ACV Wins: Reduces Sugar Cravings, GERD, Acne, and Candida
I get asked all the time what I would pick if I had to pick one of the most important things you can do for health. My answer will surprise people. Out of all the herbs, health protocols and superfoods, the thing that will benefit the most people and have the most varied benefits is a hands down winner. Apple cider vinegar wins every time! It’s also very inexpensive!
Are you surprised? You shouldn’t be. Apple cider vinegar has antioxidants, amino acids, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. It’s a fermented food and many doctors (well the good ones anyway) will tell you that if you want to stay healthy long term, you need to eat fermented foods.
Basically, it starts out as apple juice which is full of sugar and then they add flora too it, which eats up the sugar and creates alcohol. It’s further fermented, and the alcohol becomes good stuff like acetic acid. Acetic acid is helpful in the absorption of nutrients like calcium (1) and it kills bad bacteria without harming the good flora. It actually supports the good flora! Acetic acid also helps the first of my four top reasons to use apple cider vinegar. I had to narrow it down because I could go on forever. But here’s my four top uses!
Top 4 Apple Cider Vinegar Uses
1- Regulates Blood Sugar
Do you have sugar cravings? We all do! The only way to get rid of your sugar cravings is to die. Stinks, doesn’t it? But you say, “Doc, you don’t eat white, processed sugars.” Yes, but even healthy sugars can raise your blood sugar levels. You can reduce those craving though by regulating your blood sugar.
Acetic acid helps increase insulin sensitivity and regulates blood sugar. If your blood sugar is regulated, you reduce your sugar cravings. High blood sugar is a concern for everyone not just diabetics. High blood sugar can be a major cause of aging, weight gain, and chronic disease. One study found taking apple cider vinegar before a meal was effective at increasing insulin sensitivity to regulate blood sugar levels in both diabetic and non-diabetic participants. (2) I suggest taking 1-2 tablespoons before each meal to keep your blood sugar stable.
2- Great for Skin Care
Did you know that skin is acidic? It really is. Apple cider vinegar contains numerous acids that combine to help protect and maintain the perfect pH for your skin. Acids like:
- Acetic Acid (it’s back again)
- Malic Acid
- Citric Acid
- Lactic Acid (you’ve seen this in skin care products!)
- And More
Because of these great acids creating the perfect pH, apple cider vinegar is great for reducing acne. Everyone can use it as a face wash or toner just dilute it with 50% water. It contains Vitamin C that helps the body convert and create collagen for tight, toned skin. Because it’s a vasodilator and helps the pH of the skin, it’s also great for healing sunburns.
3- Kills Candida
Remember how we talked about how apple cider vinegar combats bad flora and promotes good flora? Apple cider vinegar has been shown to have anti-fungal properties (3) Take a tablespoon or two every day. This sets up your gastrointestinal tract for success by making sure you don’t have fungus overgrowth in your body- it starts in the stomach! Are you worried about overgrowth? Go take some now. I’ll wait here.
Did it burn? That means you have a fungus overgrowth. Keep going! The apple cider vinegar is doing good things. You are going to feel so much better!
It can be used on the outside of your body for fungus too. Apple cider vinegar is great for combatting athlete’s foot. Soak your feet in apple cider vinegar to get relief!
4- Acid Reflux, Heartburn…. GERD
The majority of the time that nagging heart burn is caused by LOW stomach acid. Don’t go taking those calcium carbonate or other heart burn meds that are going to reduce your stomach acid. Those don’t fix your problem, they just exacerbate the problem.
On the other hand, apple cider vinegar will regulate stomach acid and boost digestive enzymes to improve digestion. This can help eliminate acid reflux and heart burn. Take a swig before each meal and find you won’t need that heart burn relief.
****Bonus Uses****
- Use as a non-toxic cleaner. Mix a spray with half water.
- Helps weight loss
- Effective Deodorant
- Heal poison ivy
- Rinse your hair for shine
- Helps detoxify your body
- Reduces seasonal allergies
- Lowers blood pressure
I could keep going but we also need to talk about shopping for apple cider vinegar. Let’s not waste time.
The Mother Load: Shopping for Apple Cider Vinegar
You want to buy raw, organic apple cider vinegar. That one with the cloudy, spider web looking mass in the middle. It looks gross? No, that’s the good stuff right there. It’s called the mother. That’s all the beneficial bacteria that made your apple cider vinegar the superfood it is. Do you drink that mass? Sure, the strong of heart will drink it- to get all the benefits, but you don’t have to.
The best thing about this food is how many benefits you get for such a low cost. We found a great deal when researching for the warehouse club article. 2 bottles for the cost of one!
Apple Cider Vinegar Wins
Something so simple and easy can make a dramatic change in your health. Its been used for thousands of years with a wide range of benefits that many people can enjoy. Plus, it’s dirt cheap and you don’t need a prescription to easily add this to your diet. Take a swig and add it to your salad dressing to take on some of your health worries. Apple cider vinegar is a clear winner.
Written By Dr. Patrick Flynn