Reasons Why Apple Cider Vinegar Is So Good For You
When it comes to the natural health community, apple cider is most likely the most popular type of vinegar and for good reason! This vinegar has been known to offer many health benefits to us which is why it’s become so popular.
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) can be incorporated into your diet in many ways. Some use it mixed into a salad dressing recipe, some cook with it, while others (known as the brave) take straight-up shots of this tart vinegar! For those that cannot brave the flavor and zing of the vinegar, there are ACV capsules that can help you consume it’s health benefits without actually having to taste much of it. So let’s find out what all the rave is about, and discover 12 reasons why it is SO good for you.
1. Promotes Weight loss
There is no magic pill for weight loss and it does take time and effort but there are ways to help promote it and push it along. Apple cider vinegar happens to be one of those things that can help push it along. While there is one study that says ACV can help burn fat it hasn’t been researched too fully.
More important ACV can help promote weight loss because it can improve your satiety. When we are satisfied and feel full for longer we are less tempted to eat when we don’t need to and can make us consume fewer calories overall. Many sources recommend that you take a tablespoon or two of ACV with at least 16 ounces of water.
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2. Reduce Risk of Chronic Disease
Apple cider vinegar, as well as all types of vinegar, are a rich source of polyphenols. However, apple cider vinegar happens to have the most polyphenols out of all kinds of vinegar. They naturally occur in vinegar because of the fermentation process vinegar has to go through.
Now you might be asking yourself, why do we even need polyphenols? Well, we need them because they can help treat many issues like digestion and weight management. But more importantly, can help decrease free radical exposure. Free radicals can be created in our bodies through normal metabolic functions, but can also be introduced from environmental factors such as pollution. Long exposure of too much free radicals could lead to chronic diseases such as a stroke or cancer. Due to this, apple cider vinegar might not be able to prevent chronic disease like cancer, but it could help lower the risk of it.
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3. Relieve Leg Cramps
One of the worst feelings is waking up in the middle of the night to a leg cramp, also known as a “Charlie horse”! These muscle spasms can cause complete agony that can seriously disrupt your important sleep time. If you suffer from frequent leg cramps at night or during the day, could be a sign that you don’t have enough potassium in your diet.
Apple cider vinegar happens to be very high in potassium making it a great natural remedy for leg cramps. You could drink it by the spoonful, but if that isn’t appetizing to you considering mixing it with warm water and honey to drink before bed.
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4. Helps Fade Aging Spots
The not so fun reality of aging is all the side effects that come along with it. Like sagging skin, wrinkled skin and even age spots. Once the early signs of aging start, we tend to lean to beauty products to try help reverse the effects. But at what cost?
Unfortunately, there are no permanent reverse remedies out there unless you want to revert to medical cosmetic interventions. However, there are some natural remedies that might just work, and apple cider vinegar just might do the trick for you. If you’re looking to help fade your age spots, try mixing equal parts apple cider vinegar to water, dip a cotton ball into the mixture and dap onto your age spots and let it soak in. If your skin reacts well you can leave it on for up to 15 minutes before you rinse it off. Apple cider vinegar helps our skin stay fresh, firm and helps it renew itself.
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5. Ease Digestion
The digestive system can be a sensitive little thing. Especially for those who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, experience constipation and or bloating. Apple cider vinegar can help ease digestion as well. ACV can actually stimulate digestive juices that help our bodies break down the foods we eat.
When it comes to digesting food another annoying side effect that many often experience is heartburn. Some experts recommend that taking 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar with a glass of water can help relieve symptoms of heartburn instantly. Furthermore, if you think you’re about to indulge in a food that you might regret later, consider having apple cider vinegar before your meal too.
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6. Gets Rid of Dandruff
Dandruff can be an utter annoyance. Not only can it cause an itchy scalp but for those with severe cases often end up with flaky, dead skin all over their clothing. Embarrassing, and for many this may be a serious social nightmare, so no more black clothes for you!
While there are many over the counter shampoos to remedy dandruff, you could try apple cider vinegar. ACV benefits our bodies but it can benefit our skin too, after all, our skin is our largest organ. The acidity that is in apple cider vinegar can help change the pH of our scalp which makes it more difficult for yeast to grow. You can spray an equal parts ACV to water mixture on your head, wrap your hair in a towel and let it sit up to an hour. Then shampoo as normal. Some sources recommend that you do this process twice a week for optimal results.
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7. Helps Clear Acne
Face it, we fork out a lot of money for skin care. We do it because we want to feel good about ourselves and that often starts with the appearance of our skin. Apple cider vinegar makes a great skin toner to help even your complexion. It can leave the skin looking healthy and is very inexpensive.
Furthermore, apple cider vinegar has antibacterial properties to help reign in your acne problem and keep it under control. Two acids found in apple cider vinegar, malic and lactic can help soften and exfoliate our skin and in result reduce red spots and then balance the pH of our skin. Before you fork out money on expensive skin care products, give apple cider vinegar a try!
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8. Helps Control Blood Sugar
Signs that your blood sugar is out of whack could be blurred vision, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, increased heart rate along with several other leading signs. This can be a common occurrence for someone who has diabetes and they will know all too well how important it is to keep your blood sugar levels in check.
Several studies have shown that apple cider vinegar could help balance blood sugar levels. However, it is always important to consult your doctor to ensure this is the right method for you. Depending on your condition, medical treatments may be necessary to ease symptoms and get your health back on track.
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9. Detox The Liver
As we learned earlier, apple cider vinegar can help balance the pH levels in our body and skin but it can also promote healthy detoxification of our liver. This may be heavily important after a weekend with too much wine (if you know what I mean)!
Having some apple cider vinegar on hand after a fun night can definitely be beneficial.
Further, apple cider vinegar can help remove harmful environmental toxins in our bodies, as we learned earlier as well, but it can also remove toxins from the liver. It helps by promoting circulation and flushes out toxins to improve the natural blood filtration process.
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10. Energy Booster
When we’re feeling the afternoon slump, we often always reach for a cup of coffee or an energy drink to help give us a boost in energy. Since so many other energy-boosting beverages aren’t always good for us, it’s may be a good idea to seek a healthier alternative. Apple cider vinegar could just be the healthy energy-boost you’re looking for!
Fatigue is often caused by lactic acid which builds up in our bodies, often a result of extreme stress. However, apple cider vinegar contains amino acids which are the antidote. ACV also contains enzymes and potassium that has been shown to help relieve tiredness. So the next time fatigue creeps up on you, try adding apple cider vinegar to some water for a healthy energy booster.
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11. Alleviate A Sore Throat
I don’t think anyone enjoys the early signs of a sore throat. It’s an awful feeling to wake up to feeling that prickle in the back of your throat that’s warning you that a sore throat is on its way.
The next time you feel a sore throat coming on you might want to try using apple cider vinegar to help relieve it and put it to a stop. ACV is an awesome natural germ fighter! A lot of germs can’t survive an acidic environment which is why it is great for sore throats. Mix it with warm water and gargle several times a day to help alleviate your sore throat.
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12. Kills Bad Breath
Bad breath can bring on some embarrassing moments that nobody wants to experience! While oral health is important for healthy teeth and gums, it’s also key to helping fend off bad breath.
If regular and thorough teeth brushing and mouth washing just isn’t working well enough for you, then you might want to try apple cider vinegar. As we learned previously, ACV can help kill off unwanted bacteria. The root cause of a lot chronic bad breath is from odor-causing bacteria. So you might want to gargle a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar with water before your next important meeting.
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