Apple cider vinegar represents a type of vinegar obtained from apple or cider which usually has an amber color that varies from pale to medium. It is also referred to as ACV. When it’s organic or unpasteurized, ACV features mother of vinegar that may look congealed due to its cobweb-like appearance.
It is usually used for marinades, salad dressings, chutneys, vinaigrettes, and food preservatives. People obtain it by squeezing the juice out of apples. Afterwards, yeast and bacteria are added in order to start the alcoholic fermentation processes and eventually the sugars are also turned into alcohol. It’s followed by a second fermentation process in which the alcohol ends up converted into vinegar due to aceobacter. Its sour taste is accredited to malic and acetic acid.
Additionally, vinegar represents one of the best agents when it comes to pesticides and bacteria removal from fresh products. There are even individuals who use it for it hair care properties like germ killing, hair conditioning, and cleaning.
Apple Cider Vinegar Functions & Benefits
Although outside the medicinal worl, this component possess a large variety of uses from helping pets get rid of their flies to clean bathrooms with a left-over apple smell, most of pharmaceutical and nutritional companies noticed the beneficial effects when contained by certain products or remedies, thus they’ve started including it for different uses of the organism that range from bodily detoxification and weight loss to immune system enhancement and removing stains from teeth.
The most studied and most promising use for ACV is currently considered the one in area of type two-diabetes, due to the fact that it may help lower glucose. A study from 2004 cited by American Diabetes Foundation discovered that vinegar consumed after-meals improve the insulin sensitivity, hence dramatically lowering glucose and insulin spikes which usually occur after eating. This particular study used 29 people that were divided into three groups: one with people suffering from type two-diabetes, one with prediabetic signs, and one with healthy individuals. Results showed that vinegar outshined placebo and blood glucose levels in those suffering from diabetes improved by 25 percent. This research was followed by another study in which scientists found a pleasant side-effect of this ingredient which was represented by weight-loss. People who took two tablespoons before meals on a daily basis managed to lose approximately two pounds on a four-week period while some actually lost somewhere around four.
Because AVC is rich in potassium, the ingredient is thought to have a reliable impact on muscle building, nerve impulses transmission, and heart activity, being one of the key components of a healthy diet during growth periods or intense activities. Furthermore, it may also prevent hair loss, brittle teeth, and runny noses, but further research is required in this area and few scientifically based confirmations exist.
Another benefit of it is the ability to break up the mucus throughout the organism, thus cleansing lymph nodes. Research actually suggests that ACV can help with certain allergies due to its potency of sinus congestion and mucus reduction. This is why people can even take advantage of headaches relief or sore throats healing, although at a minor scale compared to other herbal extracts or vitamins.
An interesting feature of ACV is the fact that it can treat stomach acid, although it has high acidity in itself. In fact, there is research which suggests that apple cider vinegar works because it corrects low acid and reduces heartburn. When it’s consumed one teaspoon follow by a glass of water, it should give a feeling of relief. However, people that suffer from any type of ulcer shouldn’t try this.
Caution
A first thing that needs to be mentioned about ACV is its high acid concentration which can make it quite harsh. This is the reason why people are recommended to dilute with juices or water before swallowing. When taken pure, it could damage the enamel of teeth as well as tissues from throat and mouth. In fact, there is one reported incident of esophageal damage on long-term in case of a woman that unfortunately got a capsule containing apple cider vinegar in her throat.
Moreover, used on long-term and excessively, it leads to lower bones density and potassium levels which can transform into awful medical conditions like osteoporosis, hyperreninemia, and hypokalemia. Even though there is little information about it, in theory in can also interact with laxatives, diuretic, or medicine which is generally given for heart diseases and diabetics.
There is one report that points out a low potassium and weak bones development after consuming 250 milliliters of it on a daily basi, for six years.
Due to the fact that it can lower levels of sugar in the human body, people suffering from diabetes have to be closely monitored during the treatment and a dose adjustment is most of the times necessary as well. Even though there is no sufficient information about its effects on nursing or pregnant women, it is advised not to consume any type of product that contains ACV and focuses on its internal properties since it has a pretty big chance of harming the child.
Sources
ACV is basically fermented juice obtained from crushed apples, hence it can be found any region in which apples are grown. Although it’s safer to make it yourself, most people are too busy for that and tend to appeal to certain remedies or drugs that contain it. This is mostly linked to the idea that its uses can be enhanced by combining it with other ingredients or using a certain amount that doesn’t interfere with proper health levels, particularly for people who tend to overdo it with treatment.
With this in mind, it’s more likely to find it already packed in bottles at your local store or in a capsule form that seeks to deliver its nutrients as a way of supplementing a proper diet. It is of high importance not to have an excess, no matter the type in which is presented, because it can do more harm than good and taking three times the amount of supplements based on apple cider vinegar surely won’t help you lose the weight three times faster.