Vinegar is known as a food product – but in reality it has many other uses. The surprises here are the many therapeutic uses. They are excerpted below. You can read the original report, clicking here, where each item fully explained.
Today we know that vinegar, which is traditionally made through a long fermentation process, is rich in bioactive components like acetic acid, gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, caffeic acid, and more, giving it potent antioxidant, antimicrobial, and many other beneficial properties.
Vinegar remains popular around the globe for pickling fruits and vegetables, and it’s also commonly added to condiments and other food dishes for flavor. That being said, vinegar is emerging as a functional food that not only adds interest to your meals… it may also significantly benefit your health. As reported in the Journal of Food Science:2
“Functional therapeutic properties of vinegar… include antibacterial activity, blood pressure reduction, antioxidant activity, reduction in the effects of diabetes, prevention of cardiovascular disease, and increased vigor after exercise.”
Top 10 Therapeutic Effects of Vinegar
1. Antimicrobial Properties
2. Antioxidant Effects
3. Anti-Diabetic Effects
4. Cancer
5. Weight Loss
6. Heart Health
7. Heartburn and Acid Reflux
8. Injuries
9. Brain Health
10. Increased Nutrient Absorption
Look for Murky Vinegar, Not Distilled Vinegar
Distilled white vinegar is excellent for cleaning and laundry, but for health purposes, you’ll want to avoid the perfectly clear, “sparkling clean” varieties you commonly see on grocery store shelves. Instead, you want organic, unfiltered, unprocessed vinegar, which is murky. When you try to look through it, you will notice a cobweb-like substance floating in it. This is known as “mother,” and it indicates your vinegar is of the best quality.
The reason manufacturers distill vinegar is to remove this rather murky looking stuff that most people find unappealing and won’t buy. But in this case, it’s the murky looking stuff you want. As with most foods, the more processed a food is, the less nutritious, and this holds true for most vinegar as well.
How to Safely Consume Vinegar
If you are considering taking it medicinally, however, there are some things to keep in mind:
- Vinegar is highly acidic. The main ingredient is acetic acid, which can taste quite harsh. You should always dilute it with water before swallowing. Pure, straight vinegar could damage your tooth enamel or the tissues of your mouth and throat. (There is, in fact, one reported incident of long-term esophageal damage to a woman who got an apple cider vinegar supplement capsule stuck in her throat.)
- Long-term excessive use could conceivably cause low potassium levels and can adversely affect your bone density.
- Apple cider vinegar could theoretically interact with diuretics, laxatives, and medicines for diabetes and heart disease. If you are under the care of a physician and you want to try a course of apple cider vinegar, talk to your physician first to make sure it won’t interfere with any of the medications you are presently on.
What Else Is Vinegar Good For?
Vinegar is actually one of the best natural agents for removing certain pesticides and bacteria from your fresh produce, for instance. Try a solution of 10 percent vinegar to 90 percent water as a bath to briefly soak produce. Just place your veggies or fruit in the solution, swish it around, and rinse thoroughly (don’t use this process on fragile fruits like berries since they could be damaged in the process or soak up too much vinegar through their porous skins). Additionally:
- Apple cider vinegar has long been used as a natural hair care product. Its acidity is close to that of human hair. It’s a good conditioner and cleaning agent, as well as an effective germ killer.
- Vinegar also has some applications for pets, including cleaning ears, relief of certain skin problems, and combating fleas and ticks.
- Some horse owners claim apple cider vinegar is an excellent natural horse fly spray and horse hoof care product.
- Vinegar is a great, all-around cleaning agent for everything from countertops to windows. Vinegar and water makes an excellent window cleaner, for example, and vinegar combined with hydrogen peroxide works exceptionally well as both a disinfectant and sanitizer.
- Vinegar can also be used to control weeds in your garden. Howard Garrett, also known as The Dirt Doctor, shared his recipe for vinegar-based herbicide (this spray will injure any plant it touches, so use it only on those you want to remove):
Herbicide Formula
- 1 gallon of 10 percent (100 grain) vinegar
- Add 1 ounce orange oil or d-limonene
- Add 1 tablespoon molasses (optional – some say it doesn’t help)
- 1 teaspoon liquid soap or other surfactant (such as Bio Wash)
- Do not add water
article source: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/06/14/vinegar-health-properties.aspx
photo source: Google Images.
