Apple Cider Vinegar: Uses, Health Benefits and FAQ

Posted by Michael (Clarksville, Indiana) on 09/03/2008
★★★★★

I have started taking Apple Cider Vinegar two days ago...And I am having a side effect that no one else so far has reported. My sex drive has doubled. As well as my energy has went through the roof. No weight yet but have only been taking it for a couple of days...Will update later...

Posted by Rob (Justice, IL) on 06/24/2008
★★★★★

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR AND SINUS RINSE....I SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE---I'VE HAD 4 SINUS SURGERIES DUE TO A DEVIATED SEPTUM, FOLLOWED BY SURGERIES TO REMOVE POLYPS... I WOULD HAVE ALLERGIES IT SEEMED YEAR ROUND.. I HAVE BEEN USING THE ACV FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF, ALONG WITH DOING A DAILY SINUS RINSE (YOU CAN BUY AT ANY POPULAR DRUG STORE). I HAVE NOT HAD ONE SINUS PROBLEM SINCE-----THE ACV KEEPS THE ALLERGIES AT BAY, WHILE THE RINSE FLUSHES OUT ANY POLLENS OR DUST, ETC... IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS 8 YRS AGO, I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD 3 SINUS SURGERIES...

Posted by Nathan (Portland, OR) on 03/22/2007
★★★★★

Let me add to Dr. Yong's comments regarding tooth enamel (and point out why William Campbell Douglas was misinformed). Acid damages tooth enamel. Pathogenic bacteria in the mouth produce acid as a byproduct when they consume sugar. So when you drink ACV, you expose your teeth to acid. When you eat products with high sugar content, the bacteria produce acid. Neither of these situations is necessarily deleterious to the tooth enamel if the exposure to the acid is over a short period of time. Saliva is able to cleanse the mouth, and the pH returns to normal. However, if you sip the ACV over a long period of time during the day, the pH of the mouth is unable to recover, and as a result of constant prolonged exposure, dental decay results.

The same amount of ACV ingested over a period of a few minutes will typically cause no problems. Yes, we eat/drink acidic/sugary foods all the time (as the MD mentioned) but these are the things that cause decay especially if sipped or ingested in large quantities over long periods of time. Try to consume your ACV 3 times per day within a period of 5-10 minutes.

Posted by Angelina O (USA)
★★★★★

[she'has found that applying apple cider vinegar (ACV) topically to her face several times a day (4 or more times) has cured her of a "very bad complexion". She reports that she applies it straight and that while it burns her skin a bit, works like a miracle!]

Posted by Nancy (Arlington, TX)
★★★★★

I have been real sick with a viral infection and flu my neighbor fixed me some Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey. Equal parts of each. It has worked wonders. It cuts the phlegm in your throat and helps with all that was ailing me. I am so glad to find out about this. I also heard that cinnamon with it works wonders as well. Just a teaspoon or so. Thank you and God Bless.

Posted by David (Chicago IL)
★★★★★

I saw somewhere that apple cider vinegar cures Fibromyalgia. I don't definitely have it, but was diagnosed with it based on symptoms years ago. I've had muscle spasms varying in severity for 24 years. I just started to come out a 1 1/2 year bout with it. Drank vinegar and have been completely pain free for a week. It's asinine this isn't common knowledge. It feels kind of like an metabolism enhancer too. I'm down to 1 tablespoon twice a day. And I repeat I'm completely pain free. I don't know what was wrong with me, thought it was just something I had to live with. Somebody tell a doctor!

Posted by Kev (Toowoomba, Australia) on 11/19/2011
★★★★★

35 yr old male, I too got a bout of shingles on my back. Doctors said it was too late for cream treatment. It blistered and pain became unbearable so I tried ACV swabs 5 times a day. It stopped the pain and in a couple of days it had cleared up. Amazing!!

Posted by William (Las Vegas, NV)
★★★★★

It just stopped the the abdominal pain caused by my stomach ulcer. I thought I might have to go on antibiotics. I guess I won't.

Posted by Catherine (Nairobi, Kenya)
★★★★★

[she has, to her amazement, found her varicose veins disappearing after taking apple cider vinegar daily!]

Posted by Bill (Norton, Va) on 11/10/2012

I am writing to clarify some statements broadly made on this site. Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is composed of 5% acetic acid with a pH of 3 clearly making vinegar acidic rather than alkaline. The pH would need to be higher than 7 in order for the vinegar to be alkaline and then it would not be vinegar, it would be sodium or potassium acetate and would likely do little for those of us taking it other than possibly elevating blood pressure that might be caused by the increased levels of sodium.

