Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar and Super ACV Recipe
October 20, 2021
Apple cider vinegar is a common home remedy used for many years for its culinary and medicinal uses. Apple cider vinegar has a wide range of uses and various health benefits. In this article, we will discuss the health benefits of apple cider vinegar in depth.
What Is Apple Cider Vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar is a vinegar made from fermented apple juice. It is made by crushing apples, squeezing out the juice, and adding yeast and bacteria to initiate the alcoholic fermentation process, which converts sugars into alcohol. Once the alcohol has formed, acetic-acid-forming bacteria begin an additional fermentation process converting the alcohol into vinegar. Acetic acid and malic acid together create the sour taste that vinegar is known for.
Apple cider vinegar is commonly used in salad dressings, vinaigrettes, marinades, and food preservatives. It is also an old folk remedy for various medicinal uses, not all of which have research to support them.
Is Apple Cider Vinegar Good for You?
Apple cider vinegar is safe to use and has many health benefits. But, first, it is essential to ensure you get suitable apple cider vinegar. You don't want to get any store-bought apple cider vinegar. Instead, look for organic raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar that contains "the mother." The mother is a byproduct of the bacteria and yeast in apple cider vinegar and is rich in enzymes and antioxidants. It is what gives apple cider vinegar its main benefits.
Filtered, pasteurized, inorganic forms of apple cider vinegar have removed the mother and contain minimal benefit. So, while apple cider vinegar has many health benefits, it is essential to ensure you get the right kind. Always buy organic raw/unpasteurized and unfiltered apple cider vinegar.
What Are the Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar?
The benefits of apple cider vinegar are primarily related to digestive and cardiovascular health. However, it has many other uses as well. Some of the top apple cider vinegar benefits include:
- Supporting weight loss
- Increasing stomach acid
- Reducing heartburn and acid reflux
- Reducing cholesterol
- Lowering blood sugar levels
- Improving diabetes symptoms
- Killing harmful bacteria
- Fighting fungal infections
Apple Cider Vinegar May Support Weight Loss
One of the top benefits of drinking apple cider vinegar is its ability to support weight loss. Numerous studies on apple cider vinegar show that it can increase feelings of fullness, leading to eating fewer calories and supporting weight loss.
One study involving 175 people with obesity found that consuming apple cider vinegar daily led to weight loss and reduced belly fat and weight loss. According to the study, taking one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar daily led to a loss of 2.6 pounds, while taking two tablespoons daily led to a loss of 3.7 pounds.
While apple cider vinegar may support weight loss, it is not a proper solution to losing weight. Long-term weight loss is achieved by adopting the right dietary and lifestyle habits. To burn fat, one needs to consume less calories than they burn each day and focus on eating nutrient-dense whole foods.
Apple Cider Vinegar May Increase Stomach Acid
Stomach acid is the highly acidic liquid inside your stomach that helps you break down and digest the nutrients in your food. Low stomach acid is a common digestive issue that people struggle with and can have a variety of causes.
One home remedy for improving stomach acid is to drink a small amount of apple cider vinegar with meals. Raw apple cider vinegar has acidic properties that can increase stomach acid levels by introducing more acid into the digestive tract.
To use apple cider vinegar for stomach acid, dilute a small amount with water and drink it before your meal.
Apple Cider Vinegar May Reduce Heart Burn and Acid Reflux
Another great benefit of apple cider vinegar is that it can help reduce heartburn symptoms and acid reflux. One of the significant causes of heartburn and acid reflux is low stomach acid. So, by increasing the acid levels in the stomach, apple cider vinegar can help you better digest your food, which may prevent heartburn and acid reflux.
To learn more about using apple cider vinegar for acid reflux, read this article.
Apple Cider Vinegar May Reduce Cholesterol
Apple cider vinegar is rich in antioxidants. The antioxidants in apple cider vinegar may help you reduce your cholesterol levels. Studies on apple cider vinegar have shown that it reduces LDL (bad cholesterol) and increases HDL (good cholesterol).
Apple Cider Vinegar May Lower Blood Sugar Levels
Another everyday use for apple cider vinegar is its ability to help regulate blood sugar levels. Blood sugar, or glucose, is the primary sugar found in blood and is an essential energy source for the body. High blood sugar levels can occur when too much sugar is in the blood. This happens when your body has too little insulin (the hormone that transports glucose into the blood) or if your body can't use insulin properly. Having high blood sugar levels is a risk for diabetes.
Apple cider vinegar may be able to lower blood sugar levels and help to prevent diabetes. This is because apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid, which may slow the conversion of complex carbs into the bloodstream. This process may prevent unwanted blood glucose spikes and help keep blood sugar levels regular.
Apple Cider Vinegar May Improve Diabetes Symptoms
Apple cider vinegar may improve diabetes symptoms. Not only does it help to lower blood sugar, as mentioned above, but it may also improve insulin sensitivity. One study on apple cider vinegar found that it improved insulin sensitivity by 19–34% on average during consumption of a high-carb meal. It also significantly lowered blood sugar and insulin response.
Another small study on people with diabetes found that consuming two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before bed reduced fasting blood sugar levels by 4% the following morning.
Many other human studies have shown that vinegar can improve insulin function and lower blood sugar levels after meals, making it very useful for preventing diabetes and improving diabetes symptoms.
