Is Apple Cider Good For Weight Loss? And Four More Things You Need to Know

You probably have a bottle of apple cider vinegar (ACV) in your pantry right now. It’s a tasty addition to homemade pickles, marinades, salad dressing, and more - but is it good for you? Many of its supposed benefits are anecdotal, but some experts think that adding a little of this tangy vinegar to your life may have some health benefits.

Weight

Have you heard that apple cider vinegar will help you lose weight? There's not much formal research on the topic, but one study did find that people who drank apple cider vinegar daily lost a couple of pounds versus those who didn’t (both groups had a similar diet). The researchers suggest that vinegar may affect certain genes involved in breaking down fats thus improving digestion – which ultimately could lead to weight loss.

Blood Sugar

While apple cider vinegar most likely isn’t the weight loss magic bullet, it does appear to help with blood sugar control. Arizona State University’s Nutrition Program Director, Carol Johnston, PhD has been studying apple cider vinegar for years and believes it can have pronounced affects on blood sugar. Johnston says that the vinegar prevents at least some dietary starches from being digested and thus raising blood sugar.  It’s still advisable to focus on your overall diet if you have or want to prevent blood sugar issues – but adding ACV on salads might help too!

Antimicrobial

Vinegar is known to help kill pathogens, including bacteria and ACV has traditionally (not confirmed by research) been used for cleaning and disinfecting, treating nail fungus, lice, warts and ear infections. It’s even said that Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, used vinegar for wound cleaning over two thousand years ago. Because vinegar is acidic, it has been used as a food preservative, and studies show that it inhibits bacteria from growing in the food and spoiling it.

Great Flavor Enhancer

ACV should be consumed! Use it in your food – from dressings, to dips, apple cider vinegar can be a great flavor addition to many dishes. Try alternating balsamic for apple cider vinegar to change the flavor and add more variety to your diet.  Add a punch to a fish dish with a splash of ACV on top!

Home Cleaning

If you don’t mind the smell, or are sensitive to chemicals try using ACV to clean your home. A mix of 1 part ACV and 9 parts water will clean just about any surface. It’s easiest if transferred to a spray bottle. You can also pour full strength ACV into the toilet, bath, babies tub, etc. and leave overnight.  Some appliances (coffee makers, etc.) can be descaled with ACV as well.

[via Supermarket Guru]

30 Amazing Uses and Healing Powers of Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar is one of the most incredible healing tonics you will find anywhere, period. I’m not even exaggerating, I don’t have to. The results that you experience as you put it to use will demonstrate enough that you don’t need a “peer reviewed journal” to tell you that it’s a miracle juice. The proof is in the pudding.

Here’s a graphic with 20 uses for Apple Cider Vinegar, but to be honest with you, they’re not even the cream of the crop. Wait until you see the list BELOW the picture, that will blow your mind so hard you’ll probably run straight for the pantry and start mixing it into everything before you even finish reading the article.

Okay, as promised, here are 10 more uses for Apple Cider Vinegar that will forever blow your mind and change the way you see this tantalizing tonic.

21. Apple cider vinegar can detoxify your home.

This is an acidic mixture which is ridiculously strong, which means yes: It is in fact a cleaning agent. You can use it straight or mix it with water and other soaps to create your own household soaps and detergents to use on your floors, windows, clothes, and dishes. Hell, you can even put it in your hand-soap bottles! With that addition, you save tons of money on cleaning supplies, and drastically reduce the amount of chemicals and toxins in your home.

22. It can make your hair shine.

Apple cider vinegar can be used as a rinse for your hair after shampooing, and will boost your hair’s body and shine. I recommend recycling an old shampoo bottle, then filling it with 1/2 a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and a cup of cold water. Pour the solution through your hair after shampooing several times a week for dramatic results.

23. It can remove stains from teeth.

Rub teeth directly with apple cider vinegar, and rinse with water. Simple enough instructions to follow, am I right?

24. It can soothe sunburned skin.

Add a cup of apple cider vinegar to your bath, and soak for 10 minutes to eliminate discomfort from sunburn. Alternatively, if you want to rub it on without a bath, PLEASE mix it with water first. The intensity and strength of ACV if directly put on your skin could really hurt, although afterwards there’s no doubt you’d probably feel freaking fantastic ;)

25. It’s an all-natural massage treatment.

Rubbing apple cider vinegar on your hands and feet will give massage-like benefits and relief to tired hands and feet.

26. Apple cider vinegar can aid in weight loss.

For daily weight management, add 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to 16 ounces of water. This concoction can be sipped throughout the day. Data shows some limited, yet significant, weight loss benefits from sustained daily intake of acetic acid (which is a main ingredient in apple cider vinegar).

