What are the Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar to our Health?
What are the benefits of apple cider vinegar? Apple cider vinegar is one of the most common home remedies. It can be used in cleaning, bug deterring, and anti-fungal purposes. Also, it is considered as one of the best foods for weight loss.
What are the benefits of apple cider vinegar? This is the question most of us are asking. Apple cider has a high amount of acetic acid. This acid is made from apples. It has a high nutritional value than other kinds of vinegar.
The health benefits that we can acquire from adding apple cider vinegar in our diet comes in many forms. Apple cider vinegar promotes proper regulation of blood sugar. It is responsible for blocking of enzymes that assist the absorption of carbohydrates, improvement of metabolism and suppression of appetite.
Apple cider vinegar is not advisable to drink in its pure form. Some recipes suggest that a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar should be mix with a glass of water. And to cover the taste of apple cider, you can add a bit of honey.
With the benefits that it will give us, apple cider vinegar is one of the best weight loss foods out there.
Facts about Apple Cider Vinegar
But where does apple cider come from? It is essential that we know the back-story before diving further into it.
The word vinegar means ‘vin aigre,’ a French term for sour wine. The sour flavor of vinegar is the result of acetic acid. The process to produce acetic acid is through fermentation. This process needs to have a yeast component. Yeast is responsible for breaking down sugar from apples. Afterwards, it will be changed into alcohol. The bacteria present during the process will then turn the alcohol into acetic acid.
The fermentation process produces yeast and bacteria. If these two are combined, a ‘mother’ will be developed. You can see the ‘mother’ compound in apple cider vinegar if you will look closely. It is some fiber-like substance floating inside the bottle. You do not need to worry because the ‘mother’ is a probiotic. Also, apple cider vinegar has vitamins and polyphenols, a type of antioxidants from plants.
Origin of the Apple Cider Vinegar
How does vinegar become apple cider? Who developed the fermentation and produced the known apple cider vinegar with the ‘mother”? Let us dig briefly into its history, shall we?
In 6000 B.C.E, vinegar was accidentally discovered because of some uncovered wine jug. It happened in Egypt and China where vinegar has some indications.
Babylonians of 5000 B.C.E. did experiment on the production of wine from the date palm. On the other hand, Egyptians came up with the idea of using barley to produce wine. From then on, they fermented the vinegar and used it in cooking. They had also made use of it to give food more extended shelf life. They have also used some herbs and spices to add flavor to vinegar.
After a while, in 2500 BC, the Aryan tribe have developed an apple wine. Later on, they called it apple cider. The term ‘cider’ comes from ‘shekar,’ a Phoenician language, which means wine or strong drink. From then on, Greeks and Romans improved the Aryan tribe’s apple wine. They had produced apple cider vinegar. During the time of Hippocrates, in 400 BC, he prescribed for the first time that apple cider vinegar can cure illnesses.
Types of Apple Cider Vinegar and its Importance
There are different types of apple cider vinegar. You can choose from organic, raw, and unfiltered. It is essential to know the difference between the three types of apple cider vinegar. It is because of the health benefits and effects it can offer.
The first one is organic apple cider vinegar. It has been developed without using genetically modified organisms or GMO. Also, no synthetic preservative can be found. Therefore, it is safe for us to consume the organic apple cider vinegar. There is no need for us to avoid additional harmful chemicals that can alter the natural benefits of apple cider vinegar.
The second type is the unfiltered apple cider vinegar. It is almost the same as the third type, which is the raw apple cider vinegar. These types still carry the ‘mother.’ It has blurred color, which includes nutrients like proteins and enzymes.
The Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar
Why is drinking apple cider vinegar essential? Coming from apples, it has many nutrients that are beneficial to our health. Apple cider vinegar has vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It also happens that some nutrients have been developed during the fermentation process. You can have acetic and folic acids, potassium, iron, and magnesium.
Given this, you cannot still directly ingest the apple cider vinegar. You need to dilute it with half a glass of water and drink at least 20 minutes before you take your meal. It is important to drink apple cider vinegar when you have an empty stomach. Otherwise, apple cider vinegar will be less effective.
