Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)
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Learn more about the health benefits of apple cider vinegar including blood sugar control, lowering cholesterol and weight loss. Plus tips for how to incorporate apple cider vinegar into your diet.
It seems like everyone is talking about apple cider vinegar these days. I’m sure you’ve heard about it and are wondering if it really lives up to the hype…
So I’m going to break down the facts for you!
Spoiler alert: I’ve been using apple cider vinegar for years and love it! It’s such an easy thing to add to your daily routine and the health benefits are amazing. Read on to learn more.
What is Apple Cider Vinegar
First, let’s start with the basics! Apple cider vinegar is a vinegar made from fermented apple juice. The process starts by adding yeast to crushed apples.
The yeast ferments the sugars and turns them into alcohol. At this point, bacteria is added which further ferments the alcohol and turns it into acetic acid… the main active compound found in most vinegar.
Acetic acid gives vinegar its pungent smell and flavor and is also responsible for many of ACV’s health benefits.
Apple Cider Vinegar Nutrients
ACV contains similar nutrients to apple juice and apple cider: pectin; vitamins B1, B2, and B6 (also known as biotin; folic acid and niacin), as well as, pantothenic acid and vitamin C.
It also contains small amounts of minerals including sodium, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium.
One tablespoon of apple cider vinegar has about 3 calories.
Health Benefits of ACV
The health benefits of apple cider vinegar aren’t something we just discovered. For centuries people have known about its antimicrobial and antioxidant effects and generations have used it in both cooking and medicine.
That said, recent research has brought many health benefits of ACV to light so let’s talk about them.
Weight Loss
Multiple studies have shown that consuming vinegar is linked to “feelings of fullness” which in turn will help manage your caloric intake. (Source)
Of course, only adding apple cider vinegar to your routine and not changing anything else about your lifestyle isn’t recommended. Still, if you’re looking for a boost to your healthy eating and exercise habits, it’s certainly worth incorporating ACV into your daily routine.
I’ve personally found ACV to help a ton with feeling full. Whenever I’m drinking 1-2 Tablespoons of ACV a day I don’t have intense cravings for food or find myself snacking mindlessly.
Blood Sugar
This one is huge because studies have shown that apple cider vinegar improves insulin sensitivity and reduces blood sugar after meals. (Source)
Researchers are excited about what this could mean for people with Type 2 Diabetes, but also for the general public as high blood sugar has been linked to chronic diseases. (Source)
Heart Health
There aren’t enough studies to link apple cider vinegar and heart health in humans, but multiple studies have shown a link between the two in animals. Animal studies have shown that ACV can lower cholesterol, blood pressure and other heart disease factors. Again, more research needs to be done with humans but the studies are promising with animals! (Source)
Digestion
Apple cider vinegar is naturally acidic so for people with low stomach acidity, adding ACV into their diet may help raise stomach acid levels, which will help with digestion and overall gut health.
ACV also has antimicrobial properties, which may help kill bacteria in the stomach or intestines. Excess bacteria can lead to gas and bloating so eliminating it with ACV may help alleviate these symptoms.
I personally love drinking ACV regularly to help with my digestion! If you feel gassy or bloated after a meal or when traveling, try drinking apple cider vinegar.
I like to take it before a meal to prep my digestive tract, but I have also taken it after eating if I was in pain and my body needed a little extra support.
Improve Your Skin
While some have noted improvements in their skin by taking apple cider vinegar internally, you can also use it topically! It has been used to improve dry skin and eczema.
If you try this, be sure to dilute the ACV and spot-test a small area of your skin before applying it over a larger area. Here’s a recipe for making your own apple cider vinegar facial toner.
WATCH MY VIDEO ABOUT THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF APPLE CIDER VINEGAR:
What Type of ACV Is Best?
There are several types of apple cider vinegar on the market! You want to look for one that is labeled organic apple cider vinegar with the ‘mother’ or unpasteurized. The ‘mother’ is made up of strand-like enzymes of connected protein molecules with living nutrients and bacteria, similar to the ‘mother’ that’s in Kombucha.
Clear vinegar is processed and doesn’t have any of the benefits that raw apple cider vinegar has. There are different brands out there but I use Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar which you can find at most grocery stores and on Amazon.
How to Drink
Now that you know all the benefits I’m sure you’re wondering how to incorporate ACV into your daily routine. You can totally just dilute it with water and drink it that way, but if you’ve tasted ACV diluted with water you’ll know that it’s not for the faint of heart. It’s pretty pungent and doesn’t taste all that pleasant on its own.
Lucky for you, I have a ton of drink recipes to share!
These recipes make drinking ACV enjoyable and delicious!
- Ginger Spice ACV Drink
- Limeade ACV Drink
- Grapefruit ACV Drink
- Honey Cayenne ACV Drink
- Apple Pie ACV Drink
- Fire Cider
- Grape Antioxidant Drink
More ACV Recipes
Of course, you don’t have to drink your apple cider vinegar! There are a ton of other ways to incorporate it into your diet. I love adding it to my salad dressings or using it as a marinade for protein. Here are some of my favorite recipes with ACV.
How Much Should You Drink Daily?
