What is ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar)?
A popular home remedy that has been used to treat a variety of ailments naturally, apple cider vinegar is a true gift of nature. Made from fermented apples, the potent liquid has been used in cooking and home medicine for centuries. Many people consider it the best all-natural remedy there is. It can help treat a long list of diseases and conditions including:
- Cardiovascular problems
- Digestive problems
- Sore throat
- Leg cramps
- Low energy levels
- Bacterial infections
This is just a short list of health problems ACV can treat. It is one of the most potent natural remedies and highly respected even in the medical community. ACV has been used over 2,000 years ago. The father of modern medicine Hippocrates used it as an antibacterial remedy to treat wounds and infections. It has been used by various civilizations in different ways, so it is clear that it has a wide range of benefits for our health.
Traditionally, apple cider vinegar is used to disinfect and clean skin infections. Besides that, it can be used to soothe digestive problems and even preserve food naturally. Research has proven that it can be used against a variety of health problems, although more studies are needed before anything could be concluded.
How Does It Work?
Apple cider vinegar is made from fermented apples. All tis benefits are thanks to the compounds that are created during that process. The most important nutrient in ACV is acetic acid. According to experts, it might be the active ingredient responsible for its health benefits.
ACV also contains malic acid and a bunch of vitamins and minerals too. The unique combination of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals makes it a powerful remedy that can help treat a variety of ailments.
Aside from that, apple cider vinegar also contains polyphenols, compounds that can stop cell damage that often leads to cancer. Of course, there’s no scientific evidence that ACV can prevent cancer. The presence of polyphenols, however, might help in the prevention of the disease.
In many controlled studies, ACV has been able to prevent the breakdown of some foods. Studies have shown that it can also help lower triglyceride levels and blood sugar in people with diabetes. Those are just some of the very well known benefits of ACV. If you go online and search for ACV remedies, you might find an even longer list.
In recent years, ACV is being used as a natural remedy that can help with weight loss. Since it has the ability to boost digestion and prevent the breakdown of some foods, ACV may aid in weight loss. It’s not a miracle pill, but it should improve your satiety and digestion, leading to proper loss of weight.
Can It Help You Lose Weight?
The liquid’s main active ingredient, acetic acid, is a short-term fatty acid that can dissolve into hydrogen and acetate in the human body. Research on the compound has found it pretty powerful. It can improve your metabolism, help the body burn fat, suppress appetite, and lower insulin levels. All of that can potentially lead to better fat burn and help you lost a solid amount of fat.
As mentioned, though, it doesn’t work on its own. You can’t expect to lose weight with ACV only. Just like most supplements, it can only aid the process if you pair it with regular exercise and a healthy diet. Acetic acid may promote fat loss in different ways, but still, losing weight is largely based on dieting plus exercise.
What Kind of Apple Cider Vinegar Should I Use?
Many people are confused about the type of ACV they should get. There’s the organic stuff such as Bragg and other brands that aren’t that popular. And then there’s homemade ACV on farmer’s markets experts recommend getting.
Most experts advise going for the ACV brand that has the ‘mother’ substance in it. That’s the floating thing you may have seen at the bottom of most natural ACV bottles. It isn’t junk like many people think. As a matter of fact, the ‘mother’ contains all the beneficial substances found in the liquid. It has a cloudy appearance and is a surefire indicator that the ACV you just got is natural.
The mother substance is rarely seen in commercial bottles of ACV. Your best bet to get all the benefits of ACV is to buy a homemade bottle from a farmer’s market. This will, of course, cost more than commercial bottles of ACV, but you should aim for them. When it comes to ACV, you need to get the quality stuff for it to work.
Besides the mother substance, you can tell if a bottle of ACV is organic if it says unpasteurized, unrefined, etc. on the label. As mentioned, you will only get its benefits if it’s the real deal. Bragg’s ACV is organic, but most of the other brands sold on the market rarely are.
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even make your own ACV at home. It’s easier than you think, not to mention cheaper than the stuff you can buy.
