Nine Surprising Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is a well-known home remedy. It has been used in medicine and in cooking for hundreds of years.

Apple cider vinegar is believed to have a wide range of health benefits, but what does the research say about these claims?

The truth is that apple cider vinegar has a wide range of healthful properties, such as antioxidant and antimicrobial effects.

Also, evidence from research suggests that it could also offer other health benefits, like:

· Reducing cholesterol

· Aiding weight loss

· Improving diabetes

· Bringing down your blood sugar levels

This article will examine the evidence behind this drink’s six fantastic health benefits.

Photo By Petro

Understanding apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is the fermented juice from crushed apples. Its main ingredient is acetic acid. It also contains vitamin C and B vitamins.

Microbes make acetic acid. It is important to note that this acetic acid is the most abundant short-chain fatty acid. When microbes in your gut break down fiber, they release a range of byproducts, and it happens that acetic acid is one of them. The acetic acid released is over 50%, meaning that vinegar is a type of fatty acid. Fascinating, isn’t it? This acetic acid serves as fuel for your colon cells.

Apple cider vinegar is used in cooking and salad dressings. However, it is also used traditionally as a medicine. Apple cider vinegar is so helpful that it has the potential to lower blood sugar after a meal by altering how food is absorbed from the gut.

Apple cider vinegar plays a vital role in athletic performance, diabetes, obesity, kidney stones, and other functions.

Now, let’s consider some of the health benefits.

1. Apple cider vinegar is rich in healthful substances

Apple cider vinegar is produced in two stages (1).

The first stage involves crushing apples and exposing them to yeast. Exposing the crushed apples to yeast ferments the sugar in the apples and turns them into alcohol.

Bacteria is added to the crushed apples causing them to ferment further, converting into acetic acid — the primary ingredient in vinegar.

The solid sour flavor and smell of vinegar are from acetic acid. Medical researchers believe this acetic acid is responsible for the many health benefits of apple cider vinegar. Cider vinegar comprises over 5–6% acetic acid (2).

Apple cider vinegar also contains another substance known as mother. Mother is the organic, unfiltered vinegar enriched with enzymes, strands of proteins, and friendly bacteria. All of these are responsible for the murky appearance of the mother.

Some people believe that the mother contributes to most of the health benefits of apple cider vinegar. However, there are no studies to support this. On the other hand, apple cider contains potassium, antioxidants, and amino acids.

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2. It has antibacterial properties

Vinegar is harsh on pathogens, such as bacteria (3).

Vinegar has been used traditionally for disinfecting and cleaning, treating warts, nail fungus, ear infections, and lice.

A trip down memory lane shows that even Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, cleaned wounds using vinegar.

Vinegar also serves as a food preservative. Studies show that apple cider vinegar inhibits the growth of E. coli in food (3, 4, 5).

If you want to preserve your food naturally, apple cider vinegar is the answer.

According to anecdotal reports, applying diluted apple cider vinegar to the skin could be effective against acne.

3. Apple cider vinegar may lower blood sugar levels

Vinegar is helpful in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

In type 2 diabetes, blood sugar rises to very high levels due to insulin resistance or the inability of the pancreas to produce insulin (6).

But non-diabetic individuals can keep their blood sugar levels within a safe range since high sugar levels are a significant trigger of aging and chronic ailments.

The healthiest and most effective way to regulate blood sugar levels is to avoid sugar and refined carbs. But apple cider vinegar may also be beneficial in this aspect.

Studies suggest that vinegar helps in regulating insulin and blood sugar levels:

· A study by Carol et al. published in the journal Diabetes Care suggests that vinegar may boost insulin sensitivity by at least 19% and up to 34% during a high-carb meal (7).

· A small study involving five healthy subjects found that vinegar could reduce blood sugar levels by 31.4% after eating 50 grams of white bread (8).

· A small study involving people with diabetes showed that taking two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before sleeping caused a 4% reduction in fasting blood sugar level the following morning (9).

· Other human studies show that vinegar can boos insulin function and reduce blood sugar spikes after meals (10, 11).

The National Centers for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) advises that people should not make unproven health products but instead go for conventional medical treatment (12).

If you are currently on a blood-sugar-lowering drug, consult your doctor before taking apple cider vinegar or any vinegar.

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4. The acetic acid in apple cider vinegar has very potent anti-inflammatory properties

The anti-inflammatory effect of acetic acid is most pronounced in your gut. First, you’ll want to dilute your apple cider vinegar with water –a tablespoon to a glass of water. Drinking it in its concentrated form may erode your tissues.

5. Apple cider vinegar supports mucin

Mucin is part of the barrier in your colon. It helps regulate the immune system and keeps pathogens from crossing this critical barrier. So, apple cider vinegar can help prevent a leaky gut.

6. Apple cider vinegar may aid in weight loss

Studies have shown that apple cider vinegar can help with weight loss. Several human studies show that vinegar increases satiety (feelings of fullness). This can lead to eating fewer calories and losing weight.

For instance, a study found that taking vinegar alongside a high-carb meal increased feelings of fullness, reducing daily calorie intake by 200–275 (13, 14).

However, it is worth mentioning that merely adding or removing single ingredients or foods does not affect weight. Instead, long-term weight loss results from supportive and helpful lifestyle habits and diet.

Apple cider vinegar may contribute to weight loss by lowering blood sugar, promoting satiety, and reducing insulin levels.

A tablespoon of apple cider vinegar contains only three calories on the low side.

7. Apple cider vinegar has extra phenolic compounds

Apple cider vinegar contains not only acetic acid but also something called phenolic compounds. Examples of phenolic compounds include catechin, caffic acid, and gallic acid.

Here’s the thing — these compounds have the potential to inhibit beta-amyloid formation. Beta-amyloid is the plaguing that usually occurs in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients (15).

Also, these compounds can improve your cognitive function significantly (16).

8. Acetic acid is used to shrink tumors in specific medical procedures

The acetic acid is injected directly into tumors to shrink them. So, acetic acid and apple cider vinegar have an anti-cancer effect (17).

9. Acetic acid may improve skin health

Apple cider vinegar is usually used for conditions like eczema and dry skin (18).

By nature, your skin is slightly acidic. The topical application of apple cider vinegar can rebalance your skin pH, thus improving the protective barrier (18).

Many people use alkaline cleansers and soaps. Unfortunately, these can irritate eczema and worsen the symptoms (19).

In theory, the antibacterial properties of apple cider vinegar can help prevent skin infections associated with eczema.

Takeaway

Several studies have shown that apple cider vinegar does have immense health benefits, including lowering blood sugar levels, destroying bacteria, and promoting weight loss.

Apple cider vinegar is safe and effective if you don’t take a large amount of it. I like to take it in the morning and after dinner.

Have you tried apple cider vinegar before?

Disclaimer: Dr. Berner does not diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical diseases or conditions; instead, he analyzes and corrects the structure of his patients with Foundational Correction to improve their overall quality of life. He works with their physicians, who regulate their medications. This blog post is not designed to provide medical advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment, or services to you or any other individual. The information provided in this post or through linkages to other sites is not a substitute for medical or professional care. You should not use the information in place of a visit, consultation, or the advice of your physician or another healthcare provider. Foundation Chiropractic and Dr. Brett Berner are not liable or responsible for any advice, the course of treatment, diagnosis, or any other information, services, or product you obtain through this article or others.