For centuries people have been using natural apple cider vinegar as both a food and a medicine for themselves and for their pets.
Since 400BC, Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, and others, have used vinegar and vinegar mixed with honey, as an energizing tonic and a healing elixir.
More recently, the health benefits of apple cider vinegar have been promoted by many well-known authors such as Dr. Jarvis, Paul C. Bragg and Patricia Bragg.
D.C. Jarvis, a Vermont country doctor, noted that apple cider vinegar was a respected home remedy used by many Vermonters to successfully treat a number of common ailments and nagging aches and pains.
He was so impressed that he went on to write a book on his observations and experimentations with home remedies, especially apple cider vinegar, and its beneficial effects on both people and farm animals.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
First let me say that apple cider vinegar is a completely natural product, resulting from the fermentation of apple juice to hard apple cider followed by a second fermentation to apple cider vinegar.
This natural product retains all the nutritional goodness of the apples from which it was made plus it is fortified with the extra acids and enzymes produced during the two fermentation steps.
It's the sum of all these ingredients that give apple cider vinegar its amazing health benefits.
Apple cider vinegar benefits include many external uses as well. It can be used to sooth sunburns and insect bites, to make your hair shine, and to treat dandruff just to mention a few.
Apple cider vinegar fits in well with today's trend towards eating natural healthy whole foods, and away from the overconsumption of highly processed convenience foods, which are depleted of much of their original nutrients.
Many commercial apple cider vinegars have been pasteurized, filtered, refined or distilled in order to make the product look good, and thereby more appealing to the general public.
Unfortunately this extra processing destroys much of the healthy goodness and thus many of the apple cider benefits that were in the product in the first place.
The best type of apple cider vinegar to use is one made from cold pressed, organically grown whole apples, in which no chemicals or preservatives have been added, which contains the "mother of vinegar", and is not pasteurized. The "mother of vinegar" is a natural gelatinous substance formed during the last fermentation step.
Bragg's (the Dr's mentioned above) is the brand I would recommend.
14 Health Benefits of using Apple Cider Vinegar
Tame tummy troubles
The pectin content in ACV helps treat diarrhea by forming bulk fibrous matter. The pectin also forms a protective coat for soothing the colon lining and intestinal spasms. Try mixing one or two tablespoons into water, or clear juice like apple juice.
Prevent indigestion
Sip before eating, especially if you know you’re going to indulge in foods that cause indigestion. Add 1 teaspoon of honey and 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar to a glass of warm water and drink it 30 minutes before you dine.
Help clear a stuffy nose
Mix a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water and drink. This helps sinus drainage.
Help for hiccups
Since hiccups are often caused by either low stomach acid slowing the digestion of protein, or eating too much…ACV can be a great solution for hiccups. It restores the acid balance in the stomach and eases irritating spasms of the diaphragm.
Soothe a sore throat
As soon as you feel the prickle of a sore throat, take some ACV to help head off the infection at the pass. Turns out, most germs can’t survive in the acidic environment vinegar creates. Just mix ¼ cup apple cider vinegar with ¼ cup warm water and gargle every hour or so.
Reduce swelling
Rubbing apple cider vinegar onto swollen hands or feet reduces swelling. A wonderful thing during pregnancy!
Extinguish exhaustion
Exercise and sometimes extreme stress cause lactic acid to build up in the body, causing fatigue. Apple cider vinegar contains potassium and enzymes that may relieve that tired feeling. Next time you’re feeling beat, add a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar to a glass of chilled vegetable drink or to a glass of water.
Relieve nighttime leg cramps
ACV taken diluted in water twice daily, will dissolve acid crystals in the blood and provide potassium, calcium and other essential minerals to the body needed to ease the leg cramps.
Banish bad breath
Due to its acidic properties, Apple Cider Vinegar makes a wonderful remedy for bad breath or halitosis. Simply add 1/2 tablespoon of ACV into a cup of water and gargle the mixture in your mouth for 10 seconds at a time until the cup is empty.
Fight yeast infections
One of the best home remedies to treat a yeast infection is Apple Cider Vinegar. Add 1 and a half cups of ACV into a bathtub filled with warm water, and then soak in it for about 20 minutes. This should be done once a day for the first 3 days of the infection.
Foot or skin fungus
Just as ACV can help kill Candida in the body, it is often useful against yeast and fungus on the skin and nails. If you have foot or toe fungus, soak the feet in 1 cup of ACV in water or apply directly to the affected area. For skin fungus or yeast, apply ACV directly. For children or those with sensitive skin, it is best to dilute the ACV with water before applying to the skin.
Control blood sugars
The anti-glycemic effects of apple cider vinegar help to improve insulin sensitivity, which is essential to maintain the sugar levels of blood. Mix one teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar in a glass of filtered water and take 3 times a day to steady your stomach’s rate of digestion which in turn will keep blood sugar levels more consistent. If you are diabetic, consult your physician.
Boost weight loss
Many people claim that Apple Cider Vinegar promotes weight loss by speeding up the metabolism. A suggested remedy is to mix 2 teaspoons of the vinegar into a glass of water and drink this before every meal or sip it slowly throughout the day
Lower blood cholesterol
Research has indicated that apple cider vinegar improves the lipid profile of blood by decreasing the levels of triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) or bad cholesterol, as also by increasing the levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) or good cholesterol. If you have high cholesterol, consult your physician.
