Apple Cider Vinegar: 13 Uses For It That Will Change Your Life

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Of all the well-touted natural health remedies that exist today, very few are followed quite as religiously as taking a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar every day.

Apple cider vinegar has been hailed as a cure-all supplement, from allergy relief to weight loss.

Anywhere you look, you can find people who believe that drinking apple cider vinegar has helped them.

With all the benefits, it’s hard to figure out what ACV is not good for.

What exactly are the benefits of apple cider vinegar?

Weight Loss

The idea that apple cider vinegar somehow “speeds up fat loss is altogether a myth.”

There is no evidence to suggest that apple cider vinegar can affect metabolism, which is the way an individual breaks down food and burns calories.

Appetite Suppression

A 2006 study found that people who took doses of vinegar while eating bread reported feeling more full than people who ate bread alone.

While this study has been cited by those who believe in the health benefits of apple cider vinegar, it is important to note that it only tested 12 individuals, and the authors concluded that much more research was needed before firm conclusions could be drawn.

This study did not suggest that the way these people burned calories was affected.

Detox Bath

Use ACV in your bath. Add ½- 1 cup to your bath water along with Epsom salts and lavender essential oil for a relaxing and detoxifying bath.

Hiccups Be Gone!

I like using apple cider vinegar to get rid of hiccups—the sour taste of a straight teaspoon can stop hiccups.

Exercise Exhaustion (Recover Faster)

Beat exercise exhaustion—lactic acid buildup in the body causes fatigue, while the amino acids in ACV act as an antidote.

Add a tablespoon to a glass of water after a workout.

Skin Tag Removal

People have been using vinegar as a natural remedy for centuries. Its acidic properties are thought to protect against infection, sterilize wounds, and preserve food. More recently, apple cider vinegar has become the vinegar of choice for everything from treating colds to promoting weight loss.

Some people believe that the acetic acid in apple cider vinegar can help to break down the tissue surrounding skin tags, causing them to eventually fall off.

Hair Detangler/Restorer

Create shiny, untangled hair by adding 1/3 cup ACV to 4 cups of water and pouring it over your hair after shampooing.

Leave it on for a few seconds and rinse with cold water.

Clear Sinuses

Since breaking up mucus is one of apple cider vinegar’s many talents, it also helps clear out the sinuses.

Since it’s antibacterial, it can also prevent a sinus infection or cold as well. Sip some water and apple cider vinegar to breathe a little easier.

Wart Remover

Over-the-counter wart removers are anything but natural. A trip to the doctor to remove it can be scary, painful, and leave a scar.

Instead, soak a cotton ball in apple cider vinegar and cover the wart.

Leave it covered overnight (I use a bandaid or medical tape) and repeat every night until the wart falls right off.

Energy Boost

Don’t reach for a chemical-filled energy drink if you’re feeling tired. Instead, grab a bottle of apple cider vinegar for an energy boost.

The potassium and enzymes in apple cider vinegar help to give you a pick me up. Just add some ACV to a glass of water.

I like adding it to my water during a workout to prevent fatigue.

The amino acids in apple cider vinegar combat lactic acid build-up that can happen after exercise.

Lowering Cholesterol Levels

A successful study was done on rats but has yet to be replicated in humans.

The study found that rats on a diet with an acetic acid supplement had lower cholesterol levels than rats without the acetic acid supplement.

Acetic acid is one of the ingredients in apple cider vinegar and many other kinds of vinegar.

For those who believe in the health benefits of apple cider vinegar, this study is promising.

But there are other things to consider before assuming that the findings will be true in humans — primarily that there are key differences between the metabolism of rats and humans.

The study authors recommend that the next trial be on hamsters, which break down fat in a way that is more similar to humans.

Diabetes Management

A few studies have found that apple cider vinegar helped in the management of diabetes; however, these studies are also limited by their small size.

One study, which found that taking vinegar at bedtime reduces blood sugar levels the next morning in people with type 2 diabetes, examined only 11 people.

Another study found that taking cider vinegar might have some effect on insulin sensitivity in some diabetes patients, but that research, too, was limited by the small number of people being studied.

Hair Restorer

Apple cider vinegar has long been used as a natural hair care product to promote healthy hair in both men and women.

Its acidity is close to that of natural hair, it’s a good conditioner and cleaning agent and it’s also an effective germ killer.

As a result, apple cider vinegar uses and benefits for the hair include:

  • Vinegar hair rinse
  • Hair Herbal rinse
  • Essential oil vinegar hair rinse
  • Dandruff and itchy scalp relief
  • Natural hair loss treatment
  • Home Remedy for head lice

Teeth Whitener

  • Yellow teeth are no match for apple cider vinegar.
  • For stubborn stains, rub apple cider vinegar directly on your teeth then rinse with water.
  • Be careful not to do this too often, as it can break down tooth enamel.
  • For a less abrasive whitening mouthwash, mix one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar with a cup of water, then swish around in your mouth.

Researchers are still involved in new studies about apple cider vinegar which may soon offer more information on how this really works. (Source:  BlackDoctor.org