Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV): 9 Top Uses & Health Benefits

Blood Sugar

Posted by Pat (Ballwin, MO) on 09/05/2008
★★★★★

I found this article on RealAge (www.realage.com//ct/tips/2655) about ACV and wanted to share.

Vinegar Delight

Research suggests that a little bit of vinegar could have a beneficial effect on blood sugar levels.

In a study, ingesting a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before a high-carbohydrate meal was found to help dampen expected spikes in blood sugar levels from the meal.

For a bit of vinegar's benefit, try starting off your next pasta meal with a salad splashed with red wine vinegar and olive oil.

Vinegar is no substitute for healthy eating habits or for proven methods of blood sugar control. The beneficial effects of vinegar on blood sugar levels may not apply to healthy individuals, and more research is needed to confirm its potential benefits for other populations.

In a recent study, ingesting 20 grams (approximately 2 tablespoons) of apple cider vinegar before eating a high-carbohydrate meal improved insulin resistance.

Study participants who experienced the blood sugar control benefits from vinegar were either diabetic or had insulin resistance syndrome. They followed the 20 grams of apple cider vinegar with a high-carbohydrate meal consisting of a white bagel, butter, and orange juice.

After the high-carbohydrate meal, the acetic acid from the earlier serving of vinegar appeared to reduce blood sugar levels by 19 percent in people with diabetes and by 34 percent in people with insulin resistance.

Acetic acid may help lower blood sugar levels by suppressing enzymes required to break down sugars, resulting in slower absorption.

The best way to keep blood sugar levels steady is to eat a balanced diet, eat at regular intervals, and engage in a moderately strenuous program of physical activity. If you have diabetes or insulin resistance syndrome, follow your healthcare provider's advice.

GERD

Posted by Maggie (Brick, New Jersey) on 08/13/2008
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I have suffered with GERD with a year. I could not eat tomato sauce, choclate, soda or fried foods (basically 90% of my diet :). I also could not lie flat in bed. The pain was constant, no matter what I ate, how I ate, when etc. I was put on the typial meds which either did nothing or made the pain worse. I was eating antacids like tic tacs. I asked the MD why I developed GERD as I have no risk factors for it and was unsatisifed with the answer of "it just happens". As a nurse, I need to know the reason why. The pain had to stop. I was not going to go through this the rest of my life. I came across your web-site and thank you and Thank God!! I used the regular ACV and it worked a little. My sister in law talked me into trying the organic ACV with the enzymes and I have used it for two weeks AND HAVE HAD NO PAIN!! I am back to eating whatever I want. I realized I felt better when I had raviloi for lunch followed by pizza for dinner and NOTHING HAPPENED! Previously, I would have been in pain for hours and eating meds and not able to lie down. I still get pain in my stomach if I'm stressed out, combined with bad food, and I rely on an OTC med that works, now one pill is all I need. But I have gone to eating meds to taking nothing!! I checked with my MD first who could neither recommend or dissuade me from using it, but he had no problems with me using it and basically said "knock yourself out". Thank you for being there for us who suffer and I wish someone would do a study on this so that others could be pain free as well.I can also sleep flat again, and on my back, with no pain. I take a tblsp in the morning in 12-16 oz water (be sure to shake the bottle) and again at night before bed. I feel great otherwise as well. It's like my stomach is happy!! Thank you thank you thank you.

Burns

Posted by Lady Day (Somewhere, In/us) on 12/13/2011

The same is true for baking soda. The difference is you won't smell after you apply it to the wounded area.

Laundry Tips

Posted by Stella (USA) on 06/21/2008
★★★★★

A great way to get the smell out of towels especially micro fiber (Dish towels) is to soak in vinegar overnight then wash. Do this once a month if needed.

Apple Cider Vinegar Tips

Posted by Alise H. (Chicago, IL) on 04/12/2008

UNDISTILLED apple cider vinegar (ACV) has many natural benefits. Taking a shot of UNDISTILLED apple cider vinegar (ACV) has cured my sore throat on several occasions. Please be sure that it is the undistilled version and not distilled. This version has the particles at the bottom. The other type, which may look better, has no true nutritional value. ACV, if raised to a certain temperature can also lose some of its healing powers, better to take it at refrigerated or room temperature. In addition, ACV can be damaging to the teeth so be sure to brush them after rinsing with ACV.

