Bacteria... ...prevention is your best protection...

Apple Cider Vinegar

Historically vinegar has been used for countless purposes: pickling, weed prevention, cleaning, polishing and in sauces and dressings. Less known is that it's also an ancient remedy to relieve just about any ailment you can think of.

More recently apple cider vinegar has been singled out. It is by far the most helpful. It's sold in both the grocery stores and health supplement boutiques. Many of the uses of apple cider vinegar are unproven, many have medical research backing them up. Some studies have proven that apple cider vinegar can help with diabetes, obesity and arthritis.

What Is Apple Cider Vinegar?

All vinegar comes from fermentation. Femintation is the process in which sugars in a food are broken down by bacteria and yeast. The first stage of fermentation, the sugars are turned into alcohol. If the alcohol ferments further, you get vinegar. Vinegar is French. It means "sour wine." In fact, bottles of wine that have gone bad often get a vinegary taste to them which is quite unpleasant for wine.

Vinegar can be made from all sorts of things. There is fruit vinegar, vegetable vinegar and grain vinegar. Apple Cider vinegar is made from Apple cider.

The main ingredient of any vinegar is acetic acid. vinegars also have other acids, vitamins, mineral salts, and amino acids.

Apple Cider Vinegar: The Cure for Everything

Apple cider vinegar has become well known in the U.S. Even more recently apple cider vinegar pills have become a popular dietary supplement.

Look on the back of a box of supplements or on the Internet. Apple cider vinegar is reported to help treat numerous health conditions. Apple Cider Vinegar is supposed to kill head lice, help slow aging, ease digestion, and wash "toxins" from the body.

Scientific Evidence of Apple Cider Vinegar Benefits
Some medically proven uses of vinegar according studies. Here are some more recent proven studies about all vinegars.

* Diabetes. The effect of vinegar on blood glucose levels is perhaps the best-researched and the most promising of apple cider vinegar's possible health benefits. Several studies have found that vinegar may help lower glucose levels. For instance, one 2007 study of 11 people with type 2 diabetes found that taking two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before bed lowered glucose levels in the morning by 4%-6%.

* High cholesterol. A 2006 study showed evidence that vinegar could lower cholesterol. However, the study was done in rats, so it's too early to know how it might work in people.

* Blood pressure and heart health. Another study in rats found that vinegar could lower high blood pressure. A large epidemiological study also found that people who ate oil and vinegar dressing on salads five to six times a week had lower rates of heart disease than people who didn't. However, it's far from clear that the vinegar was the reason.

* Cancer. A few laboratory studies have found that vinegar may be able to kill cancer cells or slow their growth. Epidemiological studies of people have been confusing. One found that eating vinegar was associated with a decreased risk of esophageal cancer. Another associated it with an increased risk of bladder cancer.

* Weight Loss. For thousands of years, vinegar has been used for weight loss. White vinegar (and perhaps other types) might help people feel full. A 2005 study of 12 people found that those who ate a piece of bread along with small amounts of white vinegar felt fuller and more satisfied than those who just ate the bread.

Most people take two teaspoons a day (mixed in a cup of water or juice.) A tablet of 285 milligrams is another common dosage.

Apple cider vinegar is also sometimes applied to the skin or used in enemas. The safety of these treatments is unknown.