Ancient herbal wisdom, new science, and the body's remarkable metabolic intelligence with Guido Masé
Bitterness is not simply a taste. It is a message.
Join herbalist Guido Masé for four live online classes that explore how bitter herbs support digestion, metabolism, appetite, and the microbiome, where time-honored tradition meets the latest research.
Why now?
Everybody’s talking about GLP-1. And if you work with plants, someone has probably already asked you, “Is there an herb for that?”
Here’s the twist: bitter plants have been coaxing our bodies to make GLP-1 all along. We just didn’t know it.
Bitter receptors on the tongue and throughout the gut prompt the body to release its own GLP-1 and its sister hormones. Guido shared a trial showing that people who took a bitter hops extract before lunch ate 18% less, simply because they felt full at the right time.
But GLP-1 is only one note in the song. The drugs push one button hard. Bitters also wake up digestion, support the liver, tend the microbiome, and loosen sugar’s grip.
As Guido puts it, drugs fight and herbs heal.
Best of all, bitters enhance the joy of eating. Think radicchio with orange and olive oil, or a little amaro after dinner with people you love.
Whether the people you care for are on a GLP-1, coming off one, or just want a better relationship with food, now is the time to understand bitters deeply.
Why Bitterness?
Long before anyone measured a hormone, our ancestors paid close attention to bitter plants. They learned which ones woke up appetite, moved bile, and cleared stagnation, and which needed warming aromatics to keep them in balance.
Western, Ayurvedic, and Chinese traditions each tell a rich story about bitterness.
Then there’s the evolutionary puzzle.
Why do we have around 25 kinds of bitter taste receptors?
And why do they turn up in our airways, immune tissue, and gut, far from any taste bud?
The answer reframes bitters as physiological sentinels: plant compounds our bodies learned to recognize and respond to long ago.
With Guido’s guidance, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of bitter herbs for health…
Why Bitterness?
Thursday, November 12, 2026 | 6-8 PM ET
Tradition, Energetics & Evolutionary Physiology
Let’s begin with ancient herbal traditions of bitter plants, then move into evolutionary biology.
We will explore…
- Western humoral and Galenic approaches to bitterness
- Ayurveda’s Tikta Rasa and the paradox of bitter taste
- TCM’s understanding of bitter herbs, heat, dampness, and digestion
- The art of balancing bitters with aromatic carminatives and other supporting herbs
- Why plants evolved bitter compounds in the first place
- The remarkable family of human bitter taste receptors, TAS2Rs
- How our taste receptors evolved as sophisticated chemical sensors
Start building your bitter materia medica by meeting the herbs that will accompany us throughout this series.
Your Body’s Own GLP-1: How Bitters Really Work
Thursday, November 19, 2026 | 6-8 PM ET
What happens in your body the moment you taste something bitter?
Quite a lot. And some of it is exactly what everyone’s talking about.
Bitter receptors don’t stop at your tongue. They line your gut, too. When bitter compounds reach specialized cells called L-cells, those cells release your own GLP-1 and PYY, at your body’s pace, in concert with everything else digestion needs. Their neighbors chime in with cholecystokinin, the hormone that squeezes the gallbladder and tells your brain, “Ahh, that’s plenty, thank you.”
We’ll follow the bitter signal from the first taste all the way down, and discover why dose and timing change the whole story. A few drops before dinner can wake up a sleepy appetite. A larger dose, delivered to the gut, can gently put the brakes on overeating.
We’ll learn…
- GLP-1, PYY, and cholecystokinin: how bitters prompt the body’s own metabolic messengers
- The “starter” and the “brake”: how bitters can rouse a weak appetite or calm an overactive one
- The vagal reflex and the body’s preparation for digestion
- Salivation, stomach acid, pancreatic enzymes, and bile
- Bitter receptors throughout the gut (and why you don’t always need to taste them)
- Gallbladder function, bile flow, and liver and lipid metabolism
- Why dose, timing, and formulation matter
Instead of pushing a single button, bitters conduct a much larger physiological orchestra.
Bitters as Sentinels & Guardians
Thursday, December 3, 2026 | 6-8 PM ET
Here’s where things get really interesting.
Bitter taste receptors aren’t confined to your mouth or gut. They’re part of a much larger sensory network throughout the body.
We’ll explore emerging research on bitter receptors in…
- The respiratory system
- The intestinal immune system
- Paneth cells and antimicrobial defense in the gut
- Intestinal tuft cells and immune signaling
- The gut barrier
- Parasite defense
- Craving and reward pathways
We’ll also explore the intriguing relationship between bitter herbs and the microbiome, including how certain bitter compounds interact with gut organisms and how traditional bitter roots may contribute prebiotic compounds.
Next, we’ll ask a provocative question…
Can bitterness help us change our relationship with the modern foods designed to make us want more?
Clinical Therapeutics & Bitters in the GLP-1 Era
Thursday, December 10, 2026 | 6-8 PM ET
We live in a fascinating—and complicated—moment in metabolic medicine.
GLP-1 medications have transformed the conversation around appetite, blood sugar, weight, and metabolic health. At the same time, they have raised important questions about digestion, appetite, muscle preservation, pleasure, and long-term physiological function.
What can the herbalist learn from this moment?
We’ll explore the differences between flooding a single metabolic pathway and supporting the body’s coordinated physiological response.
You will learn…
- GLP-1 and the body’s natural blood sugar regulation
- Bitter herbs as metabolic signals
- Digestion, motility, bile, and pancreatic function
- The importance of formulation rather than isolated herbs
- Why ginger, angelica, orange peel, cardamom, and other aromatic herbs matter
- The TCM concept of protecting digestive warmth and preventing stagnation
We’ll finish with a practical bitter materia medica, exploring some of the most important bitter herbs, their indications, differentiations, and appropriate dosages.
