Apple Cider Vinegar for Health

 

Bragg ACV

I drink a mixture of 2 table spoons(TBSP) Apple Cider Vinegar, 2 TBSP lemon Juice, ½ teaspoon (tsp)   fresh ground cinnamon, and a pinch of cyan pepper in a 10 ounce glass of water every day.  It sounds horrible but I promise its snot that bad. I can taste the lemon above everything else and the taste is worth it! I started drinking this as a way to take Apple Cider Vinegar every day. I am going to list the benefit of each part of the drink below. By far, the best change I have seen is that I am less attractive to mosquitos! This is huge for me because up until now. I was the girl that everyone wanted to stand by because every one of those little vultures would come after me and leave others alone! 

My Mother-in-law told me to start drinking vinegar and mosquitos would leave me alone. It sounded like a bit of an old wives tale however many things that sound crazy are based in some reality so I gave it a try! According to the old farmers almanac, if you ingest enough Apple Cider Vinegar you will develop a body odor that will repel insects, including black flies. I am here to tell you it works and no I do not stink like vinegar.  I am being bitten way less and even my husband has commented that he sees the little devils around me but they are just not biting! 

Apple cider vinegar is often looked upon by natural wellness enthusiasts as cure all. Taking a tablespoon or two of it every day is said to cure everything from gout to allergies and more. It is important that the apple cider vinegar you take be organic and have the "mother" in it to be of most benefit, that is, the snotty looking thing in the bottom of the bottle.I use Braggs Organic Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar ® which can be found it in just about every grocery store. Some other benefits of drinking Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) include the following.

• Rich in potassium, a mineral that is often lacking in adult diets. This mineral is key for growth, building muscles, transmission of nerve impulses, heart activity etc. It also helps to prevent brittle teeth, hair loss, and runny noses.
• Rich in acetic acid, which is said to slow the digestion of starch which can help to lower the rise in glucose that commonly occurs after meals.
• Rich in ash, giving ACV its alkaline property. This aids your body in maintaining proper pH levels for a healthy alkaline state (it is particularly important if you drink a lot of coffee or wine).
• Regulate blood pressure and reduce bad cholesterol.
• Rich in malic acid, giving ACV its anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties.
• Improves bowel irregularity and helps remove toxins from the body at a faster rate.
• Weight loss by breaking down fats so that your body can use rather than store the fat.

Lemon Juice. I use lemon juice mostly for the taste because it really helps cut the apple cider vinegar. I use both bottled lemon juice and fresh. Fresh is by far the best however that is not always possible so I use bottled when I need to. Lemon juice does have its own benefits including the following. 

•    Prevent kidney stones, lemon juice raises citrate levels in the urine. Studies have shown that this could protect against calcium stones in the kidney.
• Support weight loss,lemon juice contains pectin, a soluble fiber that has been shown to aid in weight-loss struggles. It also stimulates your digestive track and adds vitamins C.
• Potassium, bananas are not the only way to get a big helping of potassium in your system. In addition to vitamin C, lemons offer 80 milligrams of potassium that helps your body stay strong and nimble.
•  Balance pH, while lemons may seem quite acidic, they are a surprisingly good source of an alkaline food that can help balance your body's pH.

Cinnamon. I use fresh ground from whole cinnamon sticks. Research has found that it is not only delicious, it is healthy too. Just make sure that you are buying true cinnamon and not cassia, which is often sold as cinnamon in stores. I buy Cinnamon sticks in bulk from olivfood.

• Lower cholesterol, Studies have shown that just 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon per day can lower LDL cholesterol.
•  Blood sugar regulation, several studies suggest that cinnamon may have a regulatory effect on blood sugar, making it especially beneficial for people with Type 2 diabetes.
• Yeast infection help, in some studies, cinnamon has shown an amazing ability to stop medication-resistant yeast infections.
• Cancer prevention, in a study published by researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Maryland, cinnamon reduced the proliferation of leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells.
• Anti-clotting, it has an anti-clotting effect on the blood.
• Arthritis relief, in a study at Copenhagen University, patients given half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder combined with one tablespoon of honey every morning before breakfast had significant relief in arthritis pain after one week and could walk without pain within one month.
• Anti-bacterial, when added to food, it inhibits bacterial growth and food spoilage, making it a natural food preservative.
•  Brain health, one study found that smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory.
•  E. Coli fighter, researchers at Kansas State University found that cinnamon fights the E. coli bacteria in unpasteurized juices.
•  High in nutrients, it is a great source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium.

Cayenne I just use a small pinch in each glass.

• High levels of essential minerals, cayenne, even when consumed in small quantities, provides sufficient levels of iron, copper, zinc, potassium, manganese, magnesium, and selenium. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Selenium is an anti-oxidant trace element required by the human body for smooth heart and liver functions.
• Alkaloid compound capsaicin, which gives strong spicy pungent character. Early laboratory studies on experimental mammals suggest that capsaicin has anti-bacterial, anti-carcinogenic, analgesic and anti-diabetic properties. When used judiciously, it also found to reduce triglycerides and LDL cholesterol levels in obese individuals.

I am not a medical professional and can only base my knowledge on what I have experienced. Give the drink a try for a few weeks and let me know if you see a difference. Feel free to leave out the Cayenne or Cinnamon if you cannot have either one. As always, trust your body and if you have any medical conditions consult with your doctor before adding anything unusual to your routine. 

References 
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/cayenne-pepper.html
http://www.fitsugar.com/10-Reasons-Lemon-Juice-Good-You-14860617
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=27
http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/10-health-benefits-of-cinnamon.html
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/6-healthy-reasons-eat-more-real-cinnamon-not-its-cousin
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-5875/15-Reasons-to-Use-Apple-Cider-Vinegar-Every-Day.html
http://www.eatingbirdfood.com/2012/02/health-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar-acv/
http://www.bragg.com/
http://www.draxe.com/video/secret-detox-drink-transform-your-kitchen-episode-36/