ELi5: How is it that the bitter-tasting substances produced by plants in order not to be eaten are loved by human?

Question

ELi5: How is it that the bitter-tasting substances produced by plants in order not to be eaten are loved by human?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Bitter substances can help aid digestion by stimulating production of stomach acids. In Europe, there are a whole slew of bitter beverages to aid digestion. Italians call them “digestivi” Fernet Branca is a popular example.

Other bitter substances (like salicylic acid from the willow tree) prevent inflammation in people and aid with pain management – salicylic acid is the precursor to aspirin.

So, tl;dr bitter substances have been found useful to humans so have been widely adopted.