guaranteed live cultures
- Potency held through the end of shelf life, not just at manufacture.
- Digestive balance
- Supports regularity, bloating and a healthy gut barrier.
Best suited to: feeling heavy or gassy after fatty meals, wants a bitters tonic without alcohol, occasional sluggish bowels alongside digestive complaints.
What the research supports
An alcohol-free tincture of thirteen traditional bitter herbs built around senna and rhubarb root, in a water base. A 250 mL bottle lasts about two weeks.
Traditional bitters are dosed by the teaspoon rather than to a research target. The senna is the ingredient to watch, since it is a stimulant laxative and the label caps how long it should be taken.
- Constipation (evidence: strong, from human rct, traditional use)
- Senna, rhubarb and aloe leaf contain anthraquinone compounds that trigger the colon wall to contract and move stool along, usually within eight to twelve hours.
- Gas and bloating (evidence: limited, from traditional use, mechanistic)
- Cardamom and cinnamon are traditional carminatives thought to relax gut muscle and let trapped gas move through. Human evidence for this exact combination is limited to traditional use.
Read the literature: Constipation on PubMed, Gas and bloating on PubMed.
Is it right for you
Worth it if
- Feeling heavy or gassy after fatty meals
- The bitter herbs (angelica, zedoary, carline thistle) are traditionally used before meals to stimulate bile and stomach secretions that help break down fat.
- Wants a bitters tonic without alcohol
- This version is extracted in water and citric acid instead of alcohol, so it works for anyone avoiding alcohol for personal or religious reasons.
- Occasional sluggish bowels alongside digestive complaints
- Senna, aloe and rhubarb root are included at traditional laxative doses, giving the formula a mild stimulant laxative effect on top of the bitters.
Look elsewhere if
- Pregnant or breastfeeding
- Senna and camphor are generally avoided in pregnancy, so speak with a healthcare provider about a plain gentian or artichoke bitters instead.
- Someone with loose stools or IBS-D
- The stimulant laxative herbs here could worsen looseness, look for a bitters formula without senna, aloe or rhubarb, such as one built on gentian root and orange peel alone.
- Wants a daily long-term laxative
- This is meant as an occasional digestive aid, not a daily bowel regimen, a fibre supplement or magnesium citrate is a better fit for ongoing regularity.
What to expect
Taken before meals, many people notice more active digestion and less post-meal heaviness within the first days of use. The laxative herbs (senna, aloe, rhubarb) can produce a bowel movement effect within 6 to 12 hours, so timing and dose matter more than with a plain bitters tonic.
How it compares
- Compared with traditional alcohol-based Swedish bitters tincture
- This version removes the alcohol entirely, so it suits people avoiding alcohol without changing the herb blend. The tradeoff: Once opened it must be refrigerated and used within six weeks, whereas alcohol-preserved tinctures typically keep much longer at room temperature.
- Compared with a simple gentian or artichoke bitters
- This formula adds senna, aloe and rhubarb, giving it a stimulant laxative effect that plain bitters do not have. The tradeoff: That also means a higher chance of cramping or looser stools if you take it more often than directed.
Product details
- Medicinal ingredients
- Angelica root 1:71, Aloe leaf 1:100, Zedoary root 1:87, Manna sap 1:100 and 9 more
- Ingredient form
- ml
- Suggested use
- Shake the bottle well before using. Take 1 tsp (5 ml) in water or herbal tea, 3-4 times daily. Once opened, keep refrigerated and use within 6 weeks.
- Country of manufacture
- Canada
- Independent testing
- NPA and QAI (third-party certified)
- Certifications
- Non-GMO, Made in Canada
- Storage
- Store in a cool, dry place
- Brand
- Flora
How to take it
Shake the bottle well before using. Take 1 tsp (5 ml) in water or herbal tea, 3-4 times daily. Once opened, keep refrigerated and use within 6 weeks.
- Store in a cool, dry place away from direct light.
- Keep out of reach of children.
- Consult a practitioner if you are pregnant, nursing or on medication.
Ingredients
Each 5 mL contains
- Angelica root 1:71
- 70 mg
- Aloe leaf 1:100
- 50 mg
- Zedoary root 1:87
- 57.5 mg
- Manna sap 1:100
- 50 mg
- Myrrh resin 1:174
- 28.8 mg
- Senna leaf 1:100
- 50 mg
- Rhubarb root 1:100
- 50 mg
- Saffron flower 1:5000
- 1.0 mg
- Cardamom seed 1:1333
- 3.7 mg
- Valerian root 1:666
- 7.5 mg
- Cinnamon bark 1:666
- 7.5 mg
- Carline thistle root 1:200
- 25 mg
- Camphor wood 1:595
- 8.4 mg
Non-medicinal ingredients
Water and citric acid.
Free from
Contains no gluten. Non-GMO.
Interactions and cautions
- Medications
- May interact with certain prescription medications. Review with your pharmacist if you take daily medication.
- Timing
- If taking antibiotics, separate doses by 2 to 3 hours.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Consult a healthcare practitioner before use if pregnant or breastfeeding.
- General
- Use only as directed. Discontinue and consult a practitioner if you experience an adverse reaction.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. Consult a healthcare practitioner before use. Free certified advisors are available at 1-888-386-1211, Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm PT.
Questions about Flora - Maria's Swedish Bitters Alcohol-Free
- Is this the genuine, authentic product?
- Yes. It is identical to what you would pay full price for anywhere else, sourced through our authorized supplier relationships.
- How is the price below retail?
- We buy direct, with nobody in the middle taking a cut, and we sell it for close to what we paid. You see the price privately because you have unlocked the Vault.
- How fast does it ship?
- Orders placed before 12pm PT are processed the same day and ship within two business days. Shipping is free over $89, and a flat $9.95 under that.
- Can I return it?
- You have 30 days after it arrives to request a return. Product must be unused, in its original packaging, with proof of purchase, and return shipping is paid by you. Find it cheaper anywhere in Canada and we will match the price.