There is a wide range of vinegars present in the market that are used for multiple purposes. This article focuses on the mostly used one, i.e. “Apple Cider Vinegar”.
If you are looking to know or learn about Apple cider vinegar, its benefits, its uses, and many other aspects related to it; then you are at the perfect place.
So, here are all the things that you need to know about apple cider vinegar.
What is Apple Cider Vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar is one of the most extensively used vinegar which are used for treating everything, either from a sore throat to varicose veins.
Apple cider vinegar is formed by fermenting sugar into alcohol and then again fermenting it to convert into vinegar.
Although there are no such evidences to support the claims, but still many of the researchers believe that apple cider vinegar has arguably more trusted applications in comparison to the other types of vinegar.
Types of Apple Cider Vinegar
The 3 major types of apple cider vinegar are:
- Organic Apple Cider Vinegar: A bottle of apple cider vinegar labeled as certified organic do not contain any synthetic additives and genetically modified organisms.
- Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar: This type of apple cider vinegar consists of different elements like; mother, enzymes, strands of proteins, friendly bacteria, etc. which gives it’s a murky appearance.
- Raw Apple Cider Vinegar: It is an unprocessed and unheated kind of apple cider vinegar that consists of various health beneficial elements and enzymes.
7 Major Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar
The history of apple cider vinegar as a home remedy is very vast in all around the globe. Apple cider vinegar holds a strong position in terms of popular vinegars in the natural health community.
Apple cider vinegar contains chemicals called polyphenols. They’re antioxidants which curb the cells that can cause severe disease like cancer. The scientific researches support several claims of health benefits that are gained from using apple cider vinegar.
This includes; reduction of cholesterol, weight loss, lowers levels of blood sugar, and many more.
Here are the 7 major health benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar;
1) Kills Harmful Bacteria: – Apple cider vinegar consists of acetic acid and thus it aids to kill several different types of bacteria including pathogens.
It inhibits bacteria like E. Coli from growing in the food items and therefore it is also used as a food preservative.
Traditionally, apple cider vinegar has been used to treat various body parts such as; nail fungus, ear infections, warts, lice, etc.
2) Reduces Belly Fat and Helps to lose Weight: – Several researches depict the effectiveness of apple cider vinegar in reducing the belly fat as well as in losing bodyweight.
According to the research study, there has been a significant amount of weight lose by the people suffering from obesity after consuming apple cider vinegar daily. The results depict the weight loss of about;
- 15-20 mL (1 tablespoon): – Lost 1.3 kilograms, or 2.8 pounds.
- 30-40 mL (2 tablespoon): – Lost 1.8 kilograms, or 3.8 pounds.
However, this study has been carried out for 3 months and therefore modest results of true effects on body weight have been observed.
3) Fights Diabetes and Reduces Blood Sugar Levels: – High blood sugar levels lead to the characterization of Type 2 diabetes in humans due to insulin resistance and thus, consumption of apple cider vinegar fights diabetes by reducing levels of blood sugar.
The benefits of apple cider vinegar with respect to the insulin levels and blood sugar levels include;
- Eating 50-100 grams of white bread leads to the reduction of blood sugar by 35%.
- Apple cider vinegar improves the sensitivity of insulin by about 20-35% during the consumption of a high-carb meal.
- Reduction of fasting blood sugar by 4% is obtained by consuming 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before bedtime.
4) Lowers Cholesterol: – Higher blood cholesterol in the body causes hardening of arteries and puts a high strain on your heart.
Including a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in your daily diet may help to minimize the intake of sugars to reduce the level of bad LDL cholesterol.
5) Enhances Skin Health: – According to the latest research studies, the benefits of apple cider vinegar are not limited to the treating of just the internal health of a body, rather it also aids to reduce scars of the skin.
The growth of acne-like ‘Propionibacterium’ is inhibited by the presence of elements like; citric acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, and succinic acid that are present in the apple cider vinegar.
As per the study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, the acne scars, and damaged skin cells can be effectively treated due to the presence of beneficial elements like acetic acid and lactic acid in the apple cider vinegar.
6) Lowers Blood Pressure: – Another major benefit of apple cider vinegar is that it significantly lowers the level of blood pressure of a human body.
One of the leading risk factors for causing heart disease is High Blood Pressure. The higher level of blood pressure weakens the heart muscle and forces it to work harder.
