Welcome! Today, hopefully, you will learn something new about the fruit of the bitter orange tree, which originates in Asia but has been part of “Western” herbal medicine for around 1,000 years. Perhaps better known, at least in some circles, for the production of essential oil from its flowers, the fruit of this tree is considered a very important herb in Chinese medicine. Western herbal medicine, however, has never seen it as a significant herb. As the acclaimed Eclectic physician Harvey Wilks Felter stated in 1922, “[It is] stimulant, carminative and tonic, but [it is] used chiefly as a flavoring agent.”
Bitter orange (Citrus x aurantium) is a small tree (between 10 and 30 feet) native to Southeast Asia. It is a cross between probably a pomelo and a sweet orange. Another plant, Citrus trifoliata (aka Poncirus trifoliata), is also sometimes used as this herb and is the original “bitter orange” used in Chinese medicine some 2,000 years ago. However, most of the material available on the market is from Citrus x aurantium.
Aside from the fruit, which is the primary subject of this blog, the flower blossom is well-known for the production of neroli oil. Neroli is a sweet, top-note essential oil used extensively in skincare products and perfumes. And, while neroli essential oil is well-studied and shown to be beneficial for people experiencing stress, we are focusing on the fruit and how to use it in similar circumstances.
The tree originated in Southeast Asia and was an early export of the area, traveling along trade routes such as the Silk Road, making its way to India, West Asia, and southern Europe, and finally to the Americas. It now grows as a naturalized tree on many Caribbean islands, and in Florida.
Although not poisonous, the fruits are not eatable in the same way that sweet oranges and other citrus fruits are. The inside fruit “meat” is dryish, sour, bitter, astringent, and lacking sweetness. However, the fruits have been used to make marmalades and other similar food products for centuries. Extracts of the fruit are widely used as a flavoring ingredient, and the immature fruit peels were regularly called for in American pharmacy in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The United States Dispensatory (1894) states, “Bitter orange peel is a mild tonic, carminative, and stomachic; the sweet is simply aromatic; but neither is much used alone. They are a frequent and useful addition to bitter infusions and decoctions, such as those of gentian, [etc.].” The fruit is also particularly well-known for its use in a number of liqueurs, such as Grand Marnier and Cointreau.
As mentioned above, this species has been used in Chinese medicine since antiquity. Both the immature and the mature fruit are used. However, for the remainder of this article, it is primarily the immature fruit that will be discussed.
It is important to note that there have been some cautions around the use of this herb. Bitter orange has a compound called p-synephrine, which is similar to, but different than, ephedrine, the stimulant found in some species of Ephedra which is now banned in the U.S. for sales in supplements.
In Chinese medicine, the immature bitter orange fruit, known as zhĭshí (枳實), is frequently used for a variety of maladies, including fullness and stuffiness in the chest and a sense of something stuck in the throat (with nothing actually there). These ailments are attributed to qi stagnation or constraint, a condition where the “vital energy” in the body is not flowing in a healthy and harmonious fashion.
Although Qi stagnation or qi constraint can occur for a number of different reasons, when it creates these symptoms in the chest area, the cause is almost always emotional upset, melancholy, or other similar psychological issues. The root causes are myriad, but we are not here to discuss those. We are here to look at how this herb, with its rich history in Chinese and other forms of medicine, can be used with other herbs to help support a healthy body when under intense stress that exhibits these sorts of uncomfortable sensations.
When struggling with these sorts of issues, most people think of herbs like chamomile, skullcap, motherwort, and passionflower. An herb primarily known in the English herbal literature as a digestive aid is not likely to be considered unless there is obvious digestive distress. However, Chinese medicine says that this type of discomfort is frequently attributed to qi constraint, a form of qi stagnation, and herbs that “move the qi” or “resolve constraint” should be combined with herbs like those mentioned above to offer a most complete if not swifter resolution to the person’s suffering.
So, with this in mind, I began adding this herb into tincture formulas to see if it would be beneficial. Over the last 25–30 years, I have found bitter orange to be extraordinarily helpful, as have those who have delighted in a tasty combination of bitter herbs like skullcap and aromatic bitter orange. No person is the same, and we all suffer in slightly different ways, everything else being equal. But I have found that the following combination works very well for many people. Modify it to suit your needs.
Prepare as either a tincture or an infusion. I prefer the tincture, but both work wonderfully. Add some organic skullcap for a stronger calming action. Add some organic chamomile if there is digestive discomfort.
Bitter orange is an aromatic bitter with a very long history of use as both an herbal ingredient and a food/flavoring. When you’re feeling a little stuck, add a bit of bitter orange to your herbal formula for a newfound relief.
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*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications. For educational purposes only.