23 Reasons You Should Use Apple Cider Vinegar

Some call it “fermented apple juice,” others call it “woo,” but those of us who know anything about natural health know it's an amazing remedy everyone should have on-hand.

(This post was originally published on Living Whole. It has since been updated and published here.)

Some call it “fermented apple juice,” others call it “woo,” but those of us who know anything about natural health know it's an amazing remedy everyone should have on hand. Despite what you may have been told, apple cider vinegar (ACV) is not a new fad.

It has been around since the time of the Babylonians. In fact, Hippocrates used it in 400 B.C. to treat all sorts of things — from ulcers and sores to coughs and infections. (And let’s face it, the “father of medicine” knew what he was talking about.)

What is apple cider vinegar?

Apple cider vinegar is fermented juice from crushed apples, yeast, and sugar. It is rich in acetic and gallic acids, catechin, epicatechin, vitamins B and C, enzymes, and prebiotics that feed beneficial bacteria in the gut.

Vinegar is formed when yeast ferments natural food sugars into alcohol and acetic acid bacteria convert alcohol to acetic acid. As acetic acid bacteria grow on the surface of liquid and ferments, a “mother” forms. A “mother” is the gunky stuff that floats around in the bottle. It is rich in amino acids, antioxidants, and antimicrobial-rich properties—a clear sign of unpasteurized, high-quality apple cider vinegar.

Even though ACV is acidic, apple cider vinegar leaves an alkaline ash after it is digested and restores the body's pH balance. This is why people hail ACV for all things stomach, digestion, bacterial illness, diarrhea, yeast, and urinary tract infection. 

What is apple cider vinegar used for?

You could showcase a bottle in your kitchen so you look like you’re “in the know,” but I suggest opening the bottle and trying at least one of the 23 things you can use apple cider vinegar for.

1. Gas, upset stomach, and digestive issues
   Take a teaspoon before meals to balance HCL and prevent indigestion, gas, upset stomach, and food-borne illnesses.
   

2. Diarrhea 
   Research shows ACV has antimicrobial properties capable of destroying E. coli bacteria, which can cause food poisoning and are responsible for many cases of diarrhea. To use, mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with a glass of water.
   

3. Foreign Travel / Food Poisoning 
   Put ACV into a travel-size container and take a tablespoon before meals to prevent food poisoning.
   

4. Cold prevention
   Take a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar 1-3 times daily until symptoms disappear or to prevent a cold. When stomach acid is sufficiently acidic, pathogens die. People who drink with ther meals or suppress stomach acid have pH levels that are too alkaline to properly digest their food (causing “acid reflux”) and are at an increased risk of bacteria-related illnesses.