Apple Cider Vinegar: The Gateway to Good Health?

Apple cider vinegar has been touted as being beneficial to a number of health problems, from digestion to metabolic disorders. Amazingly, this kitchen store cupboard ingredient can work wonders on your body and health, improving your wellbeing in the process. Doctors have confirmed that you can’t use apple cider vinegar for just any purpose, it can’t actually hurt you and it could be beneficial for some problems. So how can it help? Here are some of the top uses for apple cider vinegar that you may benefit from.

Lowering blood sugar

One of the most researched uses for apple cider vinegar is its use against blood pressure, with many studies proving that it can help to lower high blood pressure when used as a dietary aid. In fact, studies have shown that it can lower blood sugar by as much as 4 to 6 percent in the morning, when taken before meals. Take two tablespoons and wash it down with some water or juice to remove the taste. The you just eat as you normally would. The belief behind this is that apple cider vinegar contains chromium which can affect your insulin levels, which in turn affect your blood sugar levels. Of course, if you suffer with high blood sugar levels you should speak to your GP before trying to self medicate with apple cider vinegar.

Aids digestion

Stomach acid and digestion are connected, and most people don’t make enough of stomach acid – apple cider vinegar can help to balance stomach acid in a healthy way, helping to improve digestion when taken with a meal. This could well help to allow more nutrition to be absorbed from your diet as well.

Assists weight loss

There have been numerous studies to suggest that weight loss and vinegar could be connected, many specifically using apple cider vinegar. While these studies haven’t found any conclusive evidence to support weight loss with consuming vinegar, participants were compelled to consume fewer calories when they’d taken it. Over a period of time, this could benefit weight loss. Of course, as with any weight loss plan, you should top up your efforts with a healthy diet and exercise – the vinegar should be used as an addition to your diet, rather than a cure for all negative habits.

Benefits to acid reflux

It may seem counter-productive to use acid to combat acid reflux, but it does actually work! We are so used to taking antacids or using creamy substances to deal with acid in the throat that we don’t think of using anything else, but apple cider vinegar could really help. With just a few minutes, you’ll notice that the acidic burning sensation dissipates and your symptoms are gone. It’s also a lot cheaper than buying costly medications to combat it. You simply need to take a few tablespoons and wash it down with a glass of water, then wait and allow the acid to dissolve.

As with any new addition to your diet, you should speak to your GP before taking anything. Although there have been many studies as to the benefit of apple cider vinegar, there have been no conclusive results to ascertain how effective it can be. There can be some benefit to this humble ingredient though, which you should try if you’re suffering with any of the above afflictions. Naturally, if you don’t see results from these remedies and are still suffering with your symptoms, you should seek further advice from your GP in order to resolve the issue.

Categories: acid reflux, apple cider, apple cider vinegar, blood pressure, Blood Sugar, cider vinegar, diet, health concerns, high blood, stomach acid, sugar levels, Weight Loss

Natural Health:The What,How and Why of Apple Cider Vinegar

America isn’t really known for it’s ancient wellness practises, but one remedy has really stood the test of time: apple cider vinegar (ACV). From an aid to weight loss to providing heart burn relief, ACV has a range of uses that can truly benefit your wellbeing.

 

Before we go any further, the ACV we’re talking about here isn’t the translucent orange stuff you see on supermarket shelves; it’s organic, raw, unfiltered ACV. You’re looking for a variety that hasn’t been pasteurised and has a cloudy mass settling on the top and the bottom of the bottle (which is known as “the mother”). It’s really up to you as to how you take it, but a good, basic regimen to follow is to add two tablespoons of ACV to an eight-ounce glass of water, and have one of these mixtures three times a day. Some people add honey to taste, as the vinegar obviously makes it quite bitter, while others prefer to put the ACV into a shot glass, and chug it down with a tall 16oz glass of water right behind it.

 

A lot of the evidence as to the efficacy of ACV is anecdotal, so it would be remiss of us not to include some top tips from ACV users. Amy from Hartford, Connecticut, details, ‘I was on prescribed allergy medicine for 17 years. I started the honey and ACV mixed with water three years ago and rarely even have to take an over the counter allergy pill. It takes about four to six days of taking it twice a day to build up in my system, and then I usually only have to take it once a day. I’m a massage therapist and I recommend it to all of my clients who come in with allergies, many of them have become faithful to the ACV too. So glad someone told me about it!’ Shawn from Boulder notes, ‘Mixed with ginger ale and white grape juice, ACV tastes terrific. Very similar in taste to Kombouchu tea.’

