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Vinegar is perhaps one of the most trusted and yet misunderstood remedies of all time. Vinegar has health benefits, it's a neutralizer, a cleaner, and a medicine, among other things. It is used in many different ways by many different people.
Source
Cider vinegar is produced when bacteria naturally present in the air converts the small amount of alcohol in apple juice to acetic acid, which gives vinegar its tangy taste. All types of natural vinegar are made this way, but cider vinegar is preferred for medicinal uses because it is less acidic than wine vinegar so is easier to digest.
Function; Reasons For Use
Apple cider vinegar breaks down the body's fatty, mucous and phlegm therefore improving the health and function of your liver, bladder, and kidneys. It also helps thin the blood, which prevents high blood pressure. It promotes digestion, the assimilation and the elimination processes. Cider vinegar is a germicide and thus be able to help fight infection and inflammation when administered internally or externally. It helps prevent blood clots and stimulates the excretory organs.
Cider vinegar is high in potassium, which is needed for the proper functioning of the heart and muscles, and in pectin (a type of fiber). Cider vinegar contains many key vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes, as well as valuable fruit acids. Its unique properties make cider vinegar superior to other kinds of vinegar.
Cider vinegar contains many other nutrients, such as beta-carotene, magnesium, calcium, riboflavin and thiamin; vitamins B6, C and E; and fruit acids and pectin. Of these, beta-carotene, potassium and pectin are especially important for the heart, skin and digestion.
The vitamin C and beta-carotene in cider vinegar destroy free radicals that weaken the immune system and increase the risk of various diseases. The acids in cider vinegar control the proliferation of yeast in the intestine.
Vinegar has over time been found to be useful for many complaints. Here are some uses, some more proven than others:- 1 tsp cider vinegar with one tsp honey three times daily helps with arthritis. It dissolves the crystal deposits of uric acid that form between joints, and also in muscles in cases of muscular rheumatism.
- A few tablespoons of cider vinegar a day help clear the body of toxins. It can also be used in a compress to reduce swelling and pain.
- Vinegar in drinking water is effective in eliminating the low-grade fevers that are present in Chronic Fatigue sufferers.
- It helps eliminate thrush in the mouth. Mix four tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to a gallon of drinking water. Drink up to one gallon each day.
- By changing the pH of the skin, Vinegar can create a hostile environment for Athlete's Foot.
- Use one part vinegar to one part warm water and soak your feet to treat toenail fungus. It may take 2 months for the fungus to disappear.
- For burning urination caused by bladder infection, drink 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water in a juice glass 3 times a day. Burning and infection will cease.
- Vinegar soothes the itching and burning of hemorrhoids. Just take a cotton ball and dab the affected area with full strength apple cider vinegar! Caution: some people find the full strength solution stings. If this happens to you, just dilute the vinegar half and half with water.
- Vinegar is effective against yeast infections. Mix with water in a douche or a bath.
- Treating ear infections.
- For restless leg syndrome, put full strength apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle and saturate legs. It takes itching and jerking away completely so you can sleep.
- For indigestion, gastic reflux, IBS, bad breath, diverticulus, fatty liver, lactose intolerance, allergies, fatigue... one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in water drunk before meals helps digestion.
- Corn and callus remover - soak stale bread (a cloth would probably do as well) in vinegar, and tape over the callus or corn overnight.
- Age spot fader - Mix equal parts of onion juice and vinegar and use it daily on age spots. It will take a few weeks to work, just like its expensive relative from the store.
- Splash vinegar on your varicose veins. The vinegar is supposed to reduce the veins and relieve the pain and swelling.
- It's an ongoing battle as to whether vinegar can help you lose weight, but the ones who say it will, say to drink a glass of water before each meal in which you've added a tablespoon of vinegar and a tablespoon of honey.
- Try white vinegar on underarms and other areas of the body as a natural deodorant. Will not stop perspiration (which is not healthy anyway) but will neutralize odor.
- Add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to a quart of drinking water to deal with heat stress and repel mosquitos.
- For head lice, put warm vinegar on the hair, dip a nit comb in vinegar to help remove nits. It is supposed to be able to break down the glue the nits use to stay attached.
Directions
Note: Only apple cider vinegar should be used for anything personal, both inside and outside the body. Do not use white distilled vinegar as it can rob your body of essential minerals.
Counter-Indicators and Warnings
Any time you take vinegar internally, be sure to rinse your mouth with plain water. Acid remaining on teeth will, over time, dissolve your teeth, as it does with calcium deposits around the sink.