One of the touted cures of apple cider vinegar is that it can lower the uric acid in our body. According to people who have severe gout attacks, drinking a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar mixed into a glass of water can keep your uric acid at a manageable level.
For Individuals with Diabetes
Diabetes is a common chronic disease among us. By including apple cider vinegar to our diet, it can promote your insulin sensitivity.
According to a study, if you drink a glass of water mixed with one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, it can decrease your blood sugar level by 18 points. This regime needs 30 days to see the result. Remember that, you must drink the water with apple cider vinegar before meals.
However, this practice is not suitable for everyone. Apple cider vinegar or the ordinary vinegar in your kitchen has side effects. It can trigger gastroparesis, a complication of slow stomach emptying.
Therefore, it is essential to seek professional medical advice before taking apple cider vinegar. Similarly, it is necessary that people with diabetes need to take precaution before trying other supplements.
Promotes Craving Suppressant for Weight Loss
To start your weight loss program effectively, you need to begin ingesting apple cider vinegar. Drinking a glass of water with one to two tablespoon of apple cider vinegar can suppress your cravings.
Apple cider vinegar gas acetic acid that makes you feel satiety and trim down your calorie intake. Also, the best form of apple cider vinegar for weight loss is the raw type. So what does apple cider vinegar do for you is that it will boost your digestive system and release the good bacteria in your intestines? This process will strengthen your immunity. It also enhances your digestion for more absorption of nutrients.
Better absorption of nutrients is essential if you are trying to lose some weight. Imagine that you will have no cravings, yet still have better nutrients absorption, you will never get tired quickly.
No More Oral Cavities Problems with Apple Cider Vinegar
Using apple cider vinegar to address our oral problems is a sensitive regimen. Too much use of apple cider and overdoing it can damage your teeth enamel. If you are doing this for some time, you need to rinse thoroughly to avoid breakage over time.
According to a study, apple cider vinegar can reduce the Candida albicans fungus indentures for 45 days. It is possible if you try steeping into a glass of water with 10% apple cider vinegar. This solution can also decrease the case of inflammation.
Therefore, you just need to use apple cider vinegar in moderation. Try to brush your teeth with apple cider vinegar but be sure to use a small amount of apple cider vinegar. You will see the positive result of getting your teeth white.
Apple Cider Vinegar Uses
As we go deeper into the various benefits and uses, here are a few of the list of what is apple cider vinegar used for skin care:
- Apple cider vinegar enhances blood circulation in spider veins. Seeing these nerves, you will feel uncomfortable. Therefore, applying apple cider vinegar combined with hazel can reduce the symptoms. You can rub it in the affected areas to improve blood circulation.
- Maintaining a beautiful skin is a challenging task for us. Apple cider vinegar offers treatment for acne and prevention for scarring. It has antibacterial properties that ward off the acne-causing bacteria. The mixture for this solution is two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar diluted in 250 ml of water. This remedy is also useful to remove warts in your face. A repeated application until warts will fall worth trying. In applying, you need to use cotton balls or pads and rub to your face. Apply like a toner.
- During the summer or dry season, you can avoid, in a little way, being exposed to the heat of the sun. If you are looking for a remedy for sunburn and dry skin, you just need a quarter cup of coconut oil and some essential oil of lavender. You mixed the oils with apple cider vinegar and a lukewarm bath. The solution can give you a soothing effect and will make your skin to relax and hydrate.
- The potassium in apple cider vinegar plays a role to heal poison ivy irritations. The swelling due to irritation of the skin can be cured by applying directly one teaspoon in the affected area. Apply the apple cider vinegar repeatedly to heal the irritations completely.
Fight Against Fungus Infection
- Apple cider vinegar acts as an odor neutralizer, especially in the armpit areas. To avoid the bad odor, you just need to wipe ample amounts of apple cider vinegar in the areas. The armpit is one of the areas in our body that bacteria love to occupy. Because of the antibacterial properties of apple cider vinegar, it can counteract the odor as well as the odor-causing bacteria. However, proper hygiene is the most significant contributor to avoid bad smell.