How to Make Homemade ACV
Ingredients
- Apple scraps (organic)
- 2 tablespoons cane sugar
- 2 cups water
Preparation
Clean a glass jar well and let it dry. When done, fill 3 quarters of it with the apple scraps. Chop them up finely before adding them to the jar. Next, dissolve the cane sugar in the water, then pour it in the jar. The apple scraps should be fully submerged. If you need, you may add a bit of water.
To keep them down, you can use a smaller glass jar or weigh down the apples with a fermentation weight. Cover the glass jar with a cheesecloth and secure it properly with a rubbed band. Store the liquid on room temperature in a dark spot. Check it every day to make sure the apples are submerged.
After 3 weeks, the fermentation process should start. You’ll feel a faint sweet smell. At that point, strain the apple pieces and repeat the same every few days.
Taste the ACV occasionally. When it tastes good to you, you can filter it and start using it.
Apple Cider Vinegar Health Benefits
We’re already marked the biggest health benefits of ACV, but there are more. New research is constantly adding to the list of ACV’s great health benefits, making it a tour de force among natural remedies.
Some of the biggest health benefits of this powerful liquid include:
- Improves digestion
- Lowers blood sugar levels
- Lowers cholesterol and prevents cardiovascular diseases
- Reduces blood pressure
- Improves satiety
- Helps reduce excess belly fat
Of course, just like with any natural remedies, it’s very important to take these benefits with a pinch of salt. Many of them have not been reinforced by studies. Some people claim that ACV helped them with a health problem, but until we see proven medical research, evidence could be slim.
With that being said, there’s absolutely no risk if you drink controlled doses of ACV every day. It is an all-natural liquid that can improve your health, so it shouldn’t pose a big threat to your health. Of course, it shouldn’t be taken if you’re already suffering from certain medical conditions.
Side Effects of Drinking Apple Cider Vinegar
Drinking ACV is healthy for you, but just like with any natural remedy, it should be done with caution. Too much of it could have adverse side-effects and do a lot more harm than good. Many experts have raised concerns about the possible side-effects of the liquid, especially if you drink it in large doses.
Too much apple cider vinegar can improve your digestion, but can also lead to delayed stomach emptying. Due to this, it’s not suitable for people suffering from gastroparesis and other digestive problems. Drinking a lot of ACV every day can lead to nausea, bloating, and heartburn that could be very problematic to people suffering from ulcers.
One of the biggest health concerns associated with too much ACV is low potassium levels. Some experts have suggested that too much apple cider vinegar can lower the potassium levels in our blood over a longer period and possibly even lead to bone loss. People suffering from bone problems such as brittle bones should steer clear from it, especially if the problem is osteoporosis.
Since it is rich in citric acid, drinking a lot of ACV can chip away at the enamel of your teeth. All acidic foods and beverages can do that, but ACV is among the worst. Erosion of tooth enamel can have unprecedented effects on your oral health and could lead to tooth loss. You don’t want that if you’re young, right?
Other side-effects of ACV include throat burns, possible skin burns, and drug interactions. To conclude, ACV can be very helpful, but when taken in large doses over a longer period, it can cause serious health troubles as well.
Best ACV Brands 2020
Below you can see a list of the best apple cider vinegar brands you can find online in 2020. All of them have been certified and approved for use, so you know you’ll be getting top-quality products. You can find most of them on Amazon or their respective websites for cheap.
Bragg USDA Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
Bragg’s popular product is always at the top of sales pages anywhere including Amazon. The USDA-certified Bragg Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar with the Mother substance is a great choice for beginners. It comes with a measuring spoon and has some of the best reviews for ACV online.
Drink it every day as it promotes weight loss and has a number of other health benefits. If you want a quality product, Bragg is one of your best bets.
Fairchild Organic ACV
Fairchild’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegar with the Mother is a great alternative to Bragg. If you ask some people, it may very well be the better product. Made from Washington State organic apples, the undiluted ACV claims to be 25% stronger than any other.
It certainly cheaper than Bragg and will be a great pick for those who are looking to cut costs.
Lucy’s Family Owned USDA-certified ACV
This may be a brand that’s smaller than Bragg or Fairchild, but their organic ACV is a real hit online. It is unfiltered and unpasteurized and of course, it contains the Mother substance. The Lucy’s Family Owned USDA Organic ACV comes in a gallon package and has stellar reviews on Amazon.