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Vinegar can help with the following: | | | | | Digestion |  Hydrochloric Acid Deficiency | Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice taken with meals mildly stimulates hydrochloric acid production. |
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Immunity |
 Chronic Fatigue / Fibromyalgia Syndrome| | May be an effective aid in the destruction of lipid-enveloped viruses, such as HIV, HHV-6 (strains A and B), EBV, CMV, and herpes. |
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Infections |
Athletes Foot| | Soak your feet in a 50/50 mixture of apple cider vinegar and water for ten minutes daily up to ten days or until symptoms disappear. This will relieve the itching and peeling of athlete's foot. Or, soak a cotton ball in vinegar, coat the fungus and let dry. Apple cider vinegar has antifungal properties.
Or, try rubbing it on the affected area with cotton balls. Let dry for 30 minutes. Rinse off. It's very effective.
Another apple cider remedy is similar to the white vinegar one mentioned below: put a cup of vinegar in several quarts of very warm water and soak the foot for 15-20 minutes; repeat twice a day. This remedy will also kill fungus that has gotten under the toenails. Vinegar is effective because it makes the pH slightly more acidic.
White Vinegar: If you don't like the idea of bleach, try adding half a cup of white vinegar to a gallon of water, and soak for 10-15 minutes twice a day. Let your feet air dry. The acidity of the vinegar will kill the fungus. |
Fungal Skin / Nail Infection| | Fungal infections of both fingernails and toenails can sometimes be resolved by using vinegar and honey. Place one tablespoon of each in a glass of water and drink once per day. |
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Skin-Hair-Nails |
Dandruff| | Apple cider vinegar used as a hair rinse after a shampoo has a reputation for balancing scalp pH levels, removing soap residue and controlling dandruff. |
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KEY | | May do some good | | | Likely to help |
GLOSSARY
Age Spots (Liver Spots)
Flat, brown areas usually found on the face, hands, back and feet. They vary in size from 1/8 of an inch to several inches (0.3cm to several cm) and are associated with aging, but long-term sun exposure is also a major cause.
Allergy (Allergies)
Hypersensitivity caused by exposure to a particular antigen (allergen), resulting in an increased reactivity to that antigen on subsequent exposure, sometimes with harmful immunologic consequences.
Amino Acid (Amino Acids)
An organic acid containing nitrogen chemical building blocks that aid in the production of protein in the body. Eight of the twenty-two known amino acids are considered "essential," and must be obtained from dietary sources because the body can not synthesize them.
Antifungal (Antifungals)
An agent that kills or inhibits fungi, or a compound that inhibits either a dermatomycosis like ringworm or athlete's foot, or
one that inhibits Candida albicans either externally as a douche or internally as a systemic antifungal. Examples: Nystatin, griseofulvin, Tabebuia.
Arthritis (Arthritic)
Inflammation of a joint, usually accompanied by pain, swelling, and stiffness, and resulting from infection, trauma, degenerative changes, metabolic disturbances, or other causes. It occurs in various forms, such as bacterial arthritis, osteoarthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis, the most common form, is characterized by a gradual loss of cartilage and often an overgrowth of bone at the joints.
Bacteria (Bacterial, Bacterium)
Microscopic germs. Some bacteria are "harmful" and can cause disease, while other "friendly" bacteria protect the body from harmful invading organisms.
Beta-Carotene (Beta Carotene)
The most abundant of the carotenoids, beta-carotene has strong provitamin A activity and is a stronger antioxidant than vitamin A. It is widely accepted today as a cancer preventative. It is found in leafy green and yellow vegetables, often missing in children's diets. Beta-Carotene is believed to be a superior source of Vitamin A because it is readily converted into a more active form of the substance: your body converts it to Vitamin A as needed.
Calcium
The body's most abundant mineral. Its primary function is to help build and maintain bones and teeth. The body also needs calcium to carry nerve signals, keep the heart functioning, contract muscles, clot blood and maintain healthy skin. Calcium helps control blood acid-alkaline balance, plays a role in cell division, muscle growth and iron utilization, activates certain enzymes, and helps transport nutrients through cell membranes. Calcium also forms a cellular cement called ground substance that helps hold cells and tissues together.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS, Chronic Fatigue)
A disorder of unknown cause that lasts for prolonged periods and causes extreme and debilitating exhaustion as well as a wide range of other symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle ache and joint pain, often resembling flu and other viral infections. Also known as Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS), Chronic Epstein-Barr Virus (CEBV), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), "Yuppy Flu" and other names, it is frequently misdiagnosed as hypochondria, psychosomatic illness, or depression, because routine medical tests do not detect any problems.
Cup (Cups)
A unit of volume measurement equal to 8 fluid oz, or roughly 250ml. It also equals 1/2 pint, 1/4 quart and 1/16 gallon.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
A member of the herpes virus family which may induce the immune-deficient state or cause active illness, such as pneumonia, in a patient already immune-deficient due to chronic illness, such as cancer or organ transplantation therapy.
