History 

As with many popular herbal formulas, there is a certain amount of myth surrounding the origins of Swedish Bitters.

The original formula is attributed to Dr Theophrastus Phillipus Auroleus Bombastus von Hohenheim otherwise known as Paracelsus (1493 –1541).

The mixture takes its name from a well-known 18^th century Swedish Physician and Rector of Medicine, Dr Claus Samst. Apparently the formula was found amongst his writings. Dr Samst died at the age of 104 – from a riding accident – and was not the only long-lived member of his family. His writings included a manuscript, which listed 46 conditions for which Swedish Bitters can bring relief.

However, it was Maria Treben who brought the Swedish Bitters to the world’s attention. Mrs Treben was a German-speaking refugee from Czechoslovakia, when, in a camp in Bavaria and suffering from typhoid fever, someone gave her a small bottle of bitters and a copy of Dr Samst’s ‘Old Manuscript’. She was so impressed with its’ effect that when she and her husband settled in Austria, she continued to use the mix for all sorts of ailments. She was a natural herbalist and eventually travelled across Europe, lecturing on the use of herbs and Swedish Bitters in particular.

Maria Treben’s herbal ‘Health Through God’s Pharmacy’ is still a best-seller and to date has sold over 8 million copies worldwide; much more information about Swedish Bitters can be found within this book.

Optimum Health is proud to have been the first company (as Phoenix International) to introduce Swedish Bitters into the UK in the 1970’s.