Apple Cider Vinegar Tips

Posted by Sylvia (Toronto, Canada) on 06/23/2008

I would suggest rinsing the mouth with water and not brushing for 2 hours so the tooth enamel can harden again.

Recipes

Posted by Jeffro (Goreville, IL) on 06/19/2009

I have seen a couple of people using V8 "juice" to take their ACV or H2O2. Two servings of regular vegetable V8 meet the RDA's max for sodium intake. I don't trust the RDA to determine what I need and don't need, but just be aware of what you are doing if this is your regimine.

Brands of Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Aseem (New York, NY) on 06/01/2008

Hi how are you? my wife and me live in Manhattan, NY. its virtually impossible for us to get unpasteurised acv. the only product we've been using since years is Heinz. just cant procure pure organic undistilled acv in the city. any other brand alternatives suggested? ive been having 2tblsp acv with 2tblspn honey in a glass of water first thing in the morning. 2tblspn of acv only in a little water with each meal since 1996. had cut my finger once and immed poured raw honey on it, within 20 seconds the bleeding stoppped and there are no scars. Thanks to whoever first understood the value of these two natural wonders!

Brands of Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Lisa (Brooklyn, NY) on 06/15/2008

You should be able to find organic unpasteurized ACV at any health food store, Whole Foods, etc in NYC. I've most commonly seen the brands "_____" with a yellow label and "Eden" with a dark blue/green label. I just bought a bottle last night.

Brands of Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by LaToya (New York, New York) on 01/10/2009

There are several Whole Foods Markets in the city. They sell the good ACV. You can find the closest store at www.wholefoods.com

Brands of Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Joyce (Joelton, Tn) on 01/11/2009 490 posts

Hello Latoya,

I don't buy the cheap distilled vinegar for any use, but I do buy a gallon of ACV at Save-a-Lot for about $2/gallon. If you keep it around long enough it grows plenty of mother without any help from the expensive _____ stuff. It works fine for me and has been for years now. I cook, clean, drink, and make medicine with it. At that price, I can afford to keep nothing but ACV and I always have it on hand for whatever I want to use it for, including cleaning my coffee pot periodically.

Local Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Kristy (Lansing, Michigan) on 06/25/2007
★★★★★

I've already written about how vinegar helped my husband and I but I wanted to share this information... Buying organic vinegar at a health food store is REALLY expensive. We found it for half the price at a local apple orchard-open only on Saturday's until the fall season. If you have one nearby, you might check. We paid $16.00 a gallon at a health food store and only $8.00 at the orchard!

Recipes

Posted by Lisa (West Plains, MO)
★★★★★

I like the benefits I'm having since I've started taking acv. But I did not like the taste and surely I'm not alone. I tried it with mango tea and one spoonful of the vinegar and an equal amount of honey. It tastes wonderful. I drink it at least four times a day. It's that good. Lipton tea has mango and I'm sure other brands will work. Now, go have yourself a cup 'o tea.

Allergies

Posted by Amy (Hartford, CT)
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I was on prescribed allergy medicine for 17 years. I started the honey and ACV mixed with water 3 years ago and rarely even have to take an over the counter allergy pill. It takes about 4-6 days of taking it twice a day to build up in my system, and then I usually only have to take it once a day. I'm a massage therapist and I recommend it to all of my clients who come in with allergies, many of them have become faithful to the ACV too. So glad someone told me about it!!

Cuticle Pain

Posted by Cindy (Smithfield, Utah)
★★★★★

I have a problem with my cuticles tearing all the way back to my knuckles. I have tried every lotion and cream available. It is very painful and interrupts my sleep. A few days drinking acv and it clears up but as soon as I stop, it comes right back.

