Healing Powers of Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar Health Benefits

Over the centuries, vinegar has been used for many things: making pickles, killing weeds, cleaning coffee makers, polishing armor, and dressing salads. It's also an ancient folk remedy, touted to relieve just about any ailment you can think of. Today, many people are discovering a variety of apple cider vinegar health benefits.

What is Apple Cider Vinegar?

Apple cider vinegar is also known as cider vinegar, ACV, or acetic acid.

Apple cider vinegar is a type of vinegar made by the fermentation of apple cider. During this process, sugar in the apple cider is broken down by bacteria and yeast into alcohol and then into vinegar. Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid (like other types of vinegar) and some lactic, citric and malic acids.

Unlike white vinegar, apple cider vinegar is a light yellow-brown color and is often sold unfiltered and unpasteurized with a dark, cloudy sediment called mother of vinegar (consisting mainly of acetic acid bacteria) settled at the bottom of the bottle.

Unfiltered and unpasteurized apple cider vinegar is sold in health food stores, online and in some grocery stores.

Health benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

The apple cider vinegar health benefits and reported cures from drinking Apple Cider Vinegar are numerous. They include cures for allergies (including pet, food and environmental), sinus infections, acne, high cholesterol, flu, chronic fatigue, candida, acid reflux, sore throats, contact dermatitis, arthritis, and gout. Apple Cider Vinegar also breaks down fat and is widely used to lose weight. It has also been reported that a daily dose of apple cider vinegar in water has high blood pressure under control in two weeks!

There surely must be something really healthy in using apple cider vinegar, since The Father of Medicine, Hippocrates, used this vinegar around 400 B.C. for its health giving qualities. It is said that he had only two remedies: honey and apple cider vinegar.

What are the Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar?

Natural Apple Cider Vinegar is a wonderful natural cure for a number of ailments which usually require antibiotics and other medications that have a number of side effects. In particular, Apple Cider Vinegar has been known to:

• Reduce sinus infections and sore throats
• Balance high cholesterol
• Cure skin conditions such as acne
• Protect against food poisoning
• Fight allergies in both humans and animals
• Prevent muscle fatigue after exercise
• Strengthen the immune system
• Increase stamina
• Increase metabolism which promotes weight loss
• Improve digestion and cure constipation
• Alleviate symptoms of arthritis and gout
• Prevents bladder stones and urinary tract infections
• Prevent Bad Breath
• Prevent Body Odor
• Reduce Cellulite
• Improve Acne
• Diminish Age Spots
• Help Control Diabetes

Apple Cider Vinegar Weight Loss

While it is not known why, many people claim that Apple Cider Vinegar promotes weight loss. Some theories suggest that ACV helps to speed up the metabolism, while others suggest that it burns calories. A number of nutritionists also believe that combining Vitamin B6 and Lecithin with Apple Cider Vinegar is highly effective for weight loss. A suggested remedy is to mix 2 teaspoons of ACV mixed with a glass of water and drink this before every meal or sip it slowly throughout the day.

How to use apple cider vinegar for weight loss and to lose belly fat.

Since apple cider vinegar is an unproven treatment, there are no official recommendations on how to use it. Some people take two teaspoons a day (mixed in a cup of water or juice.) A tablet of 285 milligrams is another common dosage.

On the whole, the risks of taking occasional, small amounts of apple cider vinegar seem low. But using apple cider vinegar over the long term, or in larger amounts, could have risks. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is an effective natural bacteria-fighting agent that contains many vital minerals and trace elements such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, chlorine, sodium, sulfur, copper, iron, silicon and fluorine that are vital for a healthy body.
• Natural Apple Cider Vinegar is made by crushing fresh, organically grown apples and allowing them to mature in wooden barrels. This boosts the natural fermentation qualities of the crushed apples, which differs from the refined and distilled vinegars found in supermarkets. When the vinegar is mature, it contains a dark, cloudy, web-like bacterial foam called mother, which becomes visible when the rich brownish liquid is held to the light. The mother can be used to add to other vinegar to hasten maturity for making more Apple Cider Vinegar. Natural vinegars that contain the mother have enzymes and minerals that other vinegars in grocery stores may not have due to over-processing, over-heating, and filtration.
• Apple cider vinegar is highly acidic. The main ingredient of apple cider vinegar is acetic acid. As the name suggests, it's quite harsh. Apple cider vinegar should always be diluted with water or juice before being swallowed. Pure apple cider vinegar could damage the tooth enamel and the tissues in your throat and mouth. Vinegar has been known to cause contact burns to the skin.

• Long-term use of apple cider vinegar could cause low potassium levels and lower bone density. If you already have low potassium or osteoporosis, talk to your doctor before using apple cider vinegar.
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  Apple cider vinegar could theoretically interact with diuretics, laxatives, and medicines for diabetes and heart disease.
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  If you have diabetes, check with your doctor before using apple cider vinegar. Vinegar contains chromium, which can alter your insulin levels.

The Real Apple Cider Vinegar
The apple cider vinegar that contains all of the apple cider vinegar health benefits is not a clear vinegar, but just the opposite. It is an organic and unfiltered vinegar . It is not a clear liquid, but has a brownish tinge to it. If you try looking through it, you will notice a tiny cobweb-like substance floating in it. This is known as "mother", and means just one thing. This apple cider vinegar is of good quality with all the nutrients and health giving properties intact.

Just think. Would you buy a vinegar from the supermarket that is not clear, has got a brown tinge to it, and most of all you find something floating in it. In all likelihood you will not buy this. This is the prime reason why manufacturers distil the vinegar. The pure vinegar is steamed to get the sparking clear vinegar that is available at the supermarket. This steaming process destroys almost all of the health giving nutrients. What it does do is give the vinegar an excellent eye appeal.

Where and How to Buy Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar can be found in almost any natural health or nutrition store, or from a variety of online retailers such as Amazon.com. Look for ACV with a pH level of 5 to 7. Apple Cider Vinegar can also be found in capsule form which helps eliminate the strong sour taste associated with the liquid vinegar.

What are the Side Effects of Apple Cider Vinegar?

There are no major known side effects of Apple Cider Vinegar when used in moderation. However, drinking vinegars, acids or even lemon juices on a regular basis can lead to a deterioration of dental enamel. This can give your teeth a yellowish look and make them more sensitive to heat and cold. To prevent this, the vinegar should always be diluted with water or a pinch of baking soda should be added in order to reduce the acidity level.

Possible Drug Interactions

Theoretically, prolonged use of apple cider vinegar could lead to lower potassium levels, which could increase the risk of toxicity of cardiac glycoside drugs such as Lanoxin (digoxin), insulin, laxatives and diuretics such as Lasix (furosemide).

Because apple cider vinegar may affect blood glucose and insulin levels, it could theoretically have an additive effect if combined with diabetes medications. Apple cider vinegar may also lower blood pressure, so it may have an additive effect if combined with high blood pressure medications.

*It is wise to consult your doctor before using apple cider vinegar to treat any illness.