Apple Cider Vinegar: Uses, Health Benefits and FAQ

ACV Gargle

Posted by Ravi S (Dallas, Texas, United States) on 12/27/2009
★★★★★

I would like readers to try this. Add two tablespoons of ACV to lukewarm water and gargle all the way from your deep throat. Check the contents of your ACV water BEFORE and AFTER. All the more, if you are a vivid caffeine fan. You would notice all the gunk come out in lumps. Then you can imagine what it can do to your entire system. However ACV is not for everyone. Gargling, anyone can do, but if your stomach is of acidic nature, please be cautious using ACV INTERNALLY.

Energy

Posted by Ana (Vizcaya) on 07/19/2021

Hola, buenos días, Me estoy recuperando despacio con el vinagre, pero no acabo de encontrar una marca q me de energía, podría decirme la que le dio resultado? Muchas gracias.

Hello, good morning, I am recovering slowly with the vinegar, but I just can't find a brand that gives me energy, could you tell me the one that worked for you? Thank you.

Energy

Posted by chris (bloomfield hills, MI) on 01/26/2023

The brand most of us use is organic and raw, unfiltered, with 'the mother'. It is a family last name that starts with letter b. It has a picture on the label of the father and daughter. Hope that helps! (since we aren't allowed to say brand names)

Apple Cider Vinegar and Refrigeration

Posted by Suzi (Missoula, Mt) on 10/03/2009

the organic ACV I buy with the mother, comes with a statement on the bottle to refrigerate after opening...these folks are the best and most consciencious(sp?)so I always place in frig and have all the marvelous benefits over the years...also use a straw to get it past your teeth....don't worry :)

Apple Cider Vinegar Tips

Posted by Carolyn (Hobbs, Nm Usa) on 09/29/2009

Premixing ACV and Honey

If you are having trouble getting the honey to mix with the ACV try this. I talked to the B__gg people and they said it is fine to do this. I mix 1 c. ACV and 1/2 c. Honey together and put into an empty ACV bottle. Then when I am ready to drink it I take out 1 Tablespoon full and mix in 8 oz. water and drink. I don't mix up any more than that because the B__gg folks said to not keep it over a week like that. Works great for me and saves a lot of time.

Thanks,
Carolyn

EC: Thanks for finding that out and sharing it with us!

Apple Cider Vinegar Soak

Posted by Deirdre (Earth Clinic) on 09/24/2009
★★★★★

I started soaking both feet and toes in about 1 inch of straight apple cider vinegar in a pyrex casserole dish (the same one I use for the magnesium oil soak) a few days ago to treat nail fungus and severe cracks in my heels, which I suspect to also be fungus related. Well, it seems soaking is a great way to get the benefits of acv without drinking it! You know the rosy, healthy glow you get after drinking apple cider vinegar in water? Well, it's happening after soaking. Also a great increase in energy. Too soon to say if I am losing weight with the soak.

I was finding that drinking apple cider vinegar lowered my blood sugar levels drastically at times, making me feel faint, but have not had any side effects from soaking thus far. The blood sugar reaction from ACV is a new thing. I had been drinking it regularly for many years before that without any problems.

I am using the organic brand of acv right now, even though you can buy a gallon of regular grocery store acv for the same price. I am thinking about ordering organic acv in bulk, since it takes up almost half a bottle of organic acv to fill the small dish with enough liquid to cover my toes. I must admit, right now I am re-using the acv a few times, otherwise it just isn't cost effective. But yes, I wash my feet before soaking them!

Sorry to say that I have had cracked heels for 11 years now (coincides with when I started training at the dojo). Only recently did it move into toenail fungus. Getting rid of it once and for all is long-overdue. Bad idea to have a fungal infection lingering on for years and years. I am determined to keep this up for months if necessary.

Apple Cider Vinegar Tips

Posted by Eric (Lethbridge, Alberta) on 03/03/2016

Mixing with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) would neutralize all the acids (acetic, malic, ascorbic, etc.) that are in apple cider vinegar defeating the purpose of taking it!

Yeast Infections

Posted by Meg (Edison, Nj, USA) on 09/02/2009
★☆☆☆☆

WARNING!

