Apple Cider: The Wonder Liquid

Bragg.com

I hadn't even a clue what apple cider vinegar was 'till my mom brought it home from the grocery store. "What's this?" and I took a swig. Horrible idea considering it's strength and bitter flavor. I felt that burn travel down my esophagus and into my stomach. My brother took a swig and had it go down his trachea a bit; 'couldn't breath for about 20 seconds. Wheezing for the next 5 minutes. Scary stuff.

Yet as horrible as this poison flavored liquid sounds it's relatively beneficial for your health. I take two tablespoons a day. Diluted in water. And not all at one time.

1. It's a nice source of potassium and iron. We all know iron is good for you and chances are you're not getting enough of it. It's good for your hair and skin. A lack of iron will cause you to become fatigued as well. In essence, the iron in ACV (that's what I'm calling the vinegar for the rest of the post.) will help you feel a little energized. And for potassium, well, you'd be dead if you didn't have any so I think it's safe to say you should have a good source of potassium. Potassium helps maintain important organ functions and can help protect your heart and brain in it's ability to aid in lowering blood pressure (mass.gov | webMD.com - iron | webMD.com - potassium).

2. Weight loss. Yeah, maybe. It has many characteristics that aid in weight loss such as its acetic acid which helps boost your metabolism; however, it is not a quick fix. Instead it would be a great addition to a current diet or an already healthy lifestyle (rd.com | webMD.com).

3. It's good for your dog. What? Yes, I happened upon this article by the Bragg brand. It's got some good minerals for you pooch and can be beneficial to their skin: it can help with bugs (fleas and ticks) and can help give them smooth skin. It can also help you get smooth skin too if you choose to use it as a vinegar facial (yes, those exist) (Bragg.com).

4. It gets you in the mood. Not that mood. I know what you were thinking. In a chain reaction, ACV helps break down proteins into amino acids which help create tryptophan which then stimulates the release of serotonin: the happy hormone. Okay, it's not a hormone. It's a neurotransmitter but I was that desperate for the alliteration. Anyway, serotonin helps you feel relaxed which can aid in depression and anxiety (health.usnews.com).

5. Good for diabetics. This is an important one for me since diabetes has a bad habit of showing up in my family. ACV has an apparent anti-glycemic characteristic which helps lower blood sugar. Though it doesn't block 100%, ACV can block much of the digesting starch which could increase your blood sugar. Do remember, though, that vinegar is highly acidic and adding this to your diet can increase the level of acids in your body (webMD.com).

It wasn't until after I finished reading several articles on webMD that I found the warning "Don't drink it straight. It’s so acidic that it could harm your tooth enamel and your esophagus."