The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
General Feedback
Posted by Tracy (Boulder City, Nv, Usa) on 09/08/2012
Hi all! I started taking ACV with the mother about a week ago. 2 tablespoons mixed with water once a day.. I noticed low grade earache, sniffles, & sneeze here and there etc... Then after about 5 days I doubled my dosage to 2 tablespoons TWICE a day in water... And BAM! I had major allergies pop up. I'm wondering if my body is going through a detox affect? or what? Isn't it supposed to HELP allergies? I absolutely LOVE the energy it gives me within 10 minutes of taking it, but what is going on with these allergies? I havent changed my diet or exposed myself to anything new that I know of.. Except for ALOT of white lines in the sky the past few days. Any ideas are greatly appreciated :) Thank GOD and all of you for Earth Clinic!
General Feedback
Posted by Ray61637 (Birmingham, Al. USA) on 07/29/2012
★☆☆☆☆
I have taken Apple Cider Vinegar for 6 mos. Daily. I have fungus problems, sinus problems and others. I do not see any change by taking acv.
Long Term Side Effects
Posted by Karlapep (Mandeville, La) on 06/13/2012
I am a 57 year old female, who had to go gluten/dairy and soy free a couple years ago. Been extremely strict with my diet and eat extremely healthy these days, excellent hydration habits and lost a ton of weight.
But for the past 6 months I'm plagued with something I can only describe as a dry mouth sensation. It started with stomach pains and spasms, but that went away and left me with the dry mouth. Sometimes this is very bad, sometimes it's tolerable, but it's been with me for 6 months now. It's not a matter of hydration, more water doesn't help. I've been to the doctor and months of testing show me as the picture of health, still I am plagued by this. I'm at the end of my rope. Now I have narrowed this down to my stomach. I am unsure whether this is connected to a low stomach acid problem or an excess stomach acid problem, but my dry mouth is worse whenever my stomach "isn't quite right".
So I am giving the ACV and honey cure a try. Just started this yesterday and so far I'm putting 2 tsp of organic ACV and 2 tsp of raw honey into about 8 oz of spring water and sipping it with my meal. (Tastes really good, I rather look forward to drinking it). At first I notice a very very slight burning in my middle, but it goes away pretty quickly if I sip a little more water. It does make the dry mouth abate for a couple hours. My worry though is that I'll damage my stomach if I actually have excess stomach acid causing the problem to worsen. How do you know if the ACV is doing more harm than good? How long should it take to see sustainable results?
Long Term Side Effects
Posted by Had (White River Junction, Vermont) on 06/15/2012
Stomach 'acid', is actually not enough acid in the stomach, so ACV tonic actually helps. I do the morning tonic, 2 TBS ACV, 1/4tsp Baking soda, 1cp water (i use a scoop of stevia as well but honey is good too). I'm in a treatment for hashimoto's, I get dry mouth, eyes, inside nose. For me, I added, cayenne pepper, 1/4-1 tsp in lilttle bit of warm/hot water, slam it back.... I do feel the 'burn' in the mouth/throat for a few min. , then heat in the stomach that soon moves to the abdomen. Dryness gone in minutes, stomach is soothed. I still do AVC, but having the cayenne everyday makes the difference for me.
How to Take
Posted by Deb (Vancouver, Canada) on 05/27/2012
I find the easiest way to take Apple Cider Vinegar is, put the amount on a spoon, pour it in your mouth but do not swallow, take a glass of water or juice if you prefer and while you still have the ACV in your mouth take a drink of the juice, mix it around in your mouth with the ACV and swallow, voila, done!!! I actually like the flavor so I can take it right off the spoon, but it can burn your throat that way so it's best to mix in some water or juice.
General Feedback
Posted by Shernosonny (Wellington, Fl) on 12/28/2011
For all you people that are trying to get cures from ACV remember, it has to be organic. There is really only one brand that I even know about, unfortunatly we're not allowed to post the name. If you go to your health food store and ask for it they will be glad to steer you in the right direction.. Don't use store bought Apple Cider Vinegar it will not work- yes it is cheaper but it has been processed with heat and has no healing properties in it. There is a book on the organic apple cider vinegar you would be amazed at all it cures its worth getting...
General Feedback
Posted by Spiky (London, Uk) on 02/19/2012
Sorry I beg to differ while store bought ACV might not be AS effective as organic ACV with mother ive been using it for about two months now and my joint pain has lifted and my IBS has virtually disappeared plus my libido has returned after a bit of an absence. by all means use organic ACV but sore bought while it may not be the best is better than nothing.
Headache and Migraine
Posted by Lucy (Malta) on 12/22/2011
★★★★★
I've been taking apple cider vinegar (ACV) for the last two years and it's amazing how wonderful I feel... My headaches/regular migraine attacks/nearly disappeared... I am hardly sick with flu and my sinuses are absolutely clear... Now I rinse my hair with diluted ACV and it's so shiny and fresh.... Heartily recommend for anything...vinegar/Honey and ACV/ in winter to boost your immune system.
General Feedback
Posted by Deborah (Houston, Texas) on 12/12/2011
Today, I decided to start taking acv, to help lower my blood sugar level, so I drank about 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar by itself on a large serving spoon, then at that instant it took my breath away, it made me gasp for oxygen, so I grabbed the closest glass and poured water in it and tried to drink it, while still gasping for my breath, finally the water did help, although now the back of my throat has a burning sensation, so I ate some tomato soup and now, the burning has stopped.
General Feedback
Posted by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 12/13/2011
PLEASE EVERYONE start your experiments with VERY SMALL dosages!!! 1/4 CUP of vinegar is a BOMB!!! You should start with more like 1/4 TEASPOON!!!! And build up slowwwwwly!!
