Apple Cider Vinegar Benefits

Our grandparents, and even our ancient ancestors, were well aware of apple cider vinegar benefits. Hippocrates was using it around 400 BC. And over the centuries it remained a popular medicine for both internal and external ailments, as well as an aid to weight loss.

Apple cider and the vinegar is a very simple and natural product. Crush the apples, let the juice ferment, and you have apple cider. Let it ferment a bit more and you have apple cider vinegar, great for salad dressings and marinating meat.

In recent times, there's was a tendency to filter and pasteurize the vinegar before bottling. This makes the vinegar crystal clear, leading some people to think it's purer, and it makes the shelf life longer. But the filtering removes the "mother", a gelatinous like substance that contains so many of apple cider vinegars important ingredients. The pasteurization kills off the enzymes that are behind the vinegars healthy properties.

To get the most out of apple cider vinegar, you need to look for the untreated types. It's easy to tell, they will be cloudy and brown. Hold it up to the light and you will see the mother, a web like substance suspended in the liquid.

Apple cider vinegar benefits and facts

So what are apple cider vinegar benefits? For starters it contains a lot of vitamins and other important minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, beta-carotene, iron and fluorine. It's valid as a natural mineral supplement. It also contains pectin, a fiber which is useful in regulating blood pressure and reducing bad cholesterol.

The vinegar contains many factors that help keep the bodies waste disposal system working properly. It's an effective treatment for constipation. The well known phrase "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" applies to apple cider vinegar as well. The useful minerals in apples are also in the vinegar.

Mallic acid is present in the vinegar. This helps fight fungal and bacterial infections. Apple cider vinegar is often used for sore throats, sometimes mixed with honey which adds a soothing effect. It also dissolves deposits of uric acid that may be found around joints, reducing pain.

Apple cider vinegar has long been associated with weight loss. The reasons are unclear, some theories maintain that it helps dissolve fatty acids; others claim that it increases the metabolism. Of course they may both be right. Some nutritionists say that it's very effective when used with vitamin B6 and lecithin, which are included in weight loss diets.

It can be used as a mouthwash for bad breath, and for cleaning up acne. Footbaths of apple vinegar diluted in warm water can reduce odors. It makes your feet less hospitable to the bacteria that are the root cause of smelly feet.

You can reap the apple cider vinegar benefits simply by taking a couple of tablespoons a day. But you don't need to take it as an alternative medicine. Unprocessed apple cider vinegar is just as effective when used as a salad dressing.

Apple cider vinegar side effects

There are a few possible side effects. Drinking the concentrated vinegar on a regular basis may stain your teeth and make them sensitive. Undiluted and excessive apple cider vinegar may also damage the digestive tract. Taking apple cider vinegar tablets may cause throat pain.

If you notice a rash, hives, itching, swelling of the mouth or throat, wheezing, or difficulty breathing, you might be allergic to apple cider vinegar.

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