Enzymes (Enzyme)
Specific protein catalysts produced by the cells that are crucial in chemical reactions and in building up or synthesizing most compounds in the body. Each enzyme performs a specific function without itself being consumed. For example, the digestive enzyme amylase acts on carbohydrates in foods to break them down.
Epstein Barr Virus (EBV, Epstein-Barr Virus)
A virus that causes infectious mononucleosis and that is possibly capable of causing other diseases in immunocompromised hosts.
Fatty Liver
Accumulation of triglycerides in the liver.
Free Radical (Free Radicals)
A free radical is an atom or group of atoms that has at least one unpaired electron. Because another element can easily pick up this free electron and cause a chemical reaction, these free radicals can effect dramatic and destructive changes in the body. Free radicals are activated in heated and rancid oils and by radiation in the atmosphere, among other things.
Hemorrhoids
Varicose disorder causing painful swellings at the anus; piles.
Herpes
A small group of capsid-forming DNA viruses, sometimes divided into Type I (forming vesicles and blisters on the mouth, lips-generally above the waist) and Type II (usually sexually-transmitted, with symptoms mostly below the waist). Both types form acute initial outbreaks, go dormant, reactivate, and so forth. For most folks, frequent outbreaks are clear signs of stress or immunosuppression. Both types are equally dangerous for infants.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
A retrovirus associated with onset of advanced immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Hydrochloric Acid (HCl)
An inorganic acidic compound, excreted by the stomach, that aids in digestion.
Immune System (Immune Response, Immunity)
A complex that protects the body from disease organisms and other foreign bodies. The system includes the humoral immune response and the cell-mediated response. The immune system also protects the body from invasion by making local barriers and inflammation. The process may involve acquired immunity (the ability to learn and remember a specific infectious agent), or innate immunity (the genetically programmed system of responses that attack, digest, remove, and initiate inflammation and tissue healing).
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
A condition that causes upset intestines for a long period of time. It is very unpleasant to the sufferer but tends to be harmless and usually does not lead to more serious complaints. The symptoms vary from person to person and from day to day. In order to be diagnosed with IBS, a person must have at least three of the following symptoms: pain in the lower abdomen; bloating; constipation; diarrhea or alternating diarrhea and constipation; nausea; loss of appetite; tummy rumbling; flatulence; mucous in stools; indigestion; constant tiredness; frequent urination; low back pain; painful intercourse for women.
Kidneys (Kidney, Renal)
Bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They are located near the middle of the back, just below the rib cage. The kidneys are sophisticated reprocessing machines, each day handling about 50 gallons of blood to sift out about half a gallon of waste products and extra water. The waste and extra water become urine, which flows to the bladder through tubes called ureters. The actual filtering occurs in tiny units inside the kidneys called nephrons. Every kidney has about a million nephrons. In a nephron, a glomerulus -- which is a tiny blood vessel, or capillary -- intertwines with a tiny urine-collecting tube called a tubule. A complicated chemical exchange takes place, as waste materials and water leave your blood and enter your urinary system. The kidneys recycle chemicals such as sodium, phosphorus, and potassium and thus regulate their levels. Renal: Pertaining to the kidneys.
Lactose Intolerance (Lactose Intolerant)
A condition caused by a lack of an enzyme called lactase, which, in turn, causes the body to be unable to digest lactose, a sugar found in milk products. Common symptoms, which begin about 30 minutes to two hours after consuming foods or beverages containing lactose, may include: nausea, cramps, bloating, gas and/or diarrhea. The severity of symptoms varies depending on the amount of lactose consumed and the amount that an individual can tolerate.
Liver (Hepatic)
The largest and one of the most complex organs of the body, the liver is responsible for much of the metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. It is the site of much of the body's detoxification. It is connected very closely with digestion and the regulation of blood sugar, among many other functions. Found behind the ribs on the right side of the abdomen, it has many important functions such as removing harmful material from the blood, making enzymes and bile that help digest food, and converting food into substances needed for life and growth. Hepatic: Pertaining to the liver.
Magnesium
An essential mineral. The chief function of magnesium is to activate certain enzymes, especially those related to carbohydrate metabolism. Another role is to maintain the electrical potential across nerve and muscle membranes. It is essential for proper heartbeat and nerve transmission. Magnesium controls many cellular functions. It is involved in protein formation, DNA production and function and in the storage and release of energy in ATP. Magnesium is closely related to calcium and phosphorus in body function. The average adult body contains approximately one ounce of magnesium. It is the fifth mineral in abundance within the body--behind calcium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium. Although about 70 percent of the body's magnesium is contained in the teeth and bones, its most important functions are carried out by the remainder which is present in the cells of the soft tissues and in the fluid surrounding those cells.
Mineral (Minerals)
Plays a vital role in regulating many body functions. They act as catalysts in nerve response, muscle contraction and the metabolism of nutrients in foods. They regulate electrolyte balance and hormonal production, and they strengthen skeletal structures.