Apple Cider Vinegar May Kill Harmful Bacteria
Apple cider vinegar also has antibacterial properties and may be used for killing harmful bacteria in various applications. Vinegar is used for its antibacterial properties as a common food preservative. Studies on apple cider vinegar also show that it inhibits bacteria like E. coli from forming in food. Many people also use diluted apple cider vinegar to help reduce their acne, which is caused by Propionibacterium acnes.
Apple Cider Vinegar May Fight Fungal Infections
In addition to being antibacterial, apple cider vinegar also has antifungal properties. As a result, it may help treat fungal infections like Candida. Candida is one of the most common causes of yeast infections and can be very difficult to treat. Studies on apple cider vinegar have shown that its antifungal properties have an anti-Candida effect, helping to reduce numbers of this pathogenic yeast.
One way to fight fungal infections is to drink this apple cider vinegar tonic for Candida each day until your infection is gone. This potent morning drink mixture includes several ingredients that not only fight fungal infections but can help your body detox and support your overall digestion and gut health. This morning drink helps to cleanse and detox your liver, stimulate the digestive system and metabolism, reduce inflammation, boost your immune system and alkalize your blood for better health.
Does Apple Cider Vinegar Go Bad?
While apple cider vinegar can last for a long time, it eventually goes bad. The shelf life of apple cider vinegar is around two years unopened and around one year once you've broken the seal on the bottle. Apple cider vinegar does not need to be refrigerated once it's opened. It can be stored in a pantry or cabinet, away from direct sunlight.
This powerful morning drink mixture is a great way to kickstart the day. It includes a combination of several ingredients that can help your body detox and supports overall digestion and gut health. This morning drink helps to cleanse and detox your liver, stimulate the digestive system and metabolism, reduce inflammation, boost your immune system and alkalize your blood for better health.
Super ACV Drink Recipe
Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)
ACV has many great health benefits. It has an action similar to hydrochloric acid (HCL), the acid in our stomach that breaks down food. This helps to encourage the secretion of gastric juices that help you digest food more easily and absorb nutrients better. ACV also helps reduce the impact of starches on your blood sugar and can even help turn on certain genes involved in breaking down fats. ACV is also effective for many with heartburn and acid reflux, in place of antacids.
Organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar contains a substance called “mother,” which consists of strands of proteins, enzymes, and friendly bacteria that give the product a murky appearance. These compounds have numerous benefits to health and immunity. Apple cider vinegar is also strongly antibacterial.
Lemon
Lemon juice astringes and cleanses. Lemons are high in vitamin C, fiber, and numerous plant compounds. Their vitamin C content helps to remove excess free radicals and boost immunity, and their fiber content helps aid digestion. They also help to alkalize the body pH, which also has immune-boosting effects.
Ginger Powder
Ginger has a very long history of use as a medicinal herb and culinary spice. It helps aid digestion, reduce nausea, and helps fight the flu and common cold. Gingerol, the main bioactive compound in ginger, is responsible for much of ginger’s medicinal properties. Gingerol has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and can help reduce oxidative stress, which is the result of having an excess of free radicals in the body.
Manuka Honey
Manuka honey has many health benefits. It is powerfully antibacterial and bacterial resistant, which means that bacteria shouldn’t be able to build up a tolerance to its antibacterial effects. Manuka honey also has potent antiviral benefits. Manuka honey attacking invading pathogens with a substance called MGO. Found in the nectar of some Manuka plants, this substance helps to improve immunity, prevent infection, and heal both minor and chronic wounds.
Candida Cleanse Tonic
Our Candida Cleanse Tonic uses 7 clinically-studied candida killing herbs that help eliminate Candida and return their population back to normal levels. Candida is a type of yeast that we all have in our gut microbiome. Ideally these yeasts cause us no issues. However, when Candida populations grow, they can invade other areas of our body and can trigger numerous health issues.
The herbs in our Candida Cleanse tonic have been shown to specifically kill Candida yeast, among other types of fungus, and can drastically reduce Candida populations, helping to restore balance in the gut. Our formula also uses a therapeutic extraction process to concentrate the active ingredients into a therapeutic liquid extract that is significantly more potent than regular tea powders or capsules.
Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper can be added to this recipe for an additional kick of medicinal benefit. Cayenne pepper is a powerful herb with many uses. It increases cardiovascular health, improves circulation, and helps to kill of harmful pathogens in the gut. It is notoriously spicy, however, so add with caution!
Summary
Apple cider vinegar is a vinegar made from fermented apple juice. It is commonly used in salad dressings, vinaigrettes, marinades, and food preservatives. It is also an old folk remedy for various medicinal uses.
Some of the top benefits of apple cider vinegar include:
- Supporting weight loss
- Increasing stomach acid
- Reducing heartburn and acid reflux
- Reducing cholesterol
- Lowering blood sugar levels
- Improving diabetes symptoms
- Killing harmful bacteria
- Fighting fungal infections
When buying apple cider vinegar, it is essential to make sure that you get organic raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar that contains "the mother." The mother is a byproduct of the bacteria and yeast in apple cider vinegar and is rich in enzymes and antioxidants. It is what gives apple cider vinegar its main benefits.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5788933/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27979138/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5426415/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28292654/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27213723/
https://thefoodmedic.co.uk/2020/05/acv-a-review-of-the-evidence/
Products mentioned in this post
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