Thus, the inclusion of apple cider vinegar in a daily meal helps to maintain the required level of blood pressure in the body.
7) Protects Against Diseases Like Cancer: – The uncontrolled growth of cells characterizes the terrible diseases like Cancer.
Numerous studies show that apple cider vinegar has several anti-cancer effects.
Consumption of apple cider vinegar in daily diet aids to protect a human body from harmful effects of diseases like cancer by shrinking tumors and killing cancer cells.
However, all the research studies regarding this were carried out on rats and isolated cells in test tubes, therefore more specific researches are needed to be carried out before recommending apple cider vinegar for the treating of diseases like cancer in human bodies.
Thus, these are the 7 major benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar.
Also Read: Turmeric Tea: Benefits, Recipe and Best Time to Drink
Uses of Apple Cider Vinegar
After understanding about the major benefits of apple cider vinegar, it is obvious that you might get curious to know more about its applications.
So, here is the complete list of major uses of Apple Cider Vinegar.
- Apple cider vinegar is used to enhance the health of your digestive system by serving bacteria along with your meals.
- Consuming a little amount of apple cider vinegar drink allows you to kick start weight loss.
- Apple cider vinegar allows you to spend a healthy time in the sun by soothing your dry, sun-burnt skin.
- Apple cider vinegar is used to treat various fungal infections such as; jock itch, athlete’s foot, toenail fungus, and yeast infections.
- Apple cider vinegar is majorly used for keeping the hairs shiny as it prevents dryness of hairs and makes them lustrous.
- Apple cider vinegar aids to effectively regulate the level of blood sugar in your body.
- Apple cider vinegar is also used to reduce symptoms of varicose veins by improving circulation.
- One of the major applications of apple cider vinegar is in enhancing skin health by reducing scars and skin health.
- Apple cider vinegar allows you to brighten up your smile by naturally whitening your teeth (Avoid Overdoing It).
- Apple cider vinegar aids to treat warts right away by directly applying a little amount of it on the wart.
How to Use Apple Cider Vinegar for Weight Loss?
Are you fed up with your continuously increasing weight? Did you want to get rid of your over-weighted belly? Are you fed up with trying different methods to lose weight? Give Apple Cider Vinegar a try!
Several studies from the health and nutrition experts claim the achievement of positive results by using apple cider vinegar for weight loss.
The results of studies depict that apple cider vinegar kills body carvings and boost satiety to kick start weight loss.
How to Use Apple Cider Vinegar for Hair?
Most of you, specially females, complain about dull and dry hairs along with the dandruff problems.
Trying several cosmetic products and medicines for treating hair might not even completely satisfy you sometimes, thus giving a try to use apple cider vinegar for hair might prove to be a better option.
Dr. Mehmet Cengiz Oz (a Turkish-American TV personality and a well-known cardiothoracic surgeon), recommends apple cider vinegar for dandruff treatment.
Spraying the mixture of apple cider vinegar and water on your scalp will change its pH and create difficulties for the yeast to grow in the hairs.
How to Use Apple Cider Vinegar for Skin?
The utilization of apple cider vinegar for skin treatment has been drastically enhanced over the last few years.
Along with the internal health of a body, apple cider vinegar also positively affect skin health.
The bacteria which are present in the apple cider vinegar develop acne and reduce scars of the skin.
Components like acetic acid and succinic acid in the apple cider vinegar provide appropriate moisturization to the skin and help to treat scars as well.
The Downsides of Apple Cider Vinegar
Like a coin, apple cider vinegar also consists of two faces. Along with the several benefits and applications of apple cider vinegar, it has several shortcomings as well.
The downsides of apple cider vinegar include;
- Apple cider vinegar is highly acidic in nature, and thus consuming it in an overdose might upset your stomach, damage your teeth, and hurt your throat.
- However, there are some studies claiming that apple cider vinegar helps to lose weight, but still there are very less evidence to support these claims.
- It has been found that the consumption of apple cider vinegar is not much effective for people with Type 1 diabetes.
- And of course, everyone might not bear the strong taste of apple cider vinegar.
So, this was all about the apple cider vinegar for you. Hope, now you know what apple cider vinegar is, and its major health benefits.
For any further query regarding this, feel free to comment below and get answers from our experts.