The company is family-owned and run so it’s an ideal choice for anyone who doesn’t want to buy from big corporations. If that sounds like you, pick this one over Bragg.
Dynamic Health Organic ACV
Dynamic’s ACV comes in a 128 oz. bottle and is certified organic. This vinegar is unfiltered and unpasteurized, being called “potently pure” by the company itself. It contains the Mother substance and adds a healthy flair to salads and meals.
The Dynamic Health Organic ACV has thousands of fans and an average score of 4.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon. That’s recommendation enough to get it.
Heinz Distilled ACV
Heinz is a major brand that’s mostly known for its ketchup. However, it has ventured into other product verticals as well such as producing distilled apple cider vinegar. It has a clean and mellow flavor and is fat and cholesterol-free. Heinz has slapped a Natural Choice for Your Food mark on the bottle, advertising its product as an ideal addition to salads, marinades, and recipes.
Heinz’s Distilled Apple Cider Vinegar is an Amazon Best Buy product, so you can’t go wrong with it.
Wedderspoon ACV with Manuka Honey
Wedderspoon’s product mixes apple cider vinegar with some equally impressive natural wonders. It comes in three flavors. Blackcurrant is for immunity; ginger, turmeric, and lemon for detox; and Manuka Honey for overall improvement of your wellbeing.
Manuka Honey is widely considered the most powerful type of honey, being used in a number of natural remedies. When combined with ACV, it can really do wonders. Wedderspoon’s ACV comes in 25 Fl. Oz. bottle and can even be tried for free.
Country Farms ACV Supplement Pills
What about apple cider vinegar supplements? Well, if you ask Country Farms, they work just as great as liquid ACV. The Country Farms ACV pills can improve your digestion, detoxify your system, support water balance, and promote weight loss. In short, they do everything a bottle of liquid apple cider vinegar does.
Customers are impressed by their efficiency, giving them an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. If you want to avoid tooth erosion and throat burns but still get the benefits of ACV, these pills are the way to go.
Vermont Village Organic ACV Sipping Vinegar
As the name suggests, the Vermont Village ACV Vinegar is meant for sipping. It comes in two flavors – blueberries and honey and a pack of 4 bottles in “frustration-free” packaging. The product is non-GMO and Kosher and made in Vermont using raw and unfiltered ACV.
The bottle comes with a mixer for your daily shot. Each one contains 8 shots, so a pack of 4 is enough for a month.
DietWorks ACV with Garcinia, Matcha & Kombucha
DietWorks’ ACV is meant to help you lose weight. The liquid promotes healthy weight loss and helps clean and detoxify your body. It promotes fat metabolism and contains the Mother substance that brings all the benefits of apple cider vinegar.
Drinking a shot of it every day will balance the fluids in your body and promote digestive health. if you want to lose weight naturally, it’s an excellent formula that has been praised on Amazon for its efficiency. Plus, it contains Matcha and Kombucha, making it a great remedy for your immune system.
The Twisted Shot
The Twisted Shot is a powerful ACV remedy mixed with turmeric, ginger, honey, cayenne, and cinnamon. All of it together makes it an excellent weight loss promoting remedy packed in a simple daily shot. All the ingredients are organic and each 2 oz. shot contains 1.5 tablespoons of ACV. With the Mother substance, of course.
You can buy The Twisted Shot in packs of 6 so you have enough for the whole week. It’s cheap and pretty popular on Amazon. With a rating of 4.2 out of 5 from hundreds of reviews, you can trust it to promote weight loss.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a natural way to lose weight and reinforce your immune system, apple cider vinegar is a truly excellent remedy. It’s natural, doesn’t have many side-effects, and will improve your overall health, not just your immune system. ACV is a powerful digestive aid and the fact that it promotes fat loss makes it an excellent aid for losing weight.
The Amazon products we listed above are your best option if you don’t have access to homemade ACV or you don’t feel like making it on your own. Try any of them and you’ll soon be looking at a healthier and fitter you in the mirror.
