23 Research-Backed Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

Health

17. Preserving Food

Vinegar as a preservative dates back to 5000 B.C. People soon recognized this magical substance could allow them to store food for longer periods. The same rules apply today. Saving some of the bounty when our favorite foods are in season is a great way to eat organic local food all year long. Instead of making pickles with white vinegar, try using ACV, it gives them a great flavor as well as the added health benefits (21).

18. Weight Loss

A huge problem those of us trying to lose weight face is those ups and downs when blood sugars spike and drop too drastically. The blood sugar roller coaster causes us to crave “high energy” foods like refined carbohydrates, to give a short term boost but a long term plummet. ACV has been shown to help regulate blood sugar levels, helping to curb cravings and kick extra calories out. It has become an overnight sensation in the weight loss industry, they even make it in pill form, though most of the experts say it’s better to just drink the real unpasteurized stuff. ACV can also help with weight loss by increasing satiety after a meal, always a good feeling. A study done on obese individuals who consumed 15mL or 30mL of vinegar per day for 12-weeks, showed a reduction in body fat mass and serum triglycerides (22).

19. Prevents Bladder stones and UTI

If you’ve ever had kidney stones, or known someone who has, they are extremely painful, and totally preventable. Stones typically form when a person’s urine is very acidic and concentrated, crystals form out of uric acid, calcium oxalate and struvite and have to be passed through the urinary tract. ACV works by alkalizing the urine, decreasing the likelihood that this ailment would ever occur, and it’s been said that it can even break down the kidney stones (23). It makes sense since ACV is such a powerful substance when it comes to helping the body absorb minerals.

20. Balanced pH

Dr. Theodore Baroody, in his book “Alkalize or Die,” claims ACV has an alkalizing effect on the blood and urine. Even though ACV is an acidic food, its structure changes to alkaline through the digestive processes. The idea of eating a diet high in alkaline foods is that disease thrives in an acidic environment (24). Foods like refined sugar, carbohydrates and meat create an acidic environment in our bodies. It’s interesting to note that the pH of a food in its pre-digested state is very different from the chemical processes it will undergo in our bodies. Thus foods like ACV and lemon water are surprisingly alkaline forming.

21. Potassium

Said to be the mineral of youth, potassium is an essential mineral in maintaining the soft tissues of the body, keeping everything flexible and resilient (25, 26). Deficiencies in potassium can cause an array of health problems. Nobel Scientist Dr.Alexis Carrel “was able to keep the cells of an embryo chicken heart alive and healthy for 35 years by daily monitoring it’s complete nutrition, cleansing and elimination. A chicken’s average lifespan is 7 years! Apple Cider Vinegar was given to the chicken embryo daily for it’s full quota of potassium.” Pretty impressive, seeing as Dr.Carrel did this study in 1912, proving that proper nutrition and cleansing can adjust lifespan quite drastically.

22. Corns, Callouses and Warts

Dr. Scholl was a believer in keeping feet healthy by soaking them in warm water with 1/3 cup of ACV for 20 minutes and rubbing with a pumice stone. This treatment for chronic foot ailments helps to correct the pH of the feet and make it impossible for fungus and warts to imbed themselves within the skin (27). For warts, instead of rubbing with a pumice stone after a soak, simply saturate a cotton ball, apply it to the affected areas and cover overnight.

23. Poison Ivy and Poison Oak

ACV can soothe the irritation caused by these poisonous plants. Combine 50:50 ACV AND water in a spray bottle and add a few ice cubes (28). This cooling spray helps to draw the toxins out of the skin and provide relief from the sting.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away and I think the same goes for a bit of apple cider vinegar a day. There’s no reason not to incorporate this healing food into your daily regimen. On a holistic level, this amazing whole food is good for every organ system.