 

According to John from Caledon, Ontario, ‘Apple cider vinegar is easiest to palate when mixed with apple juice. It tastes like apple cider, plus you get the numerous antioxidant and natural benefits from the apple juice.’ However, Lara from Milwaukee, Wisconsin writes, ‘I took Apple Cider Vinegar with a shot glass of Welches Grape Juice. It tastes a lot like wine to me this way. Much easier to take this way. I have a lot more energy already and I have only been taking it a few days.’ Lisa from West Plains, Missouri comments, ‘I like the benefits I’m having since I’ve started taking ACV. But I did not like the taste and surely I’m not alone. I tried it with mango tea and one spoonful of the vinegar and an equal amount of honey. It tastes wonderful. I drink it at least four times a day. It’s that good. Lipton tea has mango and I’m sure other brands will work.’

 

So that’s the what and the how, but why should you take ACV? The benefits include:

• Getting rid of acid reflux


• Reducing allergy symptoms


• Lowering your blood pressure


• Rebalancing your body’s pH factor, which helps prevent colds


• Preventing migraines


• Stopping night-time leg spasms


• Lessening gout and arthritis symptoms


• Avoiding food poisoning


• Preventing yeast and fungal infections (Strong ACV can actually cause a yeast infection, so be careful and start slow)


• Natural detox


• Energy


• B Vitamins


• Healthy shiny hair, and a glowing complexion

Categories: acid reflux, Apple, apple cider, apple cider vinegar, apple juice, cider, cider vinegar, detox, grape juice, shot glass, Tastes, Vinegar

Oesophagitis - It"s More Common Than You Think

Have you ever eaten a meal and then felt a burning sensation in your throat later in the evening? You may have been suffering with acid reflux – this is when the acid from the stomach rises up into your gullet and leads to heartburn. This problem can be spurred on by certain foods, such as chocolate or spicy foods, and is usually treated with medication to reduce the amount of acid produced by the stomach. However, some people require long-term daily treatment to keep the symptoms at bay. When we eat, food passes down the oesophagus into the stomach, and the cells in the lining of this organ works with other chemicals to digest the food. There are also cells which line the oesophagus but these offer little protection against the acid from the stomach. The circular band of muscle which acts as a junction between the gullet and the stomach is known as the sphincter and this usually tightens and stops food and acid from leaking upwards. However, this doesn’t always work effectively which means that some acid can leak into the gullet and cause discomfort.

Acid reflux refers to the problem of stomach acid leaking into the gullet, whereas oesophagitis refers to the inflammation of the lining of the oesophagus. Usually, this is due to the reflux of stomach acid which irritates the lining and leads to a burning sensation. The lining of your gullet will withstand a certain amount of acid, but this amount will vary with different people and some are more sensitive than others. The general term for this condition is known as gastro-oesophagul reflux disease, which is the term used for the symptoms of acid reflux, with or without the oesophagul symptoms. Your symptoms will vary, depending on how sensitive you are, but you may suffer from heartburn as this is the most common symptom. This is a burning sensation which emanates from the upper stomach and lower chest up to the neck. Other symptoms include an acidic taste in the mouth, feeling sick, bloating, indigestion, a burning sensation when you swallow hot drinks and pain in the stomach and chest. More rare symptoms include a persistent cough, gum problems, bad breath, wheezing and feeling a lump in your throat. Regular heartburn is common in people who drink alcohol regularly or smoke, as well as those aged between 35 and 64 years old.

 

If you have the typical symptoms, its rare for your GP to need to run a test – they can usually tell by your description of your symptoms. In the rare case that you will need a test, the usual port of call will be a gastroscopy which is a thin telescope which is passed down the oesophagus into the stomach to allow the doctor to look at the lining of the stomach. Other tests include a chest x-ray or a heart tracing, but these aren’t typical and are only needed when traditional treatment doesn’t work.

 

You can reduce the risk of developing this problem by giving up smoking, avoiding spicy and sugary foods or any meals which bring the problem on, losing weight if you are overweight, and improving your posture. If you have this problem regularly, it may be worth keeping note of your symptoms so that you can tell your doctor in more detail what is causing the issue. They will then be able to advise ways to reduce the symptoms, as well as prescribing medication to stave off the acidic irritation.

Categories: acid reflux, digestion, Oesophagitis, Symptoms