Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) has been traced as far back as ancient Egypt and it doesn’t look like its popularity will be waning any time soon. It is one of the most versatile products you could add to your pantry. The many health benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar make it the perfect partner for weight-Loss and good health.

Traditional uses of ACV are almost limitless! To name just a few… ACV has been used to ease digestion, aid in flu prevention, reduce inflammation, regulate pH balance, ease nausea and heartburn, as a staple in detox regimens, and for a number of skin conditions—including reducing acne and smoothing wrinkles!

What is ACV?

Raw, organic ACV is made from organic apples and undergoes a double fermentation process, which produces enzymes and preserves its health-promoting characteristics.  Any and all vinegar is a product of fermentation. This is the process when sugars in foods like fruits and grains (in this case, pulverized apples) are broken down by bacteria and yeast and turn into alcohol. When the alcohol ferments further, it turns into vinegar.

What Should You Look For?

Raw organic apple cider vinegar truly is nature’s perfect miracle food—and should never be confused with regular clear vinegar. Clear vinegar has none of the health properties of ACV and can actually be harmful.

When buying ACV you always, ALWAYS want to look for natural, unfiltered or raw ACV. It will have a rich, brownish color and be cloudy. When held to the light, you might be able to see a tiny, cobweb-like substance. This is called the ‘mother’. It is connected protein molecules that form into strand-like enzymes. The mother is key because it holds all the nutrients.

What Can ACV Be Used For?

As mentioned, ACV has a myriad of health benefits. Even Hippocrates, the founder of modern medicine, used vinegars as a healing elixir for many different ailments. ACV may be used to:

• Expedite weight loss
• Reduce water retention
• Ease sore throats
• Improve digestion
• Strengthen the immune system
• Increase metabolisms
• Fight allergies
• Improve Skin Conditions

Those are just a few of the health benefits of ingesting ACV. It can also be used on the skin to ease sunburns and insect bites, as well as preventing dandruff.

How Does It Work?

ACV contains vitamins like B1, B2, B6 and C and minerals such as potassium, magnesium and iron. The high nutritional content pared with the main ingredient, acetic acid, and a low pH is the combination for good health. As we age, our stomachs become less acidic. Add that with a poor diet and our bodies have to work harder to digest food. This leads to gas, bloating, fatigue, anemia, constipation and a host of other ailments. The acetic acid in ACV promotes digestion and the elimination of toxins in the body. By using ACV everyday you can ease constipation and water retention while increasing the absorption of nutrients.

Tips for Consumption

At SlimGenics Direct, we recommend  two tablespoons per day. There are several different ways to get your dosage. You can add two tablespoons to 8 ounces of water and drink in one sitting or add the ACV to a liter of water and sip it throughout the day. You can also mix with a very small glass of warm water and drink it all in one gulp. Remember, this is vinegar so it will be extremely bitter. A more palatable way to get your ACV in is to use it as dressing on a salad. Just mix the ACV with some Morton® Lite Salt, pepper and any other spices you enjoy. A great perk of using ACV as a salad dressing is that it helps your body absorb the nutrients in the greens. You just want to make sure that you mix your ACV with something. Drinking it by itself because may damage the enamel on your teeth.

We have only scraped the service of the seemingly endless uses for ACV. Whether you’re using it to improve your health and lose weight, clean your countertops, treating sunburn or combating a cold, apple cider vinegar will be a welcome addition to your daily routine. Remember, just 2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar a day to help keep the doctor away!