Virtues of Raw Apple Cider Vinegar

The Virtues of Apple Cider Vinegar

This article is part of a new series I am doing on foods that significant health properties.  I will outline their health benefits and offer a recipe to help you try them.

Unfiltered apple cider vinegar is a food with extraordinary health properties.  It has been around for thousands of years and was even found in Egyptian urns dating as far back as 3000 BC.  It has been reported that Hippocrates, the father of Medicine, used it as a healing elixir.  The word comes from the French, “vin aigre”, meaning "sour wine."

It is made from apple cider that ferments and, during the fermentation process, sugar in the apple cider is broken down by bacteria and yeast into alcohol and then into vinegar. Like many types of vinegar, apple cider vinegar contains a substance called acetic acid as well as lactic, citric and malic acids. 

Unfiltered apple cider vinegar can help balance your entire inner body system.  It contains natural fruit enzymes found in apples that may help catalyze reactions that digest food more effectively.  Contrary to what we might think, apple cider vinegar also helps the body maintain a healthy alkaline pH level. Research shows that higher acid levels (a lower pH level) lead to a lack of energy and higher incidences of infection.  Most diets, especially those high in animal proteins and processed, are acid producing.  As part of balancing the body's pH, apple cider vinegar creates an overall detoxification of the body. Research shows that it can help stimulate cardiovascular circulation and help detoxify the liver. 

Research suggests that unfiltered apple cider vinegar can help with allergies because of its ability to reduce mucous and sinus congestion and to cleanse the lymph nodes. When reducing the effects of allergies, it can also help stave off sinus infections and their related symptoms (sore throats and headaches).  When I wake with a stuffy nose, a shot of apple cider vinegar usually offers me relief within an hour.

The American Diabetes Association notes that unfiltered apple cider vinegar helps to increase insulin sensitivity in the body. This means it facilitates your body’s ability to use the hormone insulin to transport glucose from the blood into the cells, where it fuels energy production. Raising your insulin sensitivity can help to decrease insulin resistance and delay or prevent the onset of Type-2 diabetes in some individuals.  WebMD cites a 2007 study involving 11 people with type 2 diabetes that found taking two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before bed lowered glucose levels in the morning by 4 to 6 percent.

Unfiltered apple cider vinegar can also help with weight loss.  In a 2009 study published in Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, it was found that subjects that consumed acetic acid for 12 weeks experienced significant declines in body weight, abdominal fat, waist circumference and triglycerides. Triglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood, a high level of them raises your risk of heart disease. 

Whether you decide to take a shot of it in the morning or add it to your salad dressing, for the maximum health benefits make sure you use raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar.  Below is a recipe to get you started.

Tangy Carrot-Apple Salad with Cider Vinaigrette

Adapted from Vegetarian Times

Serves 4

Apple cider vinegar's bright, crisp taste and more-than-a-hint-of-tart flavor work well in this salad.

• 1½ Tbs. raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar
• 1 small clove garlic, minced (½ tsp.)
• 2 cups grated carrots
• ½ red apple, diced (½ cup)
• ¼ cup sliced green onions
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ cup chopped dried cranberries
• 1 tsp. maple syrup
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves

1. Combine cider vinegar and garlic in small bowl. Let stand 15 minutes.

2. Stir together carrots, apple, green onions, parsley, and cranberries in large bowl.

3. Whisk maple syrup and oil into cider vinegar mixture. Add to carrot mixture; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cover, and chill 2 hours, or overnight. Serve salad on bed of spinach leaves.

Enjoy!

Martha Rebour is a Board Certified Nutrition Consultant and a member of The American Association of Nutritional Consultants. She is also a Certified Health Coach by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners and graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

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