Apple Cider Vinegar
Health Benefits

Apple Cider Vinegar: A Complete Guide to Benefits, Uses, and How to Take It

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.

Bladder Infection


Posted by Pamela (Pride, Louisiana) on 08/11/2023
★★★★★

I was in acute pain, unable to urinate. I drank some Apple Cider Vinegar and water, but needed to relieve the immediate issue. So I soaked a toilet tissue with what Ì was drinking and held it directly against that area. Literally the pain was gone within seconds and I was able urinate. Which I did with great gusto.... its 11 hours later, still no pain!


Blood Pressure


Posted by Deborah (El Dorado, TX)
★★★★★

I don't know if it (ACV) contributed to my blood pressure getting under control or if it was the medication, but I can say I do have more energy. I take 2 TSP with 8 oz of water.

EC: Click here to read more emails and cures for blood pressure.


Blood Pressure and Sugar

Posted by Reena (Mumbai, India) on 08/21/2014

Hi, I am a 57 yr old female from India. I want to take ACV as I am overweight and suffer from varicose veins, insomnia and many other problems. However I also suffer from Low Sugar Levels and Low BP. I am worried that if I take ACV it will further lower my sugar and BP. Please advise.

Regards, Reena

Replied by Mama To Many
(Tennessee)
08/21/2014

Dear Reena,

I have used Apple Cider Vinegar regularly for years. I also have always tend towards low blood sugar and low blood pressure, long before using Apple Cider Vinegar. Using Apple Cider Vinegar has never caused either to become lower.

Of course, I can't know how it would affect you, but I can say that for at least one person, apple cider vinegar does not make low blood sugar or low blood pressure worse.

I am a 47 year old female, by the way.

Perhaps it would be safest to begin slowly and increase slowly so you will be able to make sure it suits your own metabolism.

~Mama to Many~

Replied by Baldev
(Maharashtra, India)
08/22/2014
180 posts

Hi Reena, My suggestion to you would be that you should concentrate on reducing your weight, that itself will help you in overcoming many of your health problems. For that in this site and my experience extra virgin coconut oil is the best bet, this will give you enough energy and will reduce your appetite and so less intake of calories. Along with this you should include some exercise, whatever you can do and you can do it.

Good luck, Baldev


Blood Sugar


Posted by Pat (Ballwin, MO) on 09/05/2008
★★★★★

I found this article on RealAge (www.realage.com//ct/tips/2655) about ACV and wanted to share.

Vinegar Delight

Research suggests that a little bit of vinegar could have a beneficial effect on blood sugar levels.

In a study, ingesting a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before a high-carbohydrate meal was found to help dampen expected spikes in blood sugar levels from the meal.

For a bit of vinegar's benefit, try starting off your next pasta meal with a salad splashed with red wine vinegar and olive oil.

Vinegar is no substitute for healthy eating habits or for proven methods of blood sugar control. The beneficial effects of vinegar on blood sugar levels may not apply to healthy individuals, and more research is needed to confirm its potential benefits for other populations.

In a recent study, ingesting 20 grams (approximately 2 tablespoons) of apple cider vinegar before eating a high-carbohydrate meal improved insulin resistance.

Study participants who experienced the blood sugar control benefits from vinegar were either diabetic or had insulin resistance syndrome. They followed the 20 grams of apple cider vinegar with a high-carbohydrate meal consisting of a white bagel, butter, and orange juice.

After the high-carbohydrate meal, the acetic acid from the earlier serving of vinegar appeared to reduce blood sugar levels by 19 percent in people with diabetes and by 34 percent in people with insulin resistance.

Acetic acid may help lower blood sugar levels by suppressing enzymes required to break down sugars, resulting in slower absorption.

The best way to keep blood sugar levels steady is to eat a balanced diet, eat at regular intervals, and engage in a moderately strenuous program of physical activity. If you have diabetes or insulin resistance syndrome, follow your healthcare provider's advice.


Brands of Apple Cider Vinegar


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.


Brands of Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Bettyboop (Pittsburgh, Pa) on 06/14/2011

I know that apple cider vinegar is good for gout and alot of other problems like weight loss and arthritis and more. But I see that a lot of people are asking what is the mother. It is when you buy vinegar that have not been processed in making so it is cloudier than say Heinz which is clear and processed so all of the healing properties are loss. Where as unprocessed vinegar with the mother ( is cloudy and floats around in the bottle is part of the apples used to make the healthy brand of vinegar). Can be bought at most health food stores.


Brands of Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Fidelis Oero (Dallas, Usa) on 12/23/2010

Are all Apple cider vinegars given the same remedies as you described? Or is there a special one than the ones you see in ordinary stores , like Kroger, Walmart. I need your immediate answer as I want to buy one before the Christmas.

Replied by Self
(Ny)
12/23/2010

You generally do not want the regular apple cider vinegar sold in stores, which is non-organic and pasteurized (heated and filtered). Some of these stores have a health food section which sell an organic, raw (unfiltered, unheated, unpasteurized) apple cider vinegar (ACV) -- this is the one you want for home remedies. Otherwise, the organic, raw ACV can be bought from a health food store or coop.

Replied by Special01
(Indianapolis, In, Usa)
12/27/2010

Everyone says _____'s apple cidar vinegar is among the best.


Brands of Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Ole (Denmark) on 06/16/2010

Anyone had success with ACV that was unfiltered/organic but without "the mother"?

Replied by Kathy
(Las Vegas, Nv)
06/17/2010

One day I dropped my husband off at his physical therapist and all of a sudden I got really sick (like i was going to vomit) I ran to Trader Joes because that was the closest store and bought applecider vinegar (not with the mother) and poured some in a water bottle and drank it as fast as I could and I felt better in a short while. So in my opinion it works and if I don't have the other ACV I will use a generic brand..


