I have a few questions for those of you who are familiar with Hv's advice on using bitters and TMG to help with digestion.

From what i understand, its the bitter taste on the taste receptors on the back of the tongue that actually help secrete HCL, bile, and the enzymes correct? So anything bitter such as andrographis, gentian, or any other bitter formula would do the trick? If this is so, is there any added benefit of using an actual bitter formula (ie. benefits of the other herbs)? Or is it only for the bitter taste in the context of helping digestion.

I was also wondering if anyone noticed any differences or side effects after using bitters. I started using the Floradix bitters a few days ago and noticed that it did help with digestion and definitely made my gallbladder/liver spasm a little, but it also made me VERY DROWSY a few times after i ate. Not sure if that was a result of my digestion trying to get into gear or a from one of the herbs in the formula.

I also tried just using andrographis as a bitter today and it is definitely much more bitter. The only question i have is if it would be just as effective in cleansing the liver since the floradix has other herbs in it. (or once again, is just the bitter taste enough)

And has anyone else noticed their hunger patterns changing? I was eating the same amount but not feeling hungry as often... I'm losing enough weight as it is, so its kind of discouraging. On the other hand, it could be a good thing even if im eating less if im actually digesting what im eating. Anyone have any experiences?

Im going to add the tmg in a few days as i really need to get my acid levels up. How long did it take you to notice a difference with the addition of tmg?

Any other tips/advice/experiences how using these have helped with digestion? Im intaking b vitamins, and will add zinc and lecithin soon. I can barely handle a tiny amount of food so I really need to figure it out.

Thanks!