ACV has a lot of benefits but one thing that ladies have to be careful about is Yeast infection. I am 29 and never got Yeast infection in life and now got twice in 2 months as I started ACV. But then I read that its because I wasn't using Organic one but just the regular store brand. I have the Organic one now but I am too afraid to try it as I cannot deal with Yeast Infection misery again. I thought I will inform the girls about this to be extra careful when using ACV...thanks!

Energy

Posted by Mac (Atlanta) on 09/10/2013

More than 8oz of water is too much... Do not mix or dilute it to much or you will not see results in a timely manner.

General Feedback

Posted by Knute (Sacramento, CA) on 07/02/2009

While the information at WebMD is interesting, and I often like to refer to it also, it must mentioned that WebMD is very much in line with standard mainstream medicine.

Regardless, when proponents of standard medicine voice their concern for risks of different alternative ways, we should always keep the following in mind:

A fully referenced report from a few years back showed that as many as 2.2 million people in the US have in-hospital, adverse reactions to prescribed drugs per year, and 8.9 million were exposed to unnecessary hospitalizations. But the biggest one is this: US number of deaths caused by conventional medicine annually: 783,936.

So, without a doubt, there are HUGE risks with standard mainstream medicine...

Morale: Always consider the source when they talk about risks!

Fountain of Youth

Posted by Val (Tampa, Florida) on 06/27/2009

Anyone taken ACV for 10 years or more consistently? Just wondering if you look younger than others in your age group who haven't? And how? Or do you know someone who has been taking it for 10 years or more? Thank you!

Fountain of Youth

Posted by Tara (Clarkston, Washington) on 07/05/2009
★★★★★

My mother in law is in her eighties.She doesn't drink or smoke and takes her acv everyday and has for decades.Her skin is beautiful!!!!!!It has not helped her emphysema at all or her weight but she barely has wrinkles.

Constipation

Posted by Noor (Lawrenceville, Ga) on 06/10/2009
★★★★★

HI I just wanted to let people knw my story, I have been on a low carb diet wihich also known as protein sparing modified fast its very stricted in food u intake, awesome diet however the only problem is u don`t have bowel movements for days, a friend of mine told me she been taking apple cider vinegar ever since she had her last kid, and ask me to give it a try, so i did 2 tablespoon daily pure just like that no water no sweetener its just easier this way comparing in adding whole lot of water and honey...which tend to make it harder to drink. And belived or not i have bowel movements every single day, and its just 2 tablespoon a day and drink lots of water itself the whole day, i feel great more than ever, i highly recommend that to any body that suffer bowel movements, plz go buy yourself a good ACV unfiltered u will see diference in you.

Constipation

Posted by Sam (Florida, US) on 01/07/2015

Careful with those protein diets. They are harmful for the kidneys and the livers. I know from experience

Website Articles

Posted by Rachel (Reinholds, Pa) on 11/04/2009

I agree that while Mercola has a lot of good things to say and is helpful in getting Americans to THINK about their health, he has a lot of interest in getting us to buy his things. ie imported herb etc. I am especially interested in helping folks relearn how to use the simple things at hand like apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper and activated charcoal. When we take back the responsibility for our own health we will be in better shape as a nation. Thank you Earth Clinic for your part in this re-education.

I have used ACV for the flu and warts before but I never did much research on it. Two days ago I bought a small book on the benefits of ACV. One paragraph got my attention. It claimed that ACV will lower the blood pressure. I am a good subject to try it on because I have extremely high blood pressure. (200/115) and none of the meds that the doctor has given have lowered it. I do eat a healthy diet and am a master herbalist and have tried ALL the right things and they did not work. I used the ACV - 4 times a day taking 2 Tbls of vinegar in a glass of water. I did not add the honey because I do not need the extra sugar. Today, after only 2 days my B/P is 175/100. That is dramatic since the b/p meds were not even bringing it down. I will try to report in week to tell you if it has continued to lower my b/p. I am hoping that it will.

Thank you all for this helpful information

Heartburn

Posted by Nancy (Shreveport, LA) on 05/22/2009
★★★★★

Colleen:

I too had terrible heartburn after having my gallbladder removed. I started with the 2 tbsp of ACV in 16 oz of water and sipping throughout the day. It was better but the I noticed that EC recommended 2 tsp so I switched and got much better results. I used to take 3-4 (minimum) Tums a day after getting off Prilosec and Zantac. Now I never take any.

