Apple cider vinegar, made from fermented apple juice, is a powerful, all-natural remedy with a cult following that can deliver an incredible array of health benefits.
In this post, I share my personal experimental triumphs in testing apple cider vinegar health benefits during moments of desperation, from weight loss to naturally reducing fever, eczema and cold symptoms, to its ability to quickly and effectively remove a wart after having spent months limping my way around town visiting one doctor to next and spending over $100 on consultations and medications.
My Top 5 Apple Cider Vinegar Health Benefits
1. Naturally Reduces Eczema Rash
I’ve battled alongside my son with his eczema since he was two-months-old. Prior to my success treating him with turmeric and black pepper, I scoured all over the internet for alternative remedies as long term use of prescription steroid creams can thin out one’s skin.
I’ve tried common remedies such as oatmeal baths or using only baking soda for his laundry, with varying degrees of success. Along the way, I have also found suggestions from medical doctors to add bleach to the baby’s bath water, to my own pediatric allergist’s suggestion that I dampen cotton clothes for him to sleep with in order to keep his skin moist. Now I’m no trained medical professional myself, but I’m pretty sure that sleeping in damp clothes would make you sick with a cold…
As I’ve experienced dry, scaly hands after forgetting to wear gloves when handwashing laundry with bleach, apple cider vinegar (ACV) was decidedly the safer, more natural remedy to me. Adding a ¼ cup of ACV to his baby bathtub and soaking him for 15 minutes noticeably lightened the shade of his rash. His itch also seemed less bothersome as he was less occupied with scratching his legs and arms.
2. Naturally Lowers Fever
I was home alone one evening with my then 10-months-old son when he started running a fever of 103 degrees F. The local pharmacy had already closed so I called my husband to see if he could grab a Tylenol on the way home from the office.
It was going to take him over an hour to get home. Not one to just sit back and wait hopelessly, I searched the internet for an answer, and once again stumbled upon ACV as a home remedy – this time, used by grandmothers to “draw out” the fever.
As the ACV had already proven its prowess on the eczema front, I figured I had nothing to lose except this sense of lack of control. I quickly followed the instructions and soaked a couple of washcloths in a mixture of 1 part ACV and 2 parts water, and sat holding my son in my lap with one washcloth on his forehead and the other on his tummy.
We watched music videos together to take his mind away from the washcloths and the smell of vinegar. Ten minutes later, I could feel the heat on his forehead cooling off. Twenty minutes later, the thermometer read around 98 degrees F, and I was able to put him to bed to give him his much-needed rest, and he slept comfortably through the night!
3. More Effective than Prescription Medication for wart removal
The frantic pace of life as a new mother during the first year can compromise your immune system and wreak havoc on your body in ways you haven’t experienced before. In my case, I developed a protruding skin growth at the worst possible spot – right on the ball of my right foot! Every single step I took, I felt its wrath, and I was on my feet a lot taking care of the twins and just simply navigating my way around New York City, as one does being a city dweller. I survived on over-the-counter salicylic acid corn cushions but the protrusion continued to grow.
An upcoming family trip to France to visit my in-laws finally prompted me to limp my way to the family doctor, as I was looking forward to exploring the beauty of Brittany on foot for most of the 10-day trip. The family doctor informed me that what I had was, in fact, a wart and suggested a visit to the dermatologist.
The dermatologist across town stated that his approach was to freeze and then shave off the wart, but this required recovery time off my feet for at least a week – not a viable option when I was the primary caretaker to the little ones during off-work hours.
I was then sent limping off to the podiatrist to see if there was a less invasive alternative. The podiatrist prescribed a stronger salicylic acid ointment that cost $35, which I diligently applied twice a day every day for the next two months. The wart gradually got smaller and hardened but continued to make its presence known with every single footstep.
My highly anticipated family vacation was now less than two weeks away. The slowness of the progress has made me fear the trip instead of looking forward to it. I turned once again to Dr. Google looking for a miracle, and wouldn’t you know it, ACV could once again save the day! This time, I hopefully limped 10 steps across the living room to my kitchen, diluted 2/3 cups of ACV with 1/3 cup of water and soaked my right foot in the solution for 15 minutes. On the third night of the soak, with two days to spare to our trans-Atlantic family adventure, the wart “magically” fell off!
After having hobbled around town visiting 3 different doctors and spending three figures on insurance co-payments and medications over a period of 2 months, it turned out that all along the answer was right at home, in the comfort of my kitchen, for less than $2! And I was able to not only walk but jump with joy, pain-free, in just 3 short days!
4. Prevents the Cold
As a mom of twin germ factories, I’m doubly determined to prevent the cold and flu from setting foot in our household as experience has taught us that its impact can last for months as it boomerangs from one family member to the next and repeats the cycle all over again.
Unlike other kinds of vinegar, ACV actually makes your body more alkaline once ingested. Having a balanced pH can help to boost your immune system and prevent the cold and flu germs from settling into your nose and chest.
ACV contains potassium, which is known to absorb and remove excess fluid like mucus from the body, and this helps to clear the congestion in the nose and throat. The rich vitamin C in ACV also helps to make the symptoms of a cold less severe. Adding a teaspoon of ACV into the twins’ yogurts noticeably reduced the mucus in their runny noses and the congestion in their throat.
5. Aids Digestion and Weight Loss
I started to consume more ACV as a part of my salad dressings, primarily for its benefits in improving my digestive system. ACV is known to improve digestion and reduce acid reflux by increasing your stomach acid.
ACV and vinegar of all kinds have also been used for a long time as a weight loss aid due to their ability to make you feel full. Another potential reason ACV may aid in weight loss is that the acetic acid in vinegar may interfere with your body’s ability to digest starch so that less is being broken down into calories in the bloodstream.
Over time, my consumption of ACV and various spices contributed to a calmer digestive system, a significantly reduced belly and weight loss.
Organic vs Non-Organic for Apple Cider Vinegar health benefits
Non-organic ACVs are cheap and effective for treating external skin conditions like eczema and wart from my experience. For internal consumption, the unfiltered, unheated and unpasteurized raw organic ACV is recommended as it contains the “mother of vinegar”, which is filled with living nutrients and bacteria that is responsible for many of its health benefits.
Prime Your Digestive System with Apple Cider Vinegar
Start your day with this Apple Cider Vinegar Lemon Tonic to get your digestive system going for the day! Both the ACV and lemon can help to detox your body, boost your immune system and keep the cold and flu at bay!
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR LEMON TONIC
Serves: 1
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup warm water (not hot)
- 2 tsp. raw apple cider vinegar (with the “mother”)
- ½ lemon, juice squeezed
- ½ Tbsp raw honey
DIRECTIONS
- Add apple cider vinegar to warm water.
- Squeeze in the lemon juice.
- Stir in the raw honey and combined mixture.
TIP
Drink with a glass straw if your gums are sensitive to the lemon juice and ACV.
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