Thursday, August 7, 2008

THE AMAZING BENEFITS OF APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

Apple cider vinegar benefits have been known for a long time.
For centuries people have been using natural apple cider vinegar as both a food and a medicine for themselves and for their pets.Since 400BC, Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, and others, have used vinegar and vinegar mixed with honey, as an energizing tonic and a healing elixir.

More recently, the health benefits of apple cider vinegar have been promoted by many well-known authors such as Dr Jarvis, Paul C. Bragg and Patricia Bragg.D.C. Jarvis, a Vermont country doctor, noted that apple cider vinegar was a respected home remedy used by many Vermonters to successfully treat a number of common ailments and nagging aches and pains. He was so impressed that he went on to write a book on his observations and experimentations with home remedies, especially apple cider vinegar, and its beneficial effects on both people and farm animals.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. First let me say that apple cider vinegar is a completely natural product, resulting from the fermentation of apple juice to hard apple cider followed by a second fermentation to apple cider vinegar. This natural product retains all the nutritional goodness of the apples from which it was made plus it is fortified with the extra acids and enzymes produced during the two fermentation steps. It's the sum of all these ingredients that give apple cider vinegar its amazing health benefits.

Apple cider vinegar benefits include many external uses as well. It can be used to sooth sunburns and insect bites, to make your hair shine, and to treat dandruff just to mention a few.

Apple cider vinegar fits in well with today's trend towards eating natural healthy whole foods, and away from the overconsumption of highly processed convenience foods, which are depleted of much of their original nutrients.

Beware – Not all apple cider vinegars are created equal!

Many commercial apple cider vinegars have been pasteurized, filtered, refined or distilled in order to make the product look good, and thereby more appealing to the general public.Unfortunately this extra processing destroys much of the healthy goodness and thus many of the apple cider benefits that were in the product in the first place.

The best type of apple cider vinegar to use is one made from cold pressed, organically grown whole apples, in which no chemicals or preservatives have been added, which contains the "mother of vinegar", and is not pasteurized. The "mother of vinegar" is a natural gelatinous substance formed during the last fermentation step.This type of wholesome apple cider vinegar can be readily found in most health food stores and even in some general grocery stores.
Alternatively, you can brew your own nutritious apple cider vinegar at home.

Weight Loss

Another major apple cider vinegar benefit is weight loss. Although no one is sure how it works, it has helped many people lose weight. Click on the Weight Loss section to find out what the experts recommend as far as how much to take and how often, and the latest theories on why it works.

Animals love apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar benefits for our pets, from cats and dogs to pigeons and parrots to cows and horses, are numerous. It can be used as a daily health tonic, to deter insects such as mosquitoes, fleas and tics, to relieve skin conditions, and even to take away the smell of skunk.

Cooking with apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is an amazingly versatile cooking ingredient. It adds a tangy taste to many drinks and deepens the flavors of numerous foods. Its important to note that vinegar is a major ingredient in most condiments. Mayonnaise and tomato ketchup account for more than 10% of the vinegar production in America.

Other uses!

Besides the apple cider vinegar benefits for health, its use for weight loss, pet care, and cooking, it can also double up as a non-toxic household cleaner, deodorizer, and disinfectant.