Warnings and Caveats

Posted by Sangeetha (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands) on 05/10/2009

*** THYROID MEDICATION AND APPLE CIDER VINEGAR WARNING!

Deirdre, apple cider vinegar (ACV) is wonderful, but may be you should post a warning for people with thyroid (and may be other conditions) to give a gap of at least 4 hours between taking thyroid medication and ACV, because otherwise ACV seems to interfere with the absorption of thyroid medicine and the results are not what we would like to see. This might also be true for iron supplements.

Regards, Sangeetha

EC: *** APPLE CIDER VINEGAR SIDE EFFECTS

We have compiled a list of ACV side effects here.

Broad Benefits

Posted by Rob (North Shore, Auckland, New Zealand) on 04/08/2009
★★★★★

Hi there, I have just come across your great site and have now saved it to my favourites for ready access as and when required.
I have been using apple cider vinegar for over eight years after breaking both my clacaneous (heel bones) in a fall from a miltary assault case on a proferssional training exercise at a work conference. I was referred to it by a Reiki healer who felt it would assist me deal with the ongoing pain issues and also felt it would be a good de tox for the body.

It certainly did that with ny body reacting initially with a lot of small boil type infections manifesting as the apple cider vinegar in the body forced the toxins out through the skin. That lasted for 2 months and then my body cleared and I felt a whole lot better as a result - and continue to do so.

I am confident that ACV has assisted me to reduce the effects of living with constant pain and has so many other added values as the amino acids and enzymes produced in the fermentation process act as catalysts to help the body break down and rebuild molecules on a daily basis.

I swear by the natural benefits of ACV in so many ways and it is now part of my daily routine of getting up in the morning and pouring 25mm + into the bottom of glass and filling with warm water and a touch of sea salt. I follow this with a further 4 to 5 glases of water and this is a great way to start the day. I also try to have a shot before my meals when practical to do so.

If i go on a road trip I fill my water bottle with a dose of ACV and couple of pinches of sea salt as well.

Here is another good tip for you -Try filling a spray bottle with one third ACV and balance wityh water and spray onto your hair and skin on a daily basis after shampooing while showering. Just wait for the positive comments from your hairdresser and your skin feels nice and soft as a result. My hair is rejuvinated and definitely feels thicker as a result of using ACV.

So I am a believer and any natural product that contains essential minerals and trace elements present in ACV such as calcium, boron, magnesium,silicon,manganese and potassium has to have a positive effect on ones metabolism.

Another tip for liver spots on the skin ( hands and face in particular) as aging kicks in is to dip half a lemon into a bowl filled with ACV and let soak for short while as absorption occurs. Then rub on liver- spotted skin daily and watch spots begin to fade in a few weeks.

Rob North Shore Auckland New Zealand

Sore Throat

Posted by Melissa (Berlin, WI) on 03/28/2009
★★★★★

I had a sore throat that came on suddenly yesterday. It started bad and went to worse very fast. It was so painful I could not swallow. I used to drink apple cider vinegar with hot water and honey daily but because of this goofy diet I was on I stopped. My best friend reminded me of the apple cider vinegar concoction so I tried it. Litterally within an hour my sore throat was gone. I am not sure but I really think I have strep throat. Bottom line is I think it may have cured it. Time will tell but at the very least it aleveated the pain I was experiencing. I love this stuff!!

EC: Yes, many YEA reports for ACV and sore throats here: https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/sore_throat.html#ACV

Sore Throat

Posted by Melissa (Berlin, WI) on 03/28/2009
★★★★★

Flus and Colds

Posted by Vinicius (Malden, Ma, Usa) on 02/24/2013

just a heads up, don't drink too much water while you are eating, too much water in the stomach will just weaken the acid during the digestion. Stay healthy

