21 Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

Turning your nose up at the sweet pungent aroma of the fermented refreshment? You may want to rethink your vinegar aversion once you learn how beneficial apple cider vinegar is for your health. From promoting weight loss and preventing diabetes to helping your body detox and your hair look shinier than ever, apple cider vinegar has been proving its own versatility for thousands of years. The “father of modern medicine,” Hippocrates, even famously utilized apple cider vinegar with honey to cure his patients’ colds.

Because apple cider vinegar does contain acetic acid, it’s critically important to recognize that it should not be drunk on its own, but rather diluted (1 – 2 tablespoons in a full glass of water) or added to other consumable beverages or dressings. Mixing with a little honey or lemon helps cut the harshness of the vinegar, or you can even find “drinking vinegars’ available in some grocery stores by the bottle. Since 400 B.C. the world has seen apple cider vinegar embraced for its healing properties, and the 21st century is no different. To feel all the great health effects apple cider vinegar can have, make sure to use the unfiltered (or raw) versions of the fluid with the mother (murky film on top composed of healthy proteins, enzymes, and bacteria) still present.

1. Regulates Blood Sugar

When you eat food and drink beverages, your body metabolizes the glucose you ingest and produces insulin to help convert it into energy. People with Type 2 Diabetes are either chronically insulin-resistant or simply don’t produce enough insulin to maintain a healthy glucose level. The anti-glycemic properties of the acetic acid found within apple cider vinegar has proven in one Diabetes Care study to help lower blood sugars of Type 2 Diabetes patients overnight possibly by aiding in starch digestion, or altering the glycolysis process of the liver. Apple cider vinegar seems to positively impact metabolic functioning overnight and thus prevent blood sugar spikes in the morning.