Ear Infections

Posted by MB (Belgium)
★★★★★

[Note: the following reader used white vinegar, not apple cider vinegar, to heal an ear infection. ACV might work just as well.]

My husband was suffering from an ear infection. He was confined in the hospital for almost 2 weeks still nothing happened, so we decided to check out of the hospital. And then I remembered when we were still small, whenever we had throat problems or ear infections, my mom always told us to apply vinegar on it & gargle for the throat. So I told my husband why don't we try it, true enough just after 1 day of applying white vinegar in a water on it, his ear was dry and we continue to apply it twice a day until it was completely healed, but sad enough he lost part of his ear bone because of the that infection before we found this "VINEGAR WONDER", but we are thankful to GOD, now his ear is totally healed.

EC: Read many more testimonials and cures here.

Fever

Posted by Siberianwolf (Omsk, Russia) on 05/24/2008
★☆☆☆☆

WARNING!

Whoa!Whoa! Whoa! FEVER is your FRIEND !!!! It is the indication that your body is FIGHTING the infection. Mess with it at your peril. Let your body do the work it was designed to do...heal itself. NO outside interference can do that.

Fever

Posted by Erica (Us) on 12/05/2015

Only if the fever doesn't get too high. 102 is ok but 105 degrees is not.

Food Poisoning

Posted by Teresa (Ventura, CA)
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After eating at a local restaurant, I had the irregular bowel movement and the runs really bad. For 5 days it lasted until I started taking ACV. I started taking it religiously, 2Tbs. morning and evening. The next day I was amazingly cured! I became regular. I know this stuff works like VOODOO.

Gas

Posted by Ron (Long Beach, CA)
★★★★★

I was having terrible gas, my stomach hurt every time I ate something, then, the gas, both ends, it was terrible! My doctor wanted me to have a colonoscopy, as she thought it might be cancer. I had an old apple cider vinegar book, I have had for years. It told me to take two tablespoons after every meal, the same day I took it, my symptoms went completely away, plus, I just feel so much better, everything

EC: Read many more testimonials and cures here.

GERD

Posted by Denise (Tahlequah, OK)
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I am a 31 year old college student who also works full time. Lots of stress and the desire to eat spicy foods has led to a problem with GERD. The doctors gave me Zantac and other medicines, but not being a fan of medicine I searched for other options. My chiropractor told me to try organic apple cider vinegar. I picked up a bottle of' vinegar at my health food store and started drinking it with honey and water a couple of times a day. The combination cured my reflux problem and also gives me energy. I also have found that I have not been sick and I have been taking this for over four months. I read that apple cider vinegar is also has a natural antibiotic effect. It cleanses the body. You can try the vinegar you get in the store but for all the benefits organic vinegar with the 'Mother' is your best bet. I drink the vinegar and even eat it with my food on a daily basis. It really does work.

EC: Read hundreds more testimonials and cures here.

Hair and Scalp

Posted by Brijette (Bettendorf, Iowa)
★★★★★

My Chiropractor told me to use vinegar on my baby girl's cradle cap. I applied it straight and let it sit for 10 minutes before her bath. I've done this only four times now and her cradle cap is almost gone already!!! Maybe this straight vinegar treatment could work for other scalp problems as well.

Indigestion

Posted by Brett (Milwaukee, WI)
★★★★★

ACV takes care of my indigestion. I just dilute about a teaspoon in some water and drink. Within 5 minutes, my indigestion is gone.

Indigestion

Posted by Chris (Dighton, Ma) on 07/22/2016
★★★★★

Yes, it cures indigestion in minutes.

Interstitial Cystitis

Posted by Sherry (Boon, Michigan)
★★★★★

I have a bad bladder condition called Interstitial Cystitis and certain foods I eat cause me to have what is called a "Flare" up. When I take ACV, it relieves my symptoms within a half hour. It is definitely a natural wonder! I would recommend Apple Cider vinegar to anyone that can take it. It's so very good for so many conditions.

I take one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and one tablespoon of honey added to a hot cup of water when I have an interstitial cystitis flare up or an upset stomach. This helps me so very much..