Broad Benefits

Posted by Judy (Hubert, North Carolina) on 01/15/2009
★★★★★

As everyone should be I was very skeptical when I read of all the cures acheived with ACV. I started out looking for relief for my partners enlarged prostate. When I kept looking at all the things ACV could do, I said what the heck and tryed it along with him. Well let me just say that I feel like a brand new woman! I have had sever back pain and degenerative disease since I was 11 yrs old. About 6 yrs ago I was in an auto accident that I have had constant neck pain from. More recently, with my age now being 48, I have had knee and hip pain on my right side. After taking ACV in water, 2 tbls in 8 oz, for three days my hip no longer hurt! I decided to follow the recipe better and slowly drink 3 to 4 glasses of the same recipe all day. While at the gym I realized I could move my neck and look over my shoulder with no pain!! When I get up in the morning I no longer have to hang on to the counter when I kneel down to get something from the bottom of the cupboard!! I wake up everyday now PAIN FREE! I can't wait to see what happens next! As for my man, well he see's what it is doing for me and wants to do it too but hates the taste and doesn't have the patients. I have been doing all I can to get him to do it. He will now and again but won't do it every day. Does anyone have any ideas how to make it taste better for him? I am used to it already and really with everything it has done for me wouldn't care how it tasted.Thankyou so so so much for this site! Who would have thought that a little bottle from the grocery store costing all of one dollar could make me feel younger then I ever have!!

Acne

Posted by Ebony-Rose (Wellington, New Zealand) on 01/11/2009
★★★★★

I've suffered from acne for 6 years now, when it developed in my teen years. I've tried everything, from prescription antibiotics, to salicyclic acid/differn gel, to change in diet, the pill, and drinking litres of water...but to no avail!

Came across articles of the benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) recently and decided to give it a try. After taking 2tsp of vinegar mixed in warm water 3x daily, and apply topically each night with cotton swab, I found within several days my skin was clearing. My skin did flare up again after a week, but I found having sensitive skin meant the vinegar was very drying. So I applied the ACV to my face every few days while moisturising with "Bio Oil" in between, and continued drinking ACV 3 times a day. After about 1 1/2 months my skin is so clear, with only a few spots every now and then. I have a healthy glow, smooth lightened skin, bright eyes, hair is in fantastic condition, and I have more energy than I ever had! A complete miracle!

Broad Benefits

Posted by Diana (Palmetto, FL) on 01/09/2009
★★★★★

I have been suffering from cronic sinusitus for several years now and I have tried everything with no help. When I say everything, belive me, if it is out there, I tried it. I have used every over the counter medicine, nasal sprays, netti pots, heat packs and prescriptions and none helped. It has recently gotten so bad that I developed extremely dark circles under my eyes and asked a dermatologist what I could do to deminish them and they said "nothing". They were wrong! I have not only found relief from my sinus issues, but the dark circles are practically gone in a matter of days. I found your website and thank God for it. I took 1/8th cup of ACV for my sinus problems and that evening, I became very ill that night and instantly thought, it was due to the ACV dose. That night however, I went to bed and again took the ACV the next morning to help with my sinuses. In two days I woke with no congestion for the first time in 7 years!! This is an amazing remedy that has been sitting undiscovered by me in my pantry. I am on my third day of dosing with ACV and am equally excited about the prospect of it helping with my acne issues as well. I was really happy when my sinuses cleared, but am even more excited about the dark circles beginning to lighten. ACV is the one item I will never be without.

Additional Comments

Posted by London (Sandusky, Ohio ) on 11/12/2008

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR IS A TRIP. Listen to this, I usually use, 100% organic vinegar with Mother, always, but lately I have not had a chance to order it online. So I bought a bottle of regular ACV from the supermarket."Heinz". I notice fruit flies swarm around it like crazy, even when the cap is on. When I finally got a chance to use the organic again, I accidently left a few table spoons in a ramekin overnight, and found fruit flies were not attracted to it at all, and there were no floaters. Strange. I guess organic is better.

Additional Comments

Posted by Muzza (Port Hedland, Western Australia) on 09/17/2011

Hi, I started reading this last night as I'm well fed up with my allergies. I had to laugh with the very first comment in this feedback section.

" I do not think I can make myself drink this every single day without something to help the taste."

I would drink the gastric juices out of a 10 day old kangaroo that was the victim of Road Kill, if it meant getting rid of my allergies.

I really hope this works as I got straight up and rode off to the shop to buy and try this remedy.

Cheers

Diabetes

Posted by Faith (St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands) on 09/09/2008
★★★★★

I must say when I heard about Apple Cider Vinegar I was curious. I went out the same day and purchased a bottle. I'm a type 2 diabetic and I must say that I feel a lot better since taking it, my monthly cycle has changed to a more normal cyle. It used to be very heavy the first two days...no more.

I also started the pulling oil...that too is great. My mouth feels so clean all day. Just started it so I haven't really seen anything major, but I will report back. Thanks Earthclinic.

EC: Read more about apple cider vinegar and diabetes here.