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Apple Cider Vinegar: the Truth Behind Its Wonderful Properties

  • December 05, 2016

In the never-ending search for natural products that can get and keep us well, apple cider vinegar is a centuries-old favorite. As reported by Health & Beauty MD, it can be used for anything from skin care and oral hygiene to help with relieving asthma and coughs — and much more.

Apple cider vinegar, which is made today through a long fermentation process, has a surprising amount of uses. Hippocrates used vinegar to manage wounds, while medical practitioners in the 1700s used it to treat everything from poison ivy and croup to stomach aches. Vinegar was even used to treat diabetes. Today, I recommend keeping it in your home at all times as it’s not only useful for cooking, but is a great natural cleaning agent, and a good garden care product.

What’s exciting is that studies are now showing that vinegar supports heart health, can aid in helping you lose weight, and can serve as an anti-glycemic that has a beneficial effect on blood sugar levels.

Remember, however, there are no official guidelines about taking vinegar internally. If you are considering using it as more than an ingredient for your meals, it is recommended that you consult your physician first.

When choosing vinegar for health consumption, make sure it contains “mother,” a cobweb-like amino acid-based substance found in unprocessed, unfiltered vinegar. The presence of mother indicates your vinegar is the best quality. Most manufacturers pasteurize and filter their vinegar to prevent the mother from forming, but the “murky” kind is best, especially if you’re planning to consume it.