In a study published in a foreign medical journal, scientists found benefits of an apple cider vinegar-enhanced diet for increasing HDL (good cholesterol), and reducing levels of triglycerides – a harmful type of blood fat.
Many studies have been completed. One such study for the benefits of apple cider vinegar was published in the National Institite of Health in Biological Sciences and can be found here.
One thing that should be clear is the best way to manage cholesterol is through a mainly plant based diet and healthy lifestyle overall.
But, if you’re concerned about the side effects of cholesterol-reducing statin drugs and want to reduce your levels of LDL cholesterol – you may want to give apple cider vinegar a try.
Between all the positive feedback we found (both offline and online) from people who’ve taken apple cider vinegar and the benefits listed from thousands of years of history, this is a natural remedy worth considering. Here are even more benefits we found from this old-time elixir:
• Gives you more energy while decreasing recovery time from workouts. ACV has compounds that counteract lactic acid buildup in the muscles after exercise.
• Gargling with ACV can kill bacteria in your mouth and gums and give you whiter teeth.
• If you have diarrhea caused by bacteria, sipping water with ACV can be just what the doctor ordered. The apple pectin can also soothe intestinal spasms.
• To cure a case of the hiccups, take a teaspoonful of pure ACV. The sour taste will stop it in its tracks.
• To prevent indigestion or heartburn, take a teaspoon with a glass of water 30 minutes before your meal.
• Nighttime leg cramps can be relaxed when you add two tablespoons of ACV with honey to a glass of warm water.
When you buy it at Whole Foods, your local health food or grocery store, remember that not all ACV is the same. To get the maximum health benefits, it’s best to buy the non-pasteurized and unfiltered varieties.
Good ACV will look dark and murky, with a cobweb-like substance floating in it known as the “mother” (or the culture). This contains a number of beneficial living enzymes, which are responsible for most of the health benefits from apple cider vinegar.
Some varieties look and taste better because they’ve been filtered and/or pasteurized, and this clearer appearance is more appealing to some consumers. You do have the choice to take ACV in pill or tablet form. However, the more processed a food is, the less nutritious it is. This definitely holds true for apple cider vinegar.
Other Benefits
When you take ACV with a 12-16 ounce glass of water, you can add honey or lemon for taste. Once you experience the health benefits of apple cider vinegar – higher energy levels, better digestion, or relief of leg cramps at night (getting longer, less interrupted sleep) – you’ll actually look forward to making apple cider vinegar a part of your daily health routine.
Are there any side effects to taking this natural supplement? Not really. Since it’s a natural product, the health risks of taking apple cider vinegar are very low, especially when compared to the possible side effects of synthetic pharmaceutical drugs. When you listen to Big Pharma commercials, at least half the time is spent going through disclaimers of possible side effects.
If you take apple cider vinegar, you won’t have to worry about getting the hives, having breathing difficulties, or erections that last more than four hours! In all seriousness, consider the risk-reward ratio of taking this inexpensive elixir. If it can possibly help one or more health ailments… and there’s very little downside… why not give good old apple cider vinegar a try?
While ACV isn’t a panacea, it has the potential to relieve a variety of medical conditions. It’s a versatile, inexpensive remedy that can improve the quality of your health and life.