By the end of the series, you’ll have more than a list of bitter herbs.
You’ll have a framework for understanding, choosing, formulating, and using bitters intelligently.
Taste is information.
A bitter taste tells the body: Wake up. Prepare to digest. Move. Secrete. Signal. Regulate.
Traditional herbalism gives us generations of careful observation. Modern science helps us understand what those observations mean. Guido brings both worlds together, so you leave with a richer skill set for working with bitter plant medicine.
Who is this for?
This series is for herbalists, practitioners, students, and curious plant lovers who want to go beyond the basics.
It’s especially valuable if you:
- Already use digestive bitters and want to know how they work
- Study herbalism or practice as an herbalist
- Have clients, friends, or family asking you about GLP-1s and want a thoughtful answer
- Want to connect traditional energetics with modern physiology
- Are fascinated by digestion, metabolism, and the microbiome
- Love knowing why a plant works, not just what it does
- Want specifics on how to formulate and dose bitters with confidence
And you’ll receive a certificate of completion when you finish the series, a meaningful addition to your continuing education.
You don’t need to be a scientist to love the science. And you don’t need to be an herbalist to be fascinated by bitters.
What's Included
- Four live online sessions with Guido (Nov 12 – Dec 10, 6–8 PM ET)
- Recordings of every session, with no expiration
- Transcripts of every session
- Certificate of Completion
- Access to a vibrant, active Community to support you
Bonuses
This program also includes the following bonus materials...
Your Bitters Toolkit
An in-depth, searchable PDF study guide drawn from every class, with Guido’s key teachings, bitter materia medica, and formulation and dosing guidance in one place to return to again and again.
Exclusive 50% Discount
Reclaiming Energy: A Holistic Approach to Mitochondrial Health with Paul Bergner
Study Guides, Slideshows, and Class Transcripts
Personalized Certificate of
Completion
Lifetime
Access to Workshop
It’s time to give bitter a second taste.
For most of us, bitterness is something we learned to tolerate: a grimace, a quick swallow, done. But the more Guido shows us, the clearer it becomes that bitter plants may be one of nature’s most sophisticated ways of talking to the body.
Join us for four live evenings with Guido. You’ll walk away with the science, the traditions, and the practical know-how to work with bitters confidently, for your clients, your family, and yourself.
I can’t wait to dig in with you!
Beyond GLP-1
The Power of Bitter Herbs with Guido Masè
-
Over 8 hours of classes with live Q&A's
-
Your Bitters Toolkit—An in-depth, searchable PDF study guide
-
Access to Guido in the BotanicWise Community
-
50% off Reclaiming Energy with Paul Bergner
-
Slideshows and Transcripts for every class
-
A vibrant active community to support you
-
Personalized Certificate of Completion
-
Lifetime access to program
100% Worth It!
We are so committed to our programs that we will happily refund your full tuition price if requested before December 2, 2026!
Testimonials
Program Overview
A four-part live online series with herbalist Guido Masé exploring how bitter herbs speak to the body, from ancient herbal traditions to the newest research on digestion, metabolism, appetite, immunity, and the microbiome. You’ll finish with a practical bitter materia medica and a framework for choosing, formulating, and dosing bitters with confidence.
Four Thursday evenings, 6–8 PM ET:
- November 12: Why Bitterness?
- November 19: Your Body’s Own GLP-1
- December 3: Bitters as Sentinels & Guardians
- December 10: Bitters in the GLP-1 Era
Each session includes live Q&A with Guido.
No worries! Recordings are posted within 24 hours of each class and never expire, so you can learn at your own pace.
In the BotanicWise online community, which works on any device. You can join from your computer, or download the Mighty Networks app from the App Store or Google Play and learn on the go.
Four live sessions, recordings with no expiration, transcripts of every session, a certificate of completion, and our bonus: Your Bitters Toolkit, an in-depth, searchable PDF study guide drawn from every class.
Who It’s Perfect For
Herbalists, practitioners, students, and curious plant lovers who want to understand bitters more deeply. It’s especially valuable if clients, friends, or family are asking you about GLP-1s.
Not at all. Guido has a rare gift for making complex physiology clear and practical. You don’t need to be a scientist to love the science.
No. While we’ll explore appetite and metabolism, this series is about the many ways bitter herbs support the body: digestion, liver health, immunity, the microbiome, and our relationship with food.
You’re very welcome! Many people taking GLP-1s want to understand their digestion and how herbs fit into the picture. Please know that this series is educational and isn’t a substitute for medical care. Talk with your healthcare provider before changing any medication or adding herbs to your routine.
Anyone looking for a quick fix or a replacement for medical treatment, or anyone without the technology to join online.
Tuition and Guarantee
Full tuition for this in-depth course is $375 US Dollars. If you're in Canada (or any other country) and need a coupon to help cover the conversion rates, send us an email at [email protected]
We accept all major credit cards as well as PayPal. We also offer customizable payment plans through Partia.ly (found on our checkout page).
Forever! There’s no expiration date.
Yes! We offer a 100% “Worth It” guarantee. We’re so confident in this program that we’ll refund your full tuition if you request it by December 2, 2026.
Yes! We offer partial scholarships depending on financial need. Click here to complete our Scholarship Application.
Yes! To purchase a gift certificate, email us with your request at [email protected].
At this time we only offer Certificates of Completion and do not provide formal CEU’s.
Last Little Details
Yes! Every class includes live Q&A, and you can reach out anytime through the BotanicWise community chat.
Yes. You’ll receive a certificate of completion when you finish the series.
Please reach out to us with any questions using the contact form below!