And this goes for MOST new things one may want to try, unless you are given a very specific dosage for YOUR ailment and condition!!!!
General Feedback
Posted by Debbie (Melbourne, Australia ) on 12/13/2011
1/4 cup is waaaay too much!!! You only need about 1-2 tablespoons in a cup of water. Some people only take 1 teaspoon in water.
General Feedback
Posted by Linda (New Haven, Ct - Connecticut) on 12/15/2011
Deborah, ACV should be taken in water, not straight or it will burn your throat. It can also cause damage to the enamel on your teeth. Take 2 teaspoons in 8 to 12 ounces of water twice a day and don't brush your teeth for about 1 hour. Many on this site also recommend using a straw to drink it down.
General Feedback
Posted by Joyce (Warwick, Ri) on 11/30/2011
★★★★★
My cousin is a big apple cider vinegar and water drinker, we did a 26.2 mile walk to raise money for cancer, and she was sipping on the concoction all day. When I asked her about it she explained to me that ACV helps with water absoprtion. In doing some further investigations I found that a popular hangover cure in several Northern European countries is to drink pickle brine, the primary cause of hangover pains being dehydration (and vitamin depletion). I drink it after the gym now, it has the added benefit of helping my acid reflux as well! I can eat tomato sauce again! Luckily I like the taste of vinegar, so no suggestions on how to mask the flavor.
General Feedback
Posted by Yebbo (Callahan, Fl) on 11/26/2011
Does it have to be organic ACV? I have a 2 quart bottle of White House ACV. The bottle says it's all natural from fresh apples. I'm trying to use it for very oily skin and low libido. lease let me know how to use this product.
General Feedback
Posted by Kim (Winsted, Ct) on 11/23/2011
Hello. Ive been reading a lot about the benefits of Raw Apple Cider Vinegar and just as many articles on solutions for masking the taste to help overcome the vinegary palate. Orange juice, molasses, honey, grapefruit juice... And the list goes on. Is it just me... Or hasn't anyone else thought of taking good old raw unfiltered apple cider with the mother (or is that the grandmother? ;) and adding it back to it's relative? Is this Like kissing your sister? Canibalism? Lol. I tried it, (also shaking the apple cider so that the sediment on the bottom got into the mix) and I lived! Wasn't sure if I would, seeing it seemed like overkill. Any ideas? At first I thought it was not suggested because lots of sugar, or acid, but that's the same with orange or grapefruit juice. Why don't they just make raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar tablets with the Mother? They could use all the "mother" they filter from clear cooking vinegar. Do I think too much?
General Feedback
Posted by Surekha (Pune, Maharashtra / India) on 11/19/2011
Heart failure and diabetic people also can take this ACV every day? Any side effect?
General Feedback
Posted by Millie (Memphis, Tn) on 11/18/2011
Actually, for those of you saying that you should not take vinegar orally, there are three well done, peer reviewed studies in recognized medical journals such as Diabetes Care. These show an improvement in blood sugar and insulin levels taking either at bedtime or before a meal. These studies were done with both apple cider and white vinegar. I wouldn't mix with baking soda as I saw no studies on that, but to say that it is harmful to take vinegar by mouth (I think 2 tbsp was the dose) is not backed up by research. (No studies were about toe fungus, however, they do promote the use of vinegar by mouth for systemic effect)
General Feedback
Posted by Marwa (Toronto, Canada) on 11/21/2011
Hi Loraine,
I have been searching for posts on ACV and most posts are from 2008-2009 but I finally found yours. I have a question I take a table spoon of apple cider vinegar in a half liter water. I wonder if it is better to take the vinegar on its own.
I want to use it for acid reflux or just reflux. I avoid most foods that are acidic and know which ones are alkaline but I get reflux as soon as I eat what is normal meal for most people... If I want to stay away from trouble I need a child meal or very little food and also drinking water far away from meals. I went to the restaurant yesterday and it was bad but I didn't want to leave tasty and expensive food on my plate!
Anyone who is reading this let me know if taking ACV without water would be better for me since having water around lunch and dinner makes me regurgitate.
Also, is it good to mix my honey with the ACV. So far I take honey on an empty stomach.
Thanks
General Feedback
Posted by Katy (Alexandria, Virginia ) on 11/16/2011
★★★★★
My great great aunt takes 2 tsps ACV straight every morning. She is 89 and still going strong. As soon as I turned 20 I started taking a "shot" of ACV in the morning. The vinegar was much too strong on my stomach first thing so after a few days I started mixing it with some local honey and water and would mix it all in a glass. It is so good it tastes like apple cider with a kick.
General Feedback
Posted by Mary (Hyderabad, Ap, india) on 11/18/2011
Where do I get apple cidar vinegar in India, especially Hyderabad? I had a hard time finding it in stores.
General Feedback
Posted by Mary (Hyderabad, Ap/india) on 11/21/2011
Got it in QMart
Storing Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Chorisia (Ipswich, Suffolk, England) on 10/12/2011
I have been using Aplle cider vinegar (UK) for years bought in 25ltr plastic containers. No mother forms in the plastic container, shortly after transferring into a glass container a thick mother forms. In small plastic containers no mother forms ether. So, is there some leaching from plastic inhibiting the formation of the mother? If so then it is wise not to keep cider vinegar in plastic containers?
Best Time to Take Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Bethyl (Clearwater, Florida) on 05/23/2011
I understand that you should take the ACV 3 times a day, but I'm not sure when. Before meals, after meals or in-between meals?
Best Time to Take Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Sheila (San Diego, Ca, Usa) on 05/25/2011
When I take it, I drink the diluted ACV before or during a meal. Helps with digestion; stimulating/increasing the digestive acid in the stomach (read this in Jarvis' book), and helping kill off any bacteria in the meal you're consuming.
