The internet is awash with plenty of health benefits that can be squeezed out of apple cider vinegar. This magic potion has been touted to heal all kinds of ailments while boosting the body’s overall health. It has been used from time immemorial with Hippocrates, the famed Greek physician and immortalized as the architect of modern medicine, prescribing it for the treatment of various ailments like the common cold.

Vinegar, in general, has been used for various purposes. Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is by far the one with the most health benefits. It is obtained by fermenting apple juice using yeast and the natural sugars occurring in the apple juice. The best apple cider vinegar is obtained from organically grown apples. To milk maximum benefits from it, do get yourself the unfiltered brands as they still contain some proteins and beneficial bacteria still trapped within it.

As mentioned earlier, there are many health benefits to be sieved from this natural, widely available drink. A word of caution though is that it should never be drunk concentrated. Always dilute it with water before drinking or applying it to any part of your body. It can be combined with other healthy foods like honey and coconut oil to enhance its health benefits.

Below we highlight 10 major health benefits of apple cider vinegar:

1. Lowers Blood Pressure

Blood pressure can be hiked by an increase in sodium levels in the blood. Apple cider vinegar has high levels of potassium which helps reduce the sodium content in the blood. This, in turn, reduces blood pressure levels. Magnesium in AVC helps relax the blood vessels easing the flow of blood and reducing any spike in blood pressure. Maintaining good blood pressure levels helps to ward off cardiovascular diseases.

2. Helps in Diabetes Management.

Intermittent spikes in insulin levels can be a great discomfort for persons living with diabetes. High insulin levels cause hunger pangs, which in turn, lead to overeating. Overeating, especially of sugar rich carbohydrates, lead to an increase in blood sugar levels. This destructive cycle can be curtailed by using ACV which hinders the absorption of sugars in the digestive system.
ACV taken before meals helps ward off hunger pangs. It can also be taken during meals to help one feel full faster. This aids in moderating the amount of food diabetics take in a day, thus helping in insulin management.

3. Weight loss management

As mentioned above, apple cider vinegar has properties that make one feel full faster. Sugar cravings are managed in the same way as in diabetic management by telling the stomach that it is full. This reduces overeating which is key in weight loss management.

ACV also detoxifies your body which helps get rid of any excess fluids in the body as well as cleansing your digestive system. This causes better absorption of nutrients by your body.
When apple cider vinegar and garcinia cambogia are used together, weight loss management is accelerated. These two powerful natural ingredients can be used simultaneously to greatly slash those excessive fats around your belly in record time.

4. Natural Detoxifier

Our body’s natural detoxifier is the liver. Current food consumptions lead to a high intake of toxins that our liver is not able to keep up in eliminating them. Apple cider vinegar aids body detoxification by assisting in the filtering of toxins from the blood and also the liver. This encourages draining of fluids in the lymphatic system as well improving overall body pH levels. Detoxifying is known to boost energy levels as well as improve blood circulation.

5. Body pH Balancing

To maintain good health, our bodies should be more alkaline than acidic. Acidic environments accelerate the growth of harmful cells like in the case of cancer as well as being an ideal breeding ground for disease causing organisms. The foods we ingest affect the body’s pH levels. The modern food options tend to make the body more acidic in nature which is harmful to our health. Apple cider vinegar though acidic in nature helps restore the body’s pH levels. When ingested it becomes alkaline which in turn makes our bodies more alkaline. Chronic illnesses are kept at bay by the simple ingestion of a few diluted tablespoons of ACV daily.

6. Relief for Common Cold and Sore Throat

Just as Hippocrates prescribed thousands of years ago, sore throats and common colds can be soothed by the combination of apple cider vinegar and honey. This formula has largely remained unchanged over the years and it offers a natural remedy to a frequently recurring ailment the world over. ACV is a natural antibiotic which relieves the symptoms of a bacterial infection like a sore throat.

7. Antibacterial and Antifungal Properties

Apple cider vinegar has been used from the beginning of modern medicine as a natural antibacterial and antifungal remedy. It was and is still being used as a disinfectant to kill bacteria in wounds as well as aid in the healing of skin and foot fungal infections. Rub some diluted ACV on your wound to kill and prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.

8. Relief for Digestive Tract Ailments

Heart burn, indigestion, acid reflux, bloating and gas problem are some of the ailments that can be relieved by simply taking a few diluted tablespoons of ACV. The stomach requires being at a particular pH for optimal performance. Sometimes this pH level is affected by an imbalance in the stomach juices which can lead to heart burn and gas build up. ACV works in relieving these symptoms as its acetic acid compounds help to stabilize the stomach pH levels.

9. Keeping Allergies at Bay

Apple cider vinegar has compounds that help break up mucous while relieving the symptoms of sinuses. These allergies that occur irregularly depending on the triggers are kept off by having a daily intake of ACV which boosts one’s immune system as well as fight off the allergy causing organisms.

10. Fighting Yeast Infections

Yeast infections cause a variety of uncomfortable symptoms like vaginal itching, pain during urination or sex and soreness. This is commonly known as candida and has been known to accelerate memory loss and sugar cravings. Yeast thrives in a sugar rich environment. A vicious cycle is created by yeast infections when the yeast levels demand more sugar from the body. The body, in turn, gets sugar cravings and when these cravings are satisfied, these harmful yeasts grows which in turn demands more sugar. These sugar cravings are put on hold by the action of ACV on the lining of the stomach which prevents the absorption of starch by the body. Sugar cravings are also kept at bay as ACV keeps one feeling fuller for longer periods thus reducing the amount of food one takes.

The above benefits are just but a sample of the many health benefits of apple cider vinegar. Other benefits include: –It acts as a sunburn relief tonic-It relieves burning and itching in eczema-It reduces swelling caused by poison ivy-It acts as a natural deodorant-It is used as a tooth whitening agent -It aids in calcium absorption which in turn prevents or slows down the onset of osteoporosis.

Apple cider vinegar was discovered by the founding fathers of medicine and used for healing and offering relief to many ailments. In the modern day, it is a great natural medicine alternative or supplement to modern medicine in the healing of a myriad of diseases. It would be wise to keep a bottle of apple cider vinegar at home preferably one made from organically grown apples.

To alleviate its tangy taste, sweeten it with honey and start your journey to health with this ‘elixir’ of health!