Mucus (Mucous)
The viscous, slippery substance that consists chiefly of mucin, water, cells, and inorganic salts and is secreted as a protective lubricant coating by cells and glands of the mucous membranes.
pH
A measure of an environment's acidity or alkalinity. The more acidic the solution, the lower the pH. For example, a pH of 1 is very acidic; a pH of 7 is neutral; a pH of 14 is very alkaline.
Phlegm
Mucus in the throat or bronchi.
Potassium
A mineral that serves as an electrolyte and is involved in the balance of fluid within the body. Our bodies contain more than twice as much potassium as sodium (typically 9oz versus 4oz). About 98% of total body potassium is inside our cells. Potassium is the principal cation (positive ion) of the fluid within cells and is important in controlling the activity of the heart, muscles, nervous system and just about every cell in the body. Potassium regulates the water balance and acid-base balance in the blood and tissues. Evidence is showing that potassium is also involved in bone calcification. Potassium is a cofactor in many reactions, especially those involving energy production and muscle building.
Rheumatism (Rheumatoid)
General term applied to conditions of pain, or inability to articulate, various elements of the musculoskeletal system.
Riboflavin (B2, B-2, Vitamin B2)
A B-complex vitamin that acts as a coenzyme that activates the breakdown and utilization of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. It is essential for cellular oxidation and necessary for healthy skin and eyes.
Syndrome
A medical condition characterized by a collection of related symptoms (what the patient feels) and signs (what a doctor can observe or measure).
Tablespoon (Tablespoons, tbsp)
Equivalent to 15cc (15ml).
Teaspoon (Teaspoons, tsp)
Equivalent to 5cc (5ml).
Thiamine (B1, B-1, Thiamin, Vitamin B1)
A B-complex vitamin that acts as a coenzyme necessary for the conversion of carbohydrates into glucose, which is burned in the body for energy. It is essential for the functioning of the nervous system.
Thrush
A fungal infection from Candida Albicans. Occurs most often in infants, immunocompromised patients, and AIDS victims. Characterized by small whitish sports on the tongue and inside of the cheeks.
Tineas (Athletes Foot, Athlete's Foot, Pityriasis Versicolor, Ringworm, Tinea Pedis, Tinea Versicolor)
A dermatomycosis; any number of skin fungus infections, such as ringworm, athlete's foot (Tinea pedis), and so forth. It is generally slow to acquire and hard to get rid of. Tinea Versicolor is a chronic skin fungus, often without symptoms... except the light skin splotches of infected surfaces that don't tan. It seems easily transmitted from one part of the body to another or one person to another. It is also called Pityriasis Versicolor.
Uric Acid (Hyperuricemia)
The final end product of certain native or dietary proteins, especially the nucleoproteins found in the nucleus of cells. Unlike the much smaller nitrogenous waste product urea, which is mostly recycled to form many amino acids, uric acid is an unrecycleable metabolite that must be excreted: nucleoprotein to purine to uric acid to the outside in the urine or the sweat. Hyperuricemia: Having elevated blood uric acid, either from a rapid rate of cell breakdown and synthesis (such as might occur from fasting, heavy training, trauma or any number of major diseases), a high consumption of organ meats, glandular supplements or spirulina, or the inability (usually hereditary) to excrete uric acid in the urine as fast as it is produced, even though production itself is not elevated.
Varicose Veins
Twisted, widened veins with incompetent valves.
Virus (Viri, Viruses)
Any of a vast group of minute structures composed of a protein coat and a core of DNA and/or RNA that reproduces in the cells of the infected host. Capable of infecting all animals and plants, causing devastating disease in immunocompromised individuals. Viruses are not affected by antibiotics, and are completely dependent upon the cells of the infected host for the ability to reproduce.
Vitamin B6 (B6, B-6)
Influences many body functions including regulating blood glucose levels, manufacturing hemoglobin and aiding the utilization of protein, carbohydrates and fats. It also aids in the function of the nervous system.
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
A water-soluble antioxidant vitamin essential to the body's health. When bound to other nutrients, for example calcium, it would be referred to as "calcium ascorbate". As an antioxidant, it inhibits the formation of nitrosamines (a suspected carcinogen). Vitamin C is important for maintenance of bones, teeth, collagen and blood vessels (capillaries), enhances iron absorption and red blood cell formation, helps in the utilization of carbohydrates and synthesis of fats and proteins, aids in fighting bacterial infections, and interacts with other nutrients. It is present in citrus fruits, tomatoes, berries, potatoes and fresh, green leafy vegetables.
Yeast
A single-cell organism that may cause infection in the mouth, vagina, gastrointestinal tract, and any or all bodily parts. Common yeast infections include candidiasis and thrush.
Last updated: Jul 19, 2008
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