I drink 2 Tablespoons a day, in the morning, and I usually make one of those drinks that I linked above. I also incorporate ACV in a variety of recipes, which I shared above.
What Happens When You Take ACV Daily?
It’s hard for me to tell if the habit of adding in ACV daily is working wonders on my body and helping in ALL the ways I mentioned above, however I do know that my complexion has been really clear since I’ve started taking it and I crave my apple cider vinegar drink every day now.
In the morning I make my drink in a large mason jar. I’ll sip on it throughout the morning or have it after lunch with my afternoon snack. The biggest thing I’ve noticed is that it helps to keep me feeling full and less hungry, which is huge for me because I tend to have a habit of mindless snacking!
Disclaimer – Due to the lack of supporting research, apple cider vinegar cannot be recommended for treatment or prevention of any health problems. Also, please consult with your physician, pharmacist, or healthcare provider before taking any home remedies or supplements. I’m just sharing my experience and what works for one person doesn’t always work for another. 🙂
I have been drinking 2 tablespoons of Bragg’s ACV per day for most of this last year. In that year I have improved my diet and exercise practices but this delicious drink has been a very refreshing and satisfying part of my plan I did not make it up but it is called Good Girl Moonshine and this is the recipe that I like most!
1 quart of water
2 tablespoons ACV
1/2 teaspoons powdered organic ginger
1/8 teaspoon KAL stevia (so 4 of the little spoons that come in the container)
2 frozen strawberries
6 or 8 frozen blueberries (optional but good if you have them)
STIR WELL!
It is a little vinegary at first but once the berry flavors have a chance to blend I really like this drink as well as I used to like softdrinks. Try it, there are other versions if you don’t like this one–YOU DON”T HAVE TO PUT WITH THE TASTE YOU CAN ENJOY IT! DRINK IT ICY COLD.
Using a vinegar drink was first used by Jockeys…thought to keep the riders weight down [fluid reduction only]; since the early years.
Here is a Recipe I use that may be helpful to some.
2 Cups Water
2 Tablespoon ACV
1 Tablespoon Metamucil
1 Tablespoon MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane)
2 Tablespoon Raw Local Honey
I mix in a drinking glass and take every morning. Works great for me. cheers
I have been using the BRAGG~S ACV for 8 years now and I use it in my juiced carrots,celery,kale and it actually enhances the taste for me.
Could someone please tell me if ACV can go “off”. I have returned a bottle to the place of purchase and have been accused of adding something to it to make it go dark with sediment floating on the top. The store would not replace it. The use by date is 2018 and was purchased a month ago. NOTHING was added to the bottle.
Hi Patricia. If you bought a bottle of ACV that is unfiltered that sediment is normal and good!
I don’t think that’s a safe thing to do. You can drink it with juice, water, tea or coffee. I drink it with hot tea and organic honey the taste is tolerable.
Hi Karen
You said it, just let it take it’s course but I suggest you try it topically dilute it of course, drinking it alone will eventually help your skin but applying it daily works faster. You might see a difference in less than 2wks. Everyone’s result will differ it could take less than two weeks or longer than two wks. I hope it works for you stick with it, please keep us posted on your results. Hope I helped.
Thanks so much for your response! Appreciate your advice and encouragement to keep using ACV and have some patience to make it work. Will try to use it topically on a less conspicuous area to test it out. Thanks again for your input…will keep you posted after a couple of weeks to let you know my progress! 🙂
Hello! Love reading all these posts however, curious if anyone has experienced any improvements after using ACV for eczema. Unfortunately I’ve had eczema on my face/neck/arms on and off for the past few years. I started using ACV (with the recommended 2 tsp in 8 oz water 3 x/day) and though I’m only on day four, not seeing my skin getting any clearer? Actually got more flushing and redness so wondering if this is the natural course as ACV is working through my system. Look forward to others who have eczema and their experience and length of time using ACV until they saw their skin improving. I have not tried using it topically since my skin is already sensitive and want to avoid any further reaction. Would like to continue using ACV since I have great energy and my appetite is controlled. Appreciate your feedback and hope ACV will work for me eventually!
Would u be interested in trying a sample of Locus Balm the stuff is wonderful. Just a suggestion.
I drink ACV for a while like 2 months. I started slowly with 1 teaspoon as the taste is horrible to me. I used to drink 1-2 teaspoons, now I increase it to 4-5 teaspoons and regulated to 1-2 teaspoons depending on my diet. I notice my stomach no longer bloat up. I feel more energized. My nose mucus no longer developed due to cold or sinus. My skin is clear of blemish and spots. I notice my bowel is much more clear now. I feel lighter around my waist now. I recommended to my mum who got asthma to drink it, she felt refreshed and energized as the mucus didn’t get into her way when she sleeps. She sleeps better at night now. It is certainly a good way to alkaline and detox the body.
I have been taking my ACV for awhile and it has done wonders. I do a very simple one a spoonful of raw organic honey with ACV it tastes like an apple water to me it is all I drink. I am a bit concerned about all the posts I have read that use a splenda or whatever artificial sugars most of those are GMO and very very bad for your body . Do your bodies a favor and leave the faux sugars alone because you are cancelling out the good health by adding that poison to your drink .