Authored by Douglas Mefford in Nutrition
Published on 05-19-2009
There are some all-natural substances that tend to offer a cornucopia of useful benefits. Apple cider vinegar is one of these. Made by the double fermentation of apples, the resulting liquid contains acetic acid as well as a small amount of lactic, malic and citric acids that are very useful. This vinegar is also high in potassium which is usually very low in content in most foods.
The health benefits of apple cider vinegar have been known for millennia. The “father” of modern medicine, the Greek, Hippocrates used and recommended apple cider vinegar as a health tonic to keep the body’s systems cleansed. A couple of teaspoonfuls in a gallon of water makes for a very healthy drink, much better than mere water alone. Mixed with a bit of honey, which is a very effective natural antibiotic, the cleansing power of apple cider vinegar is enhanced.
Modern science has studied the potential health benefits of apple cider vinegar and has found several. The acetic nature of apple cider vinegar helps eliminate many harmful intestinal bacteria and aids in good digestion. Putting a teaspoonfuls in the water you give your dog or cat can help keep them less likely to be infected with intestinal parasites and diminishes the incidence of fleas and ticks on your pet. Apple cider vinegar helps decrease the pain of arthritis and increases the health and shininess of hair.
Several studies have shown that the ingestion of apple cider vinegar can actually help diabetics maintain a proper blood sugar level. As a nighttime tonic, the studies showed that blood sugar levels were more even in the morning after a “fasting” period. It also showed that apple cider vinegar helped slow the formation of after-meal glucose production and slow starch digestion.
While the research on apple cider vinegar as a weight loss aid has proven inconclusive, it was shown that by eating a small piece of bread and taking a small drink of vinegar did seem to lower the absorption of carbohydrates. It was reported to give a more sated feeling, thus minimizing the effect of needing to eat more. Many of the foods people tend to over-consume, meat, grains and dairy products, create an overabundance of acid in the body. A few teaspoons of vinegar, either white or apple seems to help bring the pH balance back more towards a healthier alkaline state.
Apple cider vinegar has also proven itself to be a safe and effective wart remover. Nightly soaking of a wart, caused by the human papilloma virus, will slowly and painlessly kill the virus and remove the blemish. With warts being the second most frequently occurring dermatological condition, this effective home remedy can save much time and money.
While very important, the health benefits of apple cider vinegar are just a part of the usefulness of this substance. As a cleanser and disinfectant for cleaning and washing purposes, vinegar is both safe and effective. It is not likely to scar or bleach surfaces the way chlorine based cleansers will. Using vinegar as a cleansing agent will also help you avoid many other potentially harmful chemicals that are found in commercial cleaning agents. While apple cider vinegar is not an absolute cure-all, these and many more useful properties make it a substance that can become ubiquitous in anyone’s household.
