Apple Cider Vinegar has seemingly been a health craze for the past few months, even years. However, it really has been consumed for thousands of years, and used medicinally since 17th century Europe!
Apple Cider Vinegar, (ACV) is a kind of vinegar that is made from fermented apple cider. During the first fermentation, the sugar is turned into alcohol by yeast and bacteria. From there it is fermented a second time, where the alcohol is turned into acetic acid.
This fermentation process creates probiotics and enzymes that promote health. It gives the ACV significantly less sugar and fewer calories than traditional, unfermented, apple cider or apple juice.
A couple of the benefits the Apple Cider Vinegar offers are…
ACV helps maintain healthy blood sugar, by increasing insulin sensitivity. This is one of the most well-documented benefits of ACV. You can mix 2 Tbsp of ACV with 8 oz of water to help with blood sugar regulation.
Vinegar is well known for its antibacterial properties and has shown to be effective against several harmful bacteria. Acetic acid, lactic acid, succinic acid and citric acid are all found in ACV and all have shown to slow the growth of certain acnes.
As always, it is very important to integrate new products into your routine slowly and carefully. Something like ACV has many benefits but is still very acidic. You can mix 2 Tbsp of ACV with 8 oz of water to dilute it enough that you don’t irritate your esophagus.