Old wives’ tales have credited apple cider vinegar with everything from curing warts to making your hair shiny. Now there’s increased evidence that adding some ACV to your diet does have health benefits. Note: Some studies report similar benefits from rice or wine vinegar, but not with balsamic.

Losing Weight: ACV acts as an appetite suppressor

ACV makes you eat less by producing a feeling of satiety sooner. In a study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, subjects who ate bread with vinegar felt significantly fuller than their counterparts who were fed only bread. The more acetic acid (the primary constituent of vinegar) the participants ingested, the fuller they were. A study by Arizona State University confirmed that apple cider vinegar aids weight loss. For one month, one group was given four tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and the other a placebo. The group consuming vinegar had lost weight by the end of the trial. Those taking a placebo stayed a constant weight.

There is some evidence that ACV stimulates your metabolism and makes you burn fat faster. It contains a lot of organic acids and enzymes that speed up your metabolism and increase the rate at which body fat is burnt. There aren’t many human studies that would support this explanation. A Japanese study published in 2009 observed the effects of acetic acid on rats that were fed a diet high in fats. The scientist concluded that the consumption of acetic acid suppressed fat accumulation.

ACV also prevents uncontrollable sugar spikes and crashes that make you want to nibble between meals. When your blood sugar is stable, it’s much easier to stick to your diet and eat only when your body needs it.

ACV for Controlling or Preventing Type II Diabetes:

From www.webmd.com we read: ACV does appear to help with diabetes and blood sugar control. Carol Johnston, PhD, directs Arizona State University’s nutrition program. She has been studying apple cider vinegar for more than 10 years and believes its effects on blood sugar are similar to certain medications. (Metformin)

“Apple cider vinegar’s anti-glycemic effect is very well documented,” Johnston says.

She explains that the vinegar blocks some of the digestion of starch. “It doesn’t block the starch 100%, but it definitely prevents at least some of that starch from being digested and raising your blood sugar,” Johnston says.

ACV Lowers Cholesterol:

Low density level (LDL) cholesterol, also known as “bad” cholesterol builds up in your arteries and puts you at risk for developing heart disease, hypertension, and other serious conditions. In a 2006 study, researchers concluded that the acetic acid in apple cider vinegar lowers bad cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels in rats. Mizkan, a Japanese condiment manufacturer, conducted their own tests and found that 15 milliliters (about 0.5 fluid ounces) of apple cider vinegar daily reduces blood cholesterol levels in humans. ACV has Antibacterial and Antifungal properties:

An effective way to help eliminate a sore throat is to gargle with apple cider vinegar. The bacteria in the throat causing pain do not like the strong acid content of apple cider vinegar, which means they will die off in a hurry when you gargle with this. Use about two ounces of apple cider vinegar and two ounces of warm water and gargle once per hour for throat pain relief. If you have a cold as well, ACV has also been shown to reduce mucous and congestion.

ACV has been used to effectively treat acne and skin fungus, including athletes foot and toe fungus. It is believed that the acidity changes the Ph of the skin to create an “un-friendly” environment to many topical fungi. For the same reason, vinegar really may eliminate dandruff and make your hair shinier — just like our grandmothers told us!

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