Why Is Apple Cider Vinegar Good for You? Which Brand Works Best?
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Tons of people use apple cider vinegar on the day-to-day in order to stay healthy. The use of vinegar medically has been going on for hundreds of years. This long-lasting reputation is actually backed by science. This isn’t just another diet trend—it can really lead to health benefits.
Why is apple cider vinegar good for you?
In order to know the answer to this question, you also need to understand what it is. Apple cider vinegar is a juice that comes from crushed apples, which is then combined with bacteria and yeast and then fermented. This is similar to how all other kinds of vinegar are made.
There are many health benefits to apple cider vinegar, especially when you drink it. It has tons of antioxidants and vitamin C, which can help boost your immune system and other bodily functions.
This is especially true if the vinegar is organic, raw, and unfiltered. It needs to be unprocessed and have the live bacteria in it to make the benefits to kick in.
For example, here are a few distinct reasons to drink apple cider vinegar:
1. It lowers blood sugar
While the most famous reason to drink the vinegar is for weight loss, it is definitely not proven to be a miracle weight loss product.
The one proven element to its dietary benefits is that the fermented apple juice lowers blood sugar. This is an important property of the liquid because it comes in handy for diabetic people.
While it lowers blood sugar to varying extents in different people, it definitely does so according to a 2006 study done by Carol S. Johnston, Ph.D., RD and Cindy A. Gaas, BS.
People with type 2 diabetes could potentially benefit from apple cider vinegar because it can help with their insulin resistance. Other people might see a weight loss effect from this property because it could help regulate digestion and therefore, weight.
2. It has natural anti-infective properties
Because of the vinegar’s antimicrobial properties, it can help prevent infections, especially in the skin. While some websites list apple cider vinegar as a potential house cleaner, it is more beneficial to use on the skin when infected.
You can also drink it in order to maintain healthy-looking skin, which uses this property in a different way.
While it can definitely prevent and heal infections on the outside of the body, it does not help prevent internal infections like E.coli. However, it might help lower the risk of other infections internally. This could be related to its high levels of antioxidants and vitamin C.
3. It can reduce cancer risk
Based on actual scientific data, apple cider vinegar can reduce cancer risk. This is due to both the high level of antioxidants and polyphenols in the vinegar that can protect the body from cancer-causing stressors.
Not to mention, the acidity in vinegar gives it antitumor properties. Studies show tumors that shrunk as well as had delayed growth in mice based on the use of apple cider vinegar. This presents enough evidence to believe the product has a significant impact on cancer-related illness. Although, as of now, this is mainly true in mice.
4. It lowers blood pressure
Because of the properties in apple cider vinegar, it has reduced systolic blood pressure in studies done on rats. While this may not reflect in exactly the same way in humans, it is an interesting finding.
The cholesterol in rats definitely decreased based on their diet, which could potentially lead to a dietary addition for humans in order to help reduce the risk of heart disease. More studies have to be done to see if this can apply to humans as significantly as it did to rats, though.
All of these benefits have some data to back it up, which is enough to make people drink it for both preventative and remedial reasons.
Which brand is the best to buy?
Almost all websites recommend Bragg’s apple cider vinegar. It can be found in most local grocery stores and it is “Organic, Raw, Unfiltered, with the ‘Mother’ (Naturally Gluten Free – Certified Non-GMO).”
Because Bragg’s product contains the Mother of Vinegar, it is more likely to help with the health benefits listed above. These live bacteria cultures make it the most effective.
See their brochure for recipe ideas and more information about how to use it in your daily life. Usually, 1-2 Tablespoons is recommended per day. It’s easiest to drink a Tablespoon of it in a glass of water with a sweetener of your choice.
Interestingly enough, this acidic drink can promote a healthy lifestyle and even more importantly, a healthy body.