Apple Cider Vinegar seems to be all the rage nowadays. Primarily an ingredient used in salad dressing, to being an all-purpose cleaner for the house, to its anti-dandruff properties, this humble ingredient had its pride of place in your pantry for decades. Its versatility was known from a superficial perspective, but of late, there seems to be a growing body of evidence that supports regular consumption of ACV for its various health benefits.
Apple Cider Vinegar making is a simple two-step process: first, yeast is added to apple juice or concentrate. The yeast feeds on the sugar in the concentrate, and turns it into alcohol. Then, bacterial cultures are added to the solution, which then goes on to ferment the alcohol into acetic acid. The resultant solution is highly concentrated acetic acid with a host of proteins, enzymes, and friendly bacteria.
Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar
Here are some of the nutritional benefits of consuming ACV, according to new medical research.
- The high amounts of acetic acid in ACV can help in better absorption of nutrients, especially green vegetables and crucifers.
- A cup of herbal, ginger, or green tea with a tsp of ACV after dinner at night has demonstrated better control of fasting blood sugar the next morning. Regular consumption of ACV helps has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity, thereby lowering and regulating blood sugar.
- ACV consumption may have equal beneficial effects on people with high blood pressure.
- Even though it is an acid, ACV in water has been helpful in some cases in combating acid reflux, as it has alkalizing properties.
- Given that its acidity is equivalent to that of human hair, ACV has been famed to be a great final rinse for your hair in the shower, helping to restore the scalp’s PH balance and combating dandruff and excess sebum. When further diluted in water, this can act as an effective mouth wash for ACV’s bactericidal abilities.
- A possible side effect of regular consumption might be weight loss, primarily because of the body’s ability to absorb nutrition and regulation of body metabolism. And that is one side effect that none of us can complain about.
- Long used as a preservative, ACV has been shown to kill deadly bacteria like E. Coli from growing in food.
- Reports and studies also suggest that ACV can have similar impact on cholesterol in the human body as it does on blood sugar and blood pressure, effectively lowering cholesterol and triglycerides.
- While further research is needed, ACV is also being considered about its antic-carcinogenic effects because certain studies seem to suggest that ACV might be helpful in shrinking tumours and killing cancer cells.
- ACV is a versatile ingredient in salad dressings: sometimes an emulsion of olive oil in ACV with some garlic salt and pepper is all you need to liven up a bowl of salad greens.
What to Look For When Buying Apple Cider Vinegar
When buying Apple Cider Vinegar, look for the mother: the inky bacterial culture that turns apple cider into vinegar, similar to the SCOBY that is used to make kombucha, a fermented drink. In ACV, the mother is supposed to be host to acids that are highly beneficial to gut health and overall well-being. Clear vinegars do not contain the mother culture because of its murkiness. But to receive the bevy of health benefits, it is recommended to look for unrefined ACV with the murky “mother” swimming inside.
Cautionary Notes on Using Apple Cider Vinegar
However, do keep in mind that ACV after all is concentrated acetic acid. Direct consumption can have severe negative effects on the tongue and digestive tract. Always take care to dilute in water when drinking or using as a mouth wash or hair rinse, no more than a teaspoon in about 250 ml of water. Similarly, if adding to a cup of herbal or green tea, one tsp per cup is more than enough. You will get the distinct sour taste and the benefits it promises without the negative side effects.
If you feel your teeth tingling after a few days of consuming ACV, either dilute it further or stop for a few days, The acids in apple cider vinegar can negatively impact teeth enamel.
Incorporate into your cooking like you’ve always been doing: in your salad dressing, in tea, etc. to get all of its benefits. Just don’t go overboard. As with every other health suggestion, moderation is key. ACV is not a cure-all, but careful introduction into your diet and lifestyle can give you all the good benefits without the side effects.