Posted by Dcaplinger (Southwest Missouri, Usa) on 08/06/2016

If you turn the acidic ACV into a base tonic, it's much easier to take. I usually mix 1/8 cup of ACV with a full teaspoon of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), plus 1/2 to 1 full cup of water makes it so much easier to take. It waters down the bitterness, and the bicarb completely neutralizes the acidity. To me, when I drink this mix, I taste baking soda more than I do the ACV, and there is very little after taste. Always be sure to follow it up with at least 1/2 cup of water, or you are going to start burping because of the mixing of the baking soda with your stomach acids.

Posted by Janette (Salem, Or) on 09/23/2016

This was so wonderful. Thank you. I have a beloved cat that has remained healthy from a redox signaling molecule drink called asea, but it is not working with a lung issue. It sounds like he is trying to throw up a worm, then swallows. Then hacks. Parasite meds do nada. So found your site on apple cider vinegar. He immediately calmed down with 4 ml in mouth and on cottonball in shoulder blades and on feet. I feel hopeful so am researching more on acv. Wow. Thanks.

Posted by Susan (USA)

The below table is from the USDA's apple cider vinegar nutrient database. We typed in the words "Vinegar, cider" on the home page to get this chart.

Note: The USDA does not specify on the chart whether they tested a commercial, pasteurized brand (i.e., Heinz) or an organic brand (i.e., _____). We have the feeling they probably tested a commercial brand. An organic brand of apple cider vinegar may have slightly higher values.

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/index.html

Vinegar, cider(1)

Nutrient	Units	Value per 100 grams	Number of Data Points	Std. Error
Proximates
Water	g	93.81	3	0.092
Energy' (2)	kcal	21	0
Energy	kj	90	0
Protein	g	0.00	3	0
Total lipid (fat)	g	0.00	3	0
Ash	g	0.17	3	0.003
Carbohydrate, by difference	g	0.93	0
Fiber, total dietary	g	0.0	1
Sugars, total	g	0.40	0
Sucrose	g	0.00	1
Glucose (dextrose)	g	0.10	1
Fructose	g	0.30	1
Lactose	g	0.00	1
Maltose	g	0.00	1
Galactose	g	0.00	0
Minerals
Calcium, Ca	mg	7	4	0.108
Iron, Fe	mg	0.20	4	0.003
Magnesium, Mg	mg	5	3	0.485
Phosphorus, P	mg	8	3	0.244
Potassium, K	mg	73	4	5.617
Sodium, Na	mg	5	4	0.855
Zinc, Zn	mg	0.04	3	0.005
Copper, Cu	mg	0.008	3	0
Manganese, Mn	mg	0.249	3	0.057
Selenium, Se	mcg	0.1	0
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	mg	0.0	1
Thiamin	mg	0.000	1
Riboflavin	mg	0.000	1
Niacin	mg	0.000	1
Pantothenic acid	mg	0.000	0
Vitamin B-6	mg	0.000	1
Folate, total	mcg	0	1
Folic acid	mcg	0	0
Folate, food	mcg	0	1
Folate, DFE	mcg_DFE	0	0
Vitamin B-12	mcg	0.00	0
Vitamin B-12, added	mcg	0.00	0
Vitamin A, IU	IU	0	1
Vitamin A, RAE	mcg_RAE	0	0
Retinol	mcg	0	0
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)	mg	0.00	0
Vitamin E, added	mg	0.00	0
Vitamin K (phylloquinone)	mcg	0.0	0
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated	g	0.000	0
4:0	g	0.000	0
6:0	g	0.000	0
8:0	g	0.000	0
10:0	g	0.000	0
12:0	g	0.000	0
14:0	g	0.000	0
16:0	g	0.000	0
18:0	g	0.000	0
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	g	0.000	0
16:1 undifferentiated	g	0.000	0
18:1 undifferentiated	g	0.000	0
20:1	g	0.000	0
22:1 undifferentiated	g	0.000	0
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	g	0.000	0
18:2 undifferentiated	g	0.000	0
18:3 undifferentiated	g	0.000	0
18:4	g	0.000	0
20:4 undifferentiated	g	0.000	0
20:5 n-3	g	0.000	0
22:5 n-3	g	0.000	0
22:6 n-3	g	0.000	0
Fatty acids, total trans	g	0.000	0
Cholesterol	mg	0	0
Phytosterols	mg	0	0
Amino acids
Tryptophan	g	0.000	0
Threonine	g	0.000	0
Isoleucine	g	0.000	0
Leucine	g	0.000	0
Lysine	g	0.000	0
Methionine	g	0.000	0
Cystine	g	0.000	0
Phenylalanine	g	0.000	0
Tyrosine	g	0.000	0
Valine	g	0.000	0
Arginine	g	0.000	0
Histidine	g	0.000	0
Alanine	g	0.000	0
Aspartic acid	g	0.000	0
Glutamic acid	g	0.000	0
Glycine	g	0.000	0
Proline	g	0.000	0
Serine	g	0.000	0
Other
Alcohol, ethyl	g	0.0	0
Caffeine	mg	0	0
Theobromine	mg	0	0
Carotene, beta	mcg	0	0
Carotene, alpha	mcg	0	0
Cryptoxanthin, beta	mcg	0	0
Lycopene	mcg	0	0
Lutein zeaxanthin	mcg	0	0

