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What is apple cider vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar, or cider vinegar, is a popular condiment and a kitchen staple for many. The health benefits of drinking apple cider vinegar every day are that it reduces blood sugar levels, cholesterol levels, and weight and prevents dandruff.
Apple cider vinegar, or cider vinegar, is a popular condiment and a kitchen staple for many. It's used in cooking as a marinade, preservative, or salad dressing. It's also used in medicine because of its potential health benefits.
Here’s everything you need to know about apple cider vinegar health benefits, side effects, and more.
Apple cider vinegar is a type of vinegar made by adding yeast to apple juice. The yeast breaks down the sugar in apple juice and converts it to alcohol or apple cider. This process is called fermentation. Bacteria are then added to the mixture. The bacteria convert the alcohol into acetic acid, giving apple cider vinegar its sour, tangy taste and strong smell.
What are the uses of apple cider vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar is a versatile liquid. A spoonful of it can add a sour twist to your soup, salad, or marinade. It's also used in baking, especially for vegan recipes. Its antimicrobial properties make it ideal for preserving and pickling foods. It's also great for household uses like washing vegetables, sanitizing surfaces, cleaning utensils, and deodorizing drains.
Apple cider vinegar has antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. This is why ancient medical practitioners used vinegar to treat wounds and illnesses. Apple cider vinegar can also reduce cholesterol and help manage diabetes and obesity. It contains various nutrients that are good for your health.
What nutrients are in apple cider vinegar?
A teaspoon of apple cider vinegar has 1.05 calories, up to 50 milligrams of carbohydrates, and no fats. It contains much of the goodness of apples, including nutrients like vitamin B, folic acid, biotin, pectin, vitamin C, and plant-based antioxidants called polyphenols. It also contains small amounts of minerals like sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorous, iron, magnesium, and selenium. Apple cider vinegar is made of 5% acetic acid, which helps your body take up certain minerals from food.
Unfiltered apple cider vinegar looks cloudy and contains more nutrients than the filtered type. It has bacteria and enzymes that are good for your gut. These bacteria are called probiotics. They help improve digestion and overall health.
What are apple cider vinegar health benefits?
Apple cider vinegar has the following health benefits:
Reduces blood sugar levels
Research shows that apple cider vinegar can help reduce blood sugar levels and manage diabetes. It improves your cells' ability to use blood glucose and reduces blood sugar levels. This is called insulin sensitivity. A 15 milliliter dose of apple cider vinegar per day for more than 8 weeks can decrease blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.
Apple cider vinegar may be good for controlling diabetes, but it’s not a replacement for diabetes medication. If you’re taking diabetes medication, check with your doctor before having apple cider vinegar.
Lowers cholesterol levels
Apple cider vinegar can significantly decrease cholesterol levels. Studies have shown that consuming 15 to 30 milliliters of apple cider vinegar each day for 8 to 12 weeks can significantly decrease bad cholesterol levels. It also increases good cholesterol levels.
Aids in weight loss
Apple cider vinegar is recommended for weight loss, as it reduces hunger and makes you feel full. On a low-calorie diet, drinking apple cider vinegar can help people with obesity lose weight. Having 15 to 30 milliliters (1 or 2 tablespoons) of apple cider vinegar for 12 weeks can help you lose 2 to 4 kilograms and reduce fat.
But more studies are needed to test the long-term effects of apple cider vinegar on weight loss.
Prevents dandruff
Apple cider vinegar’s antimicrobial properties may be good for your scalp and hair. A study showed that apple cider vinegar is effective against the dandruff-causing fungus Malassezia furfur. About 3 to 4 milliliters of apple cider vinegar diluted with water can prevent fungal growth and dandruff.
Other potential health benefits
The acetic acid in apple cider vinegar has many potential health benefits. Some reports suggest that it can treat hair lice, nail fungus, and skin warts. A 2001 study found that acetic acid or vinegar could reduce blood pressure in rats. Another study showed that rice wine vinegar could prevent cancer growth in rats and human cells.
But most of these claims lack strong scientific evidence and don’t specifically involve apple cider vinegar.
What are the side effects of apple cider vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar is acidic and can cause health risks if consumed in large quantities. Apple cider vinegar side effects include:
1. Low potassium levels and bone loss: Drinking large amounts of apple cider vinegar over long durations may lead to low potassium levels in your body. It can also cause bone loss.
2. Tooth enamel erosion: Acidic substances like apple cider vinegar can damage tooth enamel. One study involved immersing teeth in different types of vinegar for 4 to 8 hours. The results showed up to 20% loss of minerals from the teeth in 4 hours.
3. Skin irritation and burns: Apple cider vinegar is acidic and can cause skin irritation and chemical burns, especially in children. Avoid applying apple cider vinegar directly to your skin.
4. Drug interactions: Diabetes medicines and insulin can interact with apple cider vinegar, causing extremely low blood sugar levels. Digoxin is a heart medication that lowers blood potassium levels. If you have digoxin and apple cider vinegar, it may reduce your body’s potassium levels. Diuretic drugs remove salt and water from your body. Having these with large amounts of apple cider vinegar can reduce your body’s potassium levels.
5. Worsened gastroparesis symptoms: Too much apple cider vinegar can worsen gastroparesis symptoms. Gastroparesis is when your stomach nerves don’t work correctly. It delays stomach emptying and keeps the food there for too long. This can lead to digestive problems and symptoms like nausea, indigestion, and heartburn. It commonly affects people with diabetes.
Apple cider vinegar can worsen chronic kidney disease symptoms. Weakened kidneys may not be able to process acetic acid.
Tips to safely consume apple cider vinegar
Here are some tips to help you consume apple cider vinegar safely:
- Limit your intake to just 2 tablespoons or 30 milliliters per day.
- Have unfiltered apple cider vinegar, as it has more nutrients than the filtered kind.
- Dilute it in water based on your tolerance.
- Drink it with a straw to avoid exposing your teeth to acetic acid.
- Rinse your mouth after drinking it to prevent tooth damage.
- If you have gastroparesis or chronic kidney disease, avoid apple cider vinegar.
- If you’re taking medication, check with your doctor before having apple cider vinegar.
- Avoid it if you have allergies. Contact your doctor immediately if you feel sick after having apple cider vinegar.
