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’ve been drinking ACV for about 6 weeks now … I have felt more energetic, but haven’t seen a lot of other results. I’ve been drinking 2 TBL/3 times a day dilluted in about 4 oz of water and then with about 6 oz water chaser. … I don’t mind drinking it at all …. but I’m thinking that maybe 2 TBL is too much ACV?
I have had a chronic cough my entire life that I get between the months of Oct. to April. I have been doing some research for a natural remedy and a Dr. of mine told me it may be “Silent Reflux”. Well I went to my health food store and what was good for “Reflux”? Apple Cider Vinegar! I was so excited, so I bought some Braggs ACV, take it 3 times a day, my cough has subsided tremendously!!! I am also going to mix it with some local honey, I think I will be rid of this cough in no time. PTL!!!!!!
Can I use ACV into warm water?
Sure!
Can you just use regular vinegar? and does it have the same effect as ACV? Whats the difference?
not reg apple cider vinegar from gro.stores Dr oz said organic apple cider [ with mother in it.] you can buy it at the health food stores & boy it works for weight loss, blood presser, joints, i take a3 tablespoons every day in a coffee cup of warm water. its also helps keeps type 2 diabetic sugar down if you have type 1 dont take it. talk to your doctor before starting it.
After reading your blog, I tried drinking it and I find it not too bad. I added 1 tspi honey. It tastes like sour apple juice. My concern is that I am drinking alkaline water at home. Is it good to use the alkaline water to dilute apple cider vinegar? How does this affect the alkaline acid balance either of the drink or of the body as I drink ACV?
I started drinking Bragg’s ACV about a month ago for chronic bloating, fluid retention and bowel issues. My hands are no longer swollen with fluid and my bowels have become more regular. I actually lost a few pounds, dont know if it has to do with the ACV or not, but i am going to continue just for the fact of the relief of stomach bloating and fluid retention. Sure seems to be helping…stuck in memopause and hypoactive thyroid land! I drink it in warm water and just shoot it down, morning and afternoon works best for me!
Hi! I just started using ACV today and I am using it to clear my cystic acne which i suffered for 5 years. All over the counter medicine failed and dermatologist medicine failed too. So I decided to clear my skin the natural way since I read about this on your blog. I am using ACV on my face and to lose weight, I ingested 2 TBSP. of ACV with 8 ounces of water today and I made a ACV toner for my face with 2 ounces of ACV and 2 ounces of water which I will start using tonight after cleansing my face. i have a question this is my first time ingesting ACV and applying it to my face, will my acne clear up right away? or will it get worse before it gets better? and how long will it take for me to see acne clearing results in my face? By the way i love your blog its very informative!
Hi- glad to hear you’re giving ACV a try. It’s great but it works at different speeds for different folks. If you read thru the comments ( yes, there is a LOT!) you’ll see mostly that it’s important to give it time to work. It’s not an overnight miracle cure not matter what people may imply. ACV will only be half as effective for your acne if your diet is bad. Same goes for losing weight. Exercise and reduced calorie intake PLUS ACV is awesome.
Stick with it- wish you the best!
I started drinking ACV one week ago & my skin looks amazing!! I saw immediate results. I heard it is amazing for GERD & I felt immediate results with that too. I drink 2tsps 2x a day, diluted in water.
Hi! Came across your blog as I just started using ACV as a daily regimen. I was reading through posts and there’s a lot of confusion on whether it’s 1 TBSP or 1 TSP. I think I know where the confusion lies. I am using Bragg’s brand of Apple Cider Vinegar. On the nutrition label it reads “Serving Size: 1 TBSP” but on the instructions it suggests mixing “1-2 tsp of ACV in 8 oz of water with 1-2 tsp of honey.” However, if you read the paragraph above the instructions, it suggests taking a dose 3 times a day (morning, mid afternoon and evening) so if you take 1 TSP three times a day, you have taken 1 TBSP total (3 TSP = 1 TBSP). I have been doing 2 TBSP a day (1 TBSP mixed in 8 oz of cold water in the AM before I brush my teeth, and 1 TBSP mixed in 8 oz of cold water in the PM before I brush my teeth). I am a dental assistant and I want people to really be careful of drinking ACV undiluted. It not only dissolves the enamel of your teeth (giving you “soft” teeth) but it can cause ulcers and burns on your tongue, throat, esophagus and stomach. I asked the Dentist I work for the best way to drink it daily without damaging my enamel. He says that the best way is to either mix the ACV with water before you swallow it, or, if you don’t want to drag out the acidic taste, swallow a TBSP and then chase it with a glass of water. ALSO IMPORTANT: Wait 30 minutes before brushing your teeth after you swallow ACV. Brushing immediately after actually rubs the vinegar INTO your enamel (this is true with sugar too!). Saliva is the body’s natural way to neutralize acids in the mouth, so let your spit do its job before you brush. And in answer to the acidic vs. alkaline debate, ACV (and all vinegars) is ACIDIC. The scientific name for vinegar is ACETIC ACID. The pH being between 2 and 3, where 0 is the most acidic a substance can be (Battery Acid is 0). I just wanted to clean up some confusion among ACV users 🙂
….having said that I DO have a question. Has anyone felt sick at all from taking ACV? I’ve taken it for about two weeks now and the last few days I have felt a little under the weather. Not knocked-on-my-butt sick but just icky: headachey, swollen lymph nodes, running nose, and I am burning up. Doctor can not find anything bacteria-wise. I don’t have a fever (even though I feel like it!)…I’m wondering if this is the detox aspect of ACV? Has anyone else experienced this same thing or something similar?
Dear Brittany,
I live in Taiwan and i couldn’t find the brand you use, instead i bought a 100% apple vinegar, i can’t tell if it’s raw or not. The label reads.. ingridients: Apples, no sugar added.
It really doens’t work if it’s nor raw?
Thanks a lot
I started using acv a week know I noticed a change in my appetite I’m not so hungry along with exercise