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 contribute to the bad cholesterol that we want to avoid.

27. Apple cider vinegar will balance your entire inner body system.

The body constantly strives to achieve a state of equilibrium. Apple cider vinegar helps the body maintain a healthy alkaline pH level. Research shows that higher acid levels (lower pH level) leads to a lack of energy and higher incidences of infection. Hence, my desire to sip some a few times a day for a natural boost of energy.

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.

28. The use of Apple Cider Vinegar is effective in repelling fleas on your pets.

One part vinegar and one part water can be sprayed on your pets fur and rubbed in generously to the skin. Saturate the entire coat, and continue every day for a few days to a week. Any flea infestation will surely be gone.

29. It can help your body get rid of candida.

This vinegar is rich in natural enzymes that can help rid your body of candida—yeasts that are attributed to thrush in humans. Candida also is blamed for creating symptoms of fatigue, poor memory, sugar cravings, and yeast infections.

30. It’s an all-natural room freshener.

Apple cider vinegar will clean your toilets and leave your bathroom smelling like apples! Just pour apple cider vinegar into the toilet, and allow it to sit overnight. Bada-Bing, Bada-Boom!

3 BONUS USES

(there is so much good info, I have to include it all!)

Bonus 1. Catching Flies

Flies are so bothersome… Take some ACV in a jar or a glass with a plastic lid or some kind of lid. Poke a few holes in it so the air can escape and flies can go through. They’ll get stuck in the drink and you’ll be free from their pesky bothersome ways.

Bonus 2. ACV is great for your lymphatic system.

This miracle vinegar helps to break up mucous throughout the body and cleanse the lymph nodes. Believe it or not, research suggests that apple cider vinegar can help with allergies because of its ability to reduce mucous and sinus congestion. When reducing the effects of allergies, it can also help stave off sinus infections and their related symptoms, such as sore throats and headaches.

Bonus 3. It Cures Athletes Foot Altogether

I have only recently found this one out, but I have personally witnessed it happening right before my eyes. Within a matter of days, with a single daily rubbing of ACV on a foot that has athletes foot, the foot is healed in its entirety, leaving nothing but a few lines as to the old effected area… and even they faded away within a day or two after that.

This stuff is seriously incredible. Give it a try, and you will see what I’m talking about ;)

[via The Spirit Science]

How to Use Apple Cider Vinegar For Healthier Skin and Hair

The skin and hair care industries are behemoths, making stacks upon stacks of money by promising healthier hair and brighter skin. They often use clever marketing to play off our insecurities, telling us if we were just less freckly, more even-toned, tanner, lighter, or brighter, we would be beautiful. They follow that up with offering a solution in the form of a cream, serum, oil, or face wash. But, you don’t need these products. You can save your money and get healthy, happy skin with products found in any grocery store. Today’s grocery store beauty solution: apple cider vinegar.

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) can be used on everything from warts to dandruff, but it also has a place on the vanity of someone with the occasional blemish or dry hair. (And beyond skin and hair health, apple cider vinegar uses are nearly endless.) ACV is an all natural product made from apples; unpasteurized or organic apple cider vinegar contains the mother, making it look slightly foggy or sedimentary – this is the type of ACV you want to use on your skin and hair.

For Your Skin

There are two ways to reap the benefits of ACV for your skin: by taking it internally or applying it topically. Internally, you can heal your skin from the inside-out by taking a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar each day. Be warned, you may not enjoy the taste so much. But whether or not you do enjoy it, ACV should be diluted in some water. Add some optional honey if you need it to be more palatable.

Topically, you can apply ACV diluted with water to tone your skin, reduce blemishes and promote a more balanced complexion. Because it can be harsh for sensitive skin, start by diluting ACV with water at a 1:4 ratio. You can increase the water by a quarter every week as your skin adjusts.

For a lone pimple, apply the ACV directly (without diluting) with a cotton swab.

For Your Hair

Used on the hair, apple cider vinegar can smooth the cuticle, making your hair appear smoother and shinier. It does this by balancing pH levels unlike commercial shampoos that strip the hair and leave it looking rough, dry or dull. It also removes buildup and can help with dandruff and an itchy scalp.

Simply use ACV as a rinse. Dilute it with equal parts water and dump over your head while in the shower. Give it a moment to sink in before rinsing.



For other hair tips, check out this diet for healthy hair.

A Note on the Smell

One of the biggest hang-ups people have about using ACV is the smell. Yes, this is a vinegar so it does smell a little like a salad or pickles. But that smell quickly dissipates. If you use it on your face, for instance, the smell is gone as soon as the ACV dries. You won’t smell like a salad bar all day and your skin and hair will thank you for the gentle and natural treatment.

[via Natural Society]