- The combination of apple cider vinegar with other ingredients can effectively fight off the fungus on your feet. Apple cider vinegar can treat fungal infections like athlete’s foot, toenail fungus and yeast infections. You need to spray the apple cider vinegar to the infected area. After a while, you can feel that the swelling and itchiness subsided.
Apple Cider for Home Use
- Apple cider vinegar is natural and no harmful preservatives added. Therefore, it is safe to use in your pets at home. Bugs at home and fleas in your cats and dogs can disappear without using chemical repellents. You need to mix the apple cider vinegar proportionally with water. Afterwards, you can place it in the bottle spray. The application to your pets is once a day until all fleas are gone. You can also spray it to your skin to ward off mosquitoes and other bugs.
- For kitchen cleaning, apple cider vinegar comes to the rescue. The component of apple cider vinegar contributes to maintaining the cleanliness of the house. Also, the antibacterial properties of apple cider vinegar can eradicate all the germs. The mixture of the solution for this cleaning method is in proportion to the measure of apple cider vinegar and water. It will do the cleaning of the house.
Other benefits
Furthermore, what are the top benefits of apple cider vinegar? We already have discussed the many uses of apple cider in our house and especially to our body.
- One of the main components of apple cider vinegar is acetic acid. It is essential in our health to lower blood pressure level. The regimen is to dilute one tablespoon in a glass of water. The prescribed intake of this is three times a day.
- Apple cider vinegar can promote the pH levels in our body. Indeed, it has acetic acid, but it offers an alkalizing effect on the body. Just drink a glass of water with one to two tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
- If you have seasonal allergies, all you need to do is drink a glass of water with two tablespoons apple cider vinegar diluted in water. Apple cider vinegar has good bacteria that fights off allergen and aid your lymphatic drainage. It also elevates your immune system to be on guard against diseases.
- Fighting off acid reflux and heartburn with apple cider vinegar is another way to prove that it has more to give than what it looks like. The cause of acid reflux and heartburn is a stomach disorder. Our stomach should have normal levels of acid. What apple cider do to reduce the pain in our stomach, it increases the levels of stomach acid. Having a healthy level of stomach acid can stop the backflow of acid to the esophagus. It also lessens the symptoms of heartburn.
- Applying apple cider vinegar directly to your eyes is hazardous even diluted in the water. You can experience irritation and red eyes. If these symptoms persist, you need to ask for medical assistance. Also, ear cleaning solution and tropical medication are not advisable.
Our Insights
What does apple cider vinegar do to our body? Some benefits come in different applications to our body and even at home. Naturally, everything has side effects if not used in moderation.
For example, apple cider vinegar in tablet form is effective. But later on, it has some side effects like damage to soft tissues in our body. Soft tissues can be found in our mouth, throat, stomach, and until in our kidneys.
Definitely, any food with apple cider vinegar is unsafe for pregnant and lactating women. You also need to prevent the prescription of natural remedies for high blood pressure and to fight off cancer. If you have high blood pressure, you need to minimize your intake of apple cider vinegar. The high content of acetic acid can lower the potassium level in our body. It is critical for an individual with high blood pressure. It is because of the potassium is essential to control blood pressure in our body.
Fair Precautions
On the other hand, according to a study, apple cider vinegar restrains the growth of cancer cells. But there is no hard evidence on this matter. Therefore, if you discover that you have cancer or any symptoms of cancer cells, you need to seek first the advice of a medical specialist. Another warning when using apple cider vinegar, you need to avoid mixing it with other cleaning detergents. The effect is disastrous and can result in health problems.
Furthermore, apple cider vinegar should not be singled out in its purest form if you want to ingest apple cider vinegar properly. The recommended daily regimen is to dilute one to two tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water, measuring about 8 ounces.
Finally, if you do not have any allergic reactions to acetic acid, then it is all system go for your weight loss program. Just be mindful not to overdo it as this could give you some digestive inconvenience or worst, ulcers.