Apple cider vinegar is an incredibly healthy addition to your diet, filled with multiple health benefits in its rich, tangy flavor. It dates back thousands of years, treating every ailment from cuts to warts to diabetes, heart disease and congested sinuses.
It has commonly been used as a salad dressing, and tastes delicious with olive oil and seasoning, but can also be taken in a glass of water or in everyday cooking. Being a form of sour wine, it contains plenty of antioxidants, acids and anti-bacterial properties, all of which improve the health of your body.
Here are 13 incredible benefits of apple cider vinegar:
1. It Improves Heart Health
Apple cider vinegar is a rich source of antioxidants and polyphenols, which have been proven to help to reduce plaque buildup in the cardiovascular system, reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and improve the condition of your cardiovascular system.
2. It Increases Satiation
By having apple cider vinegar before or with your meal, research has shown that the high level of acetic acid has a satiating effect on your appetite, which reduces the caloric intake of a day by a few hundred calories. This means you could show a small and steady decline in weight, keeping you lean and healthy with minimal effort.
3. It Helps to Relieve Nasal Congestion
The excellent dose of acetic acid in apple cider vinegar helps to break down mucus, which relieves nasal congestion dramatically. Just place one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water to make a wonderful, relieving drink for clogged sinuses.
4. It Reduces Heartburn
Acid reflux is often caused by the insufficient stomach acid, and by including apple cider vinegar in your diet you’ll be helping to increase it. This reduces and prevents the painful, burning sensation of heartburn.
5. It Improves Energy
While apple cider vinegar contains almost no calories, it does contain amino acids, potassium, a small dose of iron and powerful enzymes, which all help to energize your cells and boost your energy levels.
6. It Helps to Balance Blood Sugar
Research has revealed that apple cider vinegar taken before a carbohydrate meal can help to inhibit too much starch and sugar absorption, which helps to reduce the risk of blood sugar spikes and dips. This helps to keep blood sugar levels stable and reduces the risk of developing diabetes.
7. It Soothes a Sore Throat
Mixed with a bit of water, apple cider vinegar is an excellent anti-bacterial for sore, inflamed throats. It helps to restore PH balance and eliminates harmful bacteria, stimulating quicker healing with less pain.
8. It Keeps You Young
Because apple cider vinegar is so full of antioxidants and amino acids it helps to reduce and prevent free radical damage, which we get from the sun’s harmful UV rays and pollution. This keeps cells, tissues and skin younger, giving you a youthful glow from the inside out.
9. It Reduces Fat Absorption
Being highly acidic makes apple cider the perfect tonic to promote the breakdown of fats, which is especially important if you are having a greasy, meaty meal. By having a glass of watered down apple cider vinegar before a fatty meal, you help to reduce fat and cholesterol absorption.
10. It Prevents Cancer
While acetic acid is highly acidic, it has an alkalizing effect on your body once digested, which helps to make and keep your body in a more alkaline state. An alkaline environment is one in which diseased cells cannot thrive, which helps to prevent cancer and tumors from developing.
This incredible product helps to detoxify the liver and increase blood circulation, which gives you a toxin-free, alkaline body full of health and energy. The antioxidants reduce free radical damage, assisting to eliminate unwanted substances from your body.
12. It Improves Your Breath
Bad breath is caused by an overgrowth of bacteria and plaque, and apple cider vinegar is the perfect antidote, offering plenty of anti-bacterial enzymes and plaque stripping acidity for brighter whiter teeth and a beautiful, fresh breath.
13. It Reduces Muscle Cramps
Being high in potassium, low in sodium and containing tons of alkalizing enzymes makes apple cider vinegar the perfection solution for stiff and cramped muscles. Having a spoon or two with water or drizzled on salad before bedtime can have reduce muscle cramps significantly.
How to take it: Apple cider vinegar is highly acidic, which makes it a bad idea to take in a straight shot. Dilute one to two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with equal or more parts of water, and sip it.
You can also combine it with olive oil for a delicious salad dressing, or you can use it in cooking, which will help to reduce the raw, acidic effect on your teeth, gums and throat.
Once part of your digestive system, it offers an alkalizing and energizing effect: the dilution is only necessary due to the risk of burning your mouth, throat and potentially your lungs if inhaled.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_cider_vinegar
https://lup-tup.com/apple-cider-vinegar/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetic_acid
https://download.bioon.com.cn/view/upload/201303/20113712_8178.pdf
https://apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/APJCN/17/s1/380.pdf
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002822305012228