What Is Vinegar?
You can easily find apple cider vinegar in your local grocery store in its raw, organic, unfiltered state. This seemingly simplistic salad-dressing ingredient was perfectly packaged for purchase via a careful and concise production process few know anything about. Vinegar is the result of the natural sugars within carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, or grains) being broken down by yeast and bacteria and turned into alcohol. The alcohol then undergoes a second fermentation process and voila! Vinegar. The word “vinegar” is actually a literal French translation of the term for “sour wine,” referring to the final product of the fermentation process.

While a wide variety of foods can be used to create this potent concoction, the nutritious and delicious apple is of course the main ingredient used to develop apple cider vinegar. Aside from apple cider vinegar, you can also find a wide variety of other vinegars, such as wine vinegars, rice vinegars, and coconut vinegars.

The Special Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar
The beauty of the apple cider vinegar production process is that the amazing health benefits of apples remain intact. The key is to buy raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar—that’s the kind that’s cloudy. Because of the careful process by which raw, undiluted apple cider vinegar is created, the essential nutrients that are so sought after remain intact and unadulterated. Apples are packed with vitamins and minerals, which give ACV its myriad health benefits, Here are the minerals present and their health benefits:

Potassium: muscle contraction, nerve impulses, and energy production
Calcium: important for bone health
Copper: nerve functioning, bone maintenance, proper utilization of glucose @ Iron: transport of oxygen, blood health
Chromium: regulating blood glucose
Magnesium: synthesis of proteins, cellular energy production
Manganese: formation and maintenance of bone, carbohydrate metabolism W Selenium: antioxidant properties, fat metabolism
Sodium: maintains proper fluid balance
Zinc: promotes healing
Phosphorous: proper cell functioning, strong bones

In addition to that impressive list of minerals, there are also a number of essential vitamins found in ACV:

Vitamin A: eye health, powerful antioxidant
Vitamin C: immune system functioning, powerful antioxidant
Vitamin E: skin, nerve health; powerful antioxidant
Vitamin B: nervous system functioning, digestive health, muscle health
Vitamin B: promotes healthy skin, hair, and nails; aids in breakdown of proteins, carbs, and fats
Vitamin B: red blood cell formation, proper nerve cell functioning
Vitamin B: alleviates skin conditions and nerve damage, assists in utilization of proteins, carbs, and fats |

Apples (and apple cider vinegar) also contain pectin, which has been shown to aid in digestion. That’s how ACV is able to act as a cleansing agent and assist the colon in ridding the body of toxins and waste that have built up over time. The pectin in ACV forms a gel-like substance that makes debris easier to move in the digestive system so it gets carried away . . . naturally.

The “Mother” in Apple Cider Vinegar If the long list of vitamins and minerals wasn’t enough to impress, apple cider vinegar also contains the all-powerful “mother.” “Mother” is the cobweb-like or sediment-like substance that can be seen floating in the unfiltered varieties of ACV. The mother contains the concentrated bacteria and enzymes that give ACV the antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial healing powers for which it has become so famous. While some people may be caught off-guard by the sediment in their ACV bottles, this element is the result of the specific processing that retains the nutrients and enzymes of the apples throughout the fermentation process that provides the healing powers unique to ACV.

Are ACV Supplements Just as Beneficial?
You can also find ACV in supplement form in the vitamin aisle at your local pharmacy. While the supplement companies who produce this product claim that the benefits are the same as using ACV in its natural state, there is little research corroborating that. The truth is that while supplement manufacturers claim the potency of their products to be true, there is no real way of knowing what each tablet contains, how it’s made, or the safety of consuming it. (Unlike medicines, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn’t regulate supplements.)

On the contrary, liquid ACV is produced by reputable companies who have been in the business of ACV production for years and are fervent advocates of their product’s safety and effectiveness. While it may seem easier to swallow a tablet, the dangers of the supplement version are proven; in one specific case, a consumer suffered serious esophageal damage when an apple cider vinegar tablet became stuck in her throat. The acidic foundation of ACV makes a supplement potentially harmful. When you dilute the liquid form, youre eliminating that hazard.

A Few Caveats
After reading about the amazing benefits of apple cider vinegar, you’re probably eager to start using it. But, before you rush out to grab this miracle product, there are a few things to consider,

Talk with your doctor first. Before you begin using any new health product or start a new health regimen, consult your physician to ensure that there are no risks of that product interfering with current medications, agitating current illnesses, or posing a health risk in any way.

Always dilute it. Because of its high acidity, ACV should never be consumed straight or without dilution to avoid damage to tooth enamel and tissues within the mouth, esophagus, and stomach.

Diabetics, take note! Research suggests that chromium can alter insulin levels. People with diabetes should seek approval from their physician prior to using ACV.

Check bone density. Those who suffer from osteoporosis or already experience low potassium levels should also consult their physicians prior to consuming ACV to ensure that the health benefits of an ACV regimen outweigh any risks.

While most people will never experience any type of harmful side effects by using recommended amounts of ACV, it is important to know the risks . . . and recognize that there are still far fewer than many of the seemingly harmless products and medications on the market today.

Why Haven’t | Heard of This Before?!
If you’ve never heard of apple cider vinegar being used for home remedies, you’re not alone. ACV is not a heavily promoted product. There are no major marketing strategies pushing the public to run out to purchase bottles of ACV to cure what ails them. Instead, products that contain potentially harmful elements, produce undesirable side effects, or cost an exorbitant amount of money grace the magazine pages, radio ads, and television commercials we see and hear every day. Competing with these heavily marketed products, though, ACV’s all-natural cureall reputation has been enough to allow this product to stay available, remain inexpensive, and actually grow in popularity over the years.

It’s time for you to join the millions of people who have experienced the power and are enjoying the benefits of apple cider vinegar, and see for yourself how much you can change your life… one drop of ACV at a time!