This week my boyfriend caught me gargling with apple cider vinegar. This concoction is a remedy passed down from my mother for when my throat senses a ticklish feeling of a cold coming on. My love asked if apple cider had any bactericidal properties and I realized that despite apple cider being a household staple and a recent natural medicine darling, I really didn’t know its beneficial properties.

Looking into the healing properties of apple cider vinegar put me in great company. Hippocrates recommended the use of vinegars to heal wounds, Cleopatra dissolved pearls in vinegar to create a love potion, and the founder of forensic medicine in China cleansed his hands before and after an autopsy with vinegar. The internet is filled with the plethora of postulated health benefits including anticancer effects, improved circulation, skin cleansing, varicose vein busting, and pH balancing. Here I am for clarity.

apple cider

Antibacterial: Apple cider vinegar has shown to have antibacterial properties. This being said, it is not recommended to clean your wounds with vinegar as Hippocrates once did. At its level of concentration in our kitchens it would not help clean you or your counters of human pathogens. While ear infections have been shown to be susceptible to vinegar therapy the acidity is damaging to surrounding structures. This does give merit to my home remedy, as viral and bacterial pathogens in the upper respiratory tract would likely be susceptible to vinegar. Apple cider vinegar has been used to soothe sore throats and aid in sinus clearance for a long time, and could not hurt.

Impaired Glucose Tolerance/Diabetes: Diabetic rats ingesting food with apple cider vinegar showed significant change in HbA1c. A small study in humans showed that taking a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar at bedtime lowered morning glucose levels by 4-6%. Other human studies have shown decreases in postpradial glucose levels and elevation in post meal insulin levels. The mechanism of this is still unknown.

Cholesterol & Heart health:  Rats made to ingest apple cider vinegar enriched diets also showed significant decrease in low-density lipoprotein (bad) cholesterol as well as an increase in high density lipoprotein (good) cholesterol. This study also showed a significant decrease in triglycerides. Human studies yet to come.

Weight Loss: This is one of the oldest indications for therapeutic use of vinegars. From studies in humans, people who eat vinegar with meals feel fuller and more satisfied more quickly than others. Another study showed that apple cider vinegar actually slows gastric emptying which may be the mechanism that makes us feel full with less food.

Anticancer: Different vinegars have been shown to inhibit growth, if not induce death, of cancer cells in a controlled scientific environment. While anti-tumour factors have not been identified, vinegar is a dietary source of polyphenols which are rich antioxidants. While this research is exciting, human epidemiologic research has shown mixed results.

Folk Lore: Despite having no evidence, health sites and excerpts from natural health books suggest the following likely benefits of apple cider vinegar not yet proven by evidence based medicine

-aiding an upset stomach

-preventing indigestion (if taken before a meal)

-improving skin tone and reducing varicose veins

-whitening teeth

I love apple cider vinegar, I find it flavourful, rejuvenating, and it sure does kill that tickle in my throat! I would encourage everyone to try it! But as with all health recommendations, it is best to use this substance in moderation. Don’t run to buy apple cider vinegar tablets, instead enjoy as an ingredient in meals. Apple cider vinegar has been shown to interact with diuretics, cause hypokalemia, accelerate osteopenia and can lead to hypoglycemia if taken in excessive amounts.

Have a happy and healthy Winter season!

xoA

 

References:

Johnston C, Gaas C. Vinegar: Medicinal Uses and Antiglycemic Affect. edGenMed. 2006; 8(2): 61

Johnston C. Examination of Antiglycemic Effects of Vinegar in Healthy Adults. Ann Nutr Metab. 2010;56(1):74-9.

Ostman E et al. Vinegar Supplementation lowers glucose and insulin response and increases satiety after a bread meal in health subjects. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2005 Sep;59(9):983-8.

Shishenbor F et al. Apple cider Vinegar attenuates lipid profiles in normal and diabetic rats. Pak J Biol Sci. 2008 Dec 1;11(23):2634-8.