Footnotes:
1 Contains 5% acetic acid. Total proximates do not equal 100%.
2 Acetic acid is included in energy calculation.

Posted by Surfer (Florida) on 04/19/2018
★★★☆☆

I have been using ACV for years and go thru a quart per month. Last year I returned 4 bottles of ACV to the store that I bought it because it was sour. There is a distinct difference in taste between a sour apple and a fermented apple. After the second time, I called the company and they did not seem alarmed or really that interested.......just told me to carry it back where I purchased it. Well I got tired of having to carry it back after the fourth time and have been using other brands and have not ran across this problem again. My experience was with one of the oldest and most widely used brands out there.

Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 08/05/2016

Dear Robert Henry,

Thank you for letting me know about the temperature at which enzymes would be destroyed! I love that I can learn something new at EC (and everywhere!) every day.

~Mama to Many~

Posted by Mama to Many (Tennessee) on 06/14/2014

I have seen concern expressed about the effect of long term use of Apple Cider Vinegar internally on tooth enamel. I have been using Apple Cider Vinegar for several years now. I put between 1 teaspoon and 1 Tablespoon in 16 ounces or more of water. I drink this almost daily, often several glasses a day. I do use a straw, but just out of preference.

Yesterday I saw my dentist. My tooth enamel is fine after using ACV in water for several years. Now, this is just one person's experience, but I thought I would pass along this information.

~Mama to Many~

Posted by Mama To Many (Middle, Tennessee, Usa) on 06/15/2013

Yes, it is safe. I took it all through my last two pregnancies and drank it daily (mixed with water) all through breastfeeding my babies.

~Mama to Many~

Posted by Gary (Palm Desert, Ca) on 02/03/2012
★★★★★

About 12 years ago, I read that taking a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (ACV) and a teaspoon of honey in an 8 oz glass of water twice a day would help lower cholesterol... I don't know if that helped... but what I do know is that my heartburn and what I later found out was called gerd disappeared.

I could be having a severe attack of heartburn and take a teaspoon ACV in a half glass of water and it will immediately disappear.

If I take a teapsoon in an 8 oz or even smaller glass once or twice a day, I almost never experience either heartburn or gerd. I've recommended this to several friends, it has worked for most of them!

Posted by Hazel (Regina, Sk, Canada) on 11/19/2011
★★★★★

A month ago, I had doubts about apple cider vinegar (ACV)... Many thanks to this site. I have not used my asthma maintenance med (Symbicort) for a month now.

Posted by Veerybird (Hobe Sound, Fl) on 08/06/2011
★★★★★

I have discovered a great recipe for taking the ACV. I have always taken it with 1/2 juice and 1/2 water in my 24 oz water bottle with 2-3 Tbs. of ACV. That works for the faint of heart: I even got my kids to start taking it. I also carefully measure out a strong flavored juice in a wine glass and add the ACV. That is a great way to get it down. The best recipe that is healthiest and easy to travel with is 24 oz. of water, 2-3 Tbs. of ACV, and blueberry tea. I buy the True Blueberry from Celestial Seasonings and it has plenty of flavor. No "sugar" if you like sour things. Just make up the water and ACV then add a tea bag. Many people think that tea must be hot but it will steep fine in a few minutes. I tried it with Tazo Passion Tea (which I love) but it didn't work.

Posted by Shaina (Bloomington, In) on 04/21/2011
★★★★★

ACV help acid reflux because your body needs more stomach acid. The body may also need more digestable foods. The combination between a poor diet (may be a personal dietary situation, or processed conventional food including pasturized dairy products) that is had to digest and the body not having the resources it needs to produce the stomach acid to fully digest this food. Without enough acid to digest, indigestion (not digesting) occurs and results in burning of the esophagus.

Inhibiting stomach acid production with an antacid may halt the burning but will surely increase the digestion problems, probably resulting in constipation or other digestive upset. Would seem better to tackle the source of the issue than to compound stressors, through to each his own. Vitamin C also helps this greatly.