Since 400BC, Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, and others, have used vinegar and vinegar mixed with honey, as an energizing tonic and a healing elixir.
More recently, the health benefits of apple cider vinegar have been promoted by many well-known authors such as Dr. Jarvis, Paul C. Bragg and Patricia Bragg.
D.C. Jarvis, a Vermont country doctor, noted that apple cider vinegar was a respected home remedy used by many Vermonters to successfully treat a number of common ailments and nagging aches and pains.
He was so impressed that he went on to write a book on his observations and experimentations with home remedies, especially apple cider vinegar, and its beneficial effects on both people and farm animals.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
First let me say that apple cider vinegar is a completely natural product, resulting from the fermentation of apple juice to hard apple cider followed by a second fermentation to apple cider vinegar.
This natural product retains all the nutritional goodness of the apples from which it was made plus it is fortified with the extra acids and enzymes produced during the two fermentation steps.
It's the sum of all these ingredients that give apple cider vinegar its amazing health benefits.
Apple cider vinegar benefits include many external uses as well. It can be used to sooth sunburns and insect bites, to make your hair shine, and to treat dandruff just to mention a few.
Apple cider vinegar fits in well with today's trend towards eating natural healthy whole foods, and away from the overconsumption of highly processed convenience foods, which are depleted of much of their original nutrients.
Many commercial apple cider vinegars have been pasteurized, filtered, refined or distilled in order to make the product look good, and thereby more appealing to the general public.
Unfortunately this extra processing destroys much of the healthy goodness and thus many of the apple cider benefits that were in the product in the first place.
The best type of apple cider vinegar to use is one made from cold pressed, organically grown whole apples, in which no chemicals or preservatives have been added, which contains the "mother of vinegar", and is not pasteurized. The "mother of vinegar" is a natural gelatinous substance formed during the last fermentation step.
Bragg's (the Dr's mentioned above) is the brand I would recommend.
14 Health Benefits of using Apple Cider Vinegar
Tame tummy troubles
The pectin content in ACV helps treat diarrhea by forming bulk fibrous matter. The pectin also forms a protective coat for soothing the colon lining and intestinal spasms. Try mixing one or two tablespoons into water, or clear juice like apple juice.
Prevent indigestion
Sip before eating, especially if you know you’re going to indulge in foods that cause indigestion. Add 1 teaspoon of honey and 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar to a glass of warm water and drink it 30 minutes before you dine.
Help clear a stuffy nose
Mix a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water and drink. This helps sinus drainage.
Help for hiccups
Since hiccups are often caused by either low stomach acid slowing the digestion of protein, or eating too much…ACV can be a great solution for hiccups. It restores the acid balance in the stomach and eases irritating spasms of the diaphragm.
Soothe a sore throat
As soon as you feel the prickle of a sore throat, take some ACV to help head off the infection at the pass. Turns out, most germs can’t survive in the acidic environment vinegar creates. Just mix ¼ cup apple cider vinegar with ¼ cup warm water and gargle every hour or so.
Reduce swelling
Rubbing apple cider vinegar onto swollen hands or feet reduces swelling. A wonderful thing during pregnancy!
Extinguish exhaustion
Exercise and sometimes extreme stress cause lactic acid to build up in the body, causing fatigue. Apple cider vinegar contains potassium and enzymes that may relieve that tired feeling. Next time you’re feeling beat, add a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar to a glass of chilled vegetable drink or to a glass of water.
Relieve nighttime leg cramps
ACV taken diluted in water twice daily, will dissolve acid crystals in the blood and provide potassium, calcium and other essential minerals to the body needed to ease the leg cramps.
Banish bad breath
Due to its acidic properties, Apple Cider Vinegar makes a wonderful remedy for bad breath or halitosis. Simply add 1/2 tablespoon of ACV into a cup of water and gargle the mixture in your mouth for 10 seconds at a time until the cup is empty.
Fight yeast infections
One of the best home remedies to treat a yeast infection is Apple Cider Vinegar. Add 1 and a half cups of ACV into a bathtub filled with warm water, and then soak in it for about 20 minutes. This should be done once a day for the first 3 days of the infection.
Foot or skin fungus
Just as ACV can help kill Candida in the body, it is often useful against yeast and fungus on the skin and nails. If you have foot or toe fungus, soak the feet in 1 cup of ACV in water or apply directly to the affected area. For skin fungus or yeast, apply ACV directly. For children or those with sensitive skin, it is best to dilute the ACV with water before applying to the skin.
Control blood sugars
The anti-glycemic effects of apple cider vinegar help to improve insulin sensitivity, which is essential to maintain the sugar levels of blood. Mix one teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar in a glass of filtered water and take 3 times a day to steady your stomach’s rate of digestion which in turn will keep blood sugar levels more consistent. If you are diabetic, consult your physician.
Boost weight loss
Many people claim that Apple Cider Vinegar promotes weight loss by speeding up the metabolism. A suggested remedy is to mix 2 teaspoons of the vinegar into a glass of water and drink this before every meal or sip it slowly throughout the day
Lower blood cholesterol
Research has indicated that apple cider vinegar improves the lipid profile of blood by decreasing the levels of triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) or bad cholesterol, as also by increasing the levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) or good cholesterol. If you have high cholesterol, consult your physician.