It’s often surprising to find what’s sitting at the back of the kitchen cupboard. An old tin of beans perhaps. A jar of peanut butter bought for the kids one Christmas that got ignored. Apple cider vinegar. Depending on how long they’ve been there, the beans will be fine (they’ll survive a nuclear war) and the peanut butter might need to go. The apple cider vinegar though, now why did you have that?
It’s impossible to say, obviously, I’m not you, I don’t know why you bought it. But don’t throw it out. You might have bought it in search of an interesting new salad dressing and weren’t quite convinced. What you probably didn’t know is that organic apple cider vinegar is said to have some quite remarkable health benefits.
You may not be crazy about the taste, and truth be told, apple cider vinegar is so potent it should always be diluted. But then, you probably didn’t like broccoli too much when you were a kid either, and you know how good that is. You can grow to like these things. Organic apple cider vinegar has been used as a folk remedy for an enormous range of ailments and conditions for centuries. No lesser man than Hippocrates is said to have used it as a daily tonic.
These days, proponents of the acid/alkaline blood balance theory are particularly supportive of apple cider vinegar’s use as a daily tonic as it is said to have an alkalinising effect on the blood. Their theory is that a PH level that is too acidic (as a result of a similarly acidic diet) leads to all manner of negative health effects: anxiety, insomnia, general ill-health. By alkalinising the blood, apple cider vinegar helps maintain general good health all round.
More specifically, studies have shown that organic apple cider vinegar may be helpful in a weight loss program as it can contribute to greater feelings of satiety following a meal, meaning you will be less tempted to over-eat. Perhaps most interestingly of all, it has been shown to lower glucose levels, making it particularly useful for glucose management in diabetics. Specifically, taken with a meal it can lower the post-meal glucose spike that can cause so many problems.
As with all vinegars, apple cider vinegar also benefits from a long shelf-life. It lasts for around 5 or 6 years so before you absent-mindedly throw it in the bin during your annual cupboard clear out, give it a try, and see how it makes you feel.
Bio:
David J Clark is a graduate of the University of Sussex, currently working as a freelance writer, with a particular interest in natural health and organic apple cider vinegar.