Brands of Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Amber (Flint, Mi) on 01/13/2010

Hi, I actually have a question and couldn't figure out where to post it. I have been using Apple cider Vinegar from the Meijer brand. I really like it, I like the taste. But I bought the Heinz brand because I wasn't sure whether the Meijer brand is derived from real apples or not. And if it would work just as well. Does anyone know if it is? Because I can't handle the taste of the Hienz brand, it is terrible! Any help on whether the meijer brand is okay to use would be great, thank you!

Replied by Peggy
(Fishers, In)
01/14/2010

I use a Raw, unfiltered ACV. It should contain what is called the mother. I find it in the healthf food stores or in a natural section of Krogers. I can't say brand names but if you look for those particular components it will benefit you more.The vinegars that are distilled or processed have all the goodness stripped out of it, such as enzymes, vitamins and minerals. Good luck!

Replied by Tonya
(South Texas, USA)
05/20/2022
★★★★★

Hi, I used to swear by unfiltered, organic acv....

Today with all the geo-engineering if our skys, admitted to by our government, there is no longer organic food, unless it's a green house product, then the leached chemicals in the soul still spoil that.

Doing research, the best, and safest Apple Cider Vinegar today is filtered, the floaties are simply the apple skin, which is toxic today!

True mother is a clear ovalish disk you can find living near the bottom of the bottle. Mother will grow in distilled acv, as my grandmother's always had it there ..

The effects for everything I've used Apple Cider Vinegar for have not diminished as I first thought they would by changing from the organic with the skins floating in them, to the distilled ..

I'm nearly 70 yrs old, and my grandmother and mother used Apple Cider Vinegar for everything...

God's richest blessings on everyone persuing natural health in this toxic world.


Brands of Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Juli (Socorro, NM) on 03/17/2008
★★★★★

...a tip about acv: if you buy the expensive mother vinegar, save a couple of tablespoons and pour it into a gallon of the cheap store brand. Soon, the cheap stuff will be growing the mother, and you will have a re-usable, active culture very much like a sponge for making bread.

EC: Organic and unpastuerized ACV with the mother seems to be popular with people in the United States, but there are many, many more to try. We suggest you try them all and see which one your body responds best to. We do not suggest drinking acv bought at the grocery store EXCEPT in the event of food poisoning. We have no validating studies to back this up, but we think grocery brands like Heinz are far more acidic and as such can kill off the bacteria causing the poisoning more quickly. Well, that's our experience at any rate. Read more about food poisoning and acv here.

Replied by Aseem
(New York, NY)
06/01/2008

Hi how are you? my wife and me live in Manhattan, NY. its virtually impossible for us to get unpasteurised acv. the only product we've been using since years is Heinz. just cant procure pure organic undistilled acv in the city. any other brand alternatives suggested? ive been having 2tblsp acv with 2tblspn honey in a glass of water first thing in the morning. 2tblspn of acv only in a little water with each meal since 1996. had cut my finger once and immed poured raw honey on it, within 20 seconds the bleeding stoppped and there are no scars. Thanks to whoever first understood the value of these two natural wonders!

Replied by Lisa
(Brooklyn, NY)
06/15/2008

You should be able to find organic unpasteurized ACV at any health food store, Whole Foods, etc in NYC. I've most commonly seen the brands "_____" with a yellow label and "Eden" with a dark blue/green label. I just bought a bottle last night.

Replied by LaToya
(New York, New York)
01/10/2009

There are several Whole Foods Markets in the city. They sell the good ACV. You can find the closest store at www.wholefoods.com

Replied by Joyce
(Joelton, Tn)
01/11/2009
490 posts

Hello Latoya,

I don't buy the cheap distilled vinegar for any use, but I do buy a gallon of ACV at Save-a-Lot for about $2/gallon. If you keep it around long enough it grows plenty of mother without any help from the expensive _____ stuff. It works fine for me and has been for years now. I cook, clean, drink, and make medicine with it. At that price, I can afford to keep nothing but ACV and I always have it on hand for whatever I want to use it for, including cleaning my coffee pot periodically.


Breast Reduction


Posted by Mel (Passaic, Nj) on 02/06/2010
★☆☆☆☆

WARNING!

Hi,

I'm 26 yrs old. I had originally (last year) used acv when the doses were 2 tbsp in water at one shot. After a month, my boobs shrank a whole cup size, but I was still not overall thinner. Beware! I'm still afraid to take it now as the doses have changed. I think they grew back now though, because I took some dong quai and damiana (which I read increases them).


Broad Benefits

5 star (128) 
  96%
4 star (1) 
  1%
3 star (3) 
  2%
1 star (1) 
  1%

Posted by Lidia (Pennsylvania) on 05/19/2017
★★★★★

I started two days ago with ACV a regular bottle by Red & Rose my results starting with a serious rash that hospital thought was a viral infection that was draining me dry. Since I started ACV, I realized I was drinking too much - 1oz in 8oz glass of water. I wanted to dance it made me feel alive again, my mood changed from miserable to extremely happy. My rash is clearing up, and I'm full of energy, I love it! It pumps me up so much my husband tells me to sit down already you've done enough. Lol it also increased sex drive. Now the headaches I've always suffered from I still get and my lymph nodes are still swollen any remedies for that?


Broad Benefits
Posted by Awesome Nana (Chicago, Il) on 10/09/2016
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I have been using Raw Organic Apple Cider Vinegar for 20 months. My mixture is slightly different - 2 TBL ACV, 1 heaping TBL of Organic Honey & 1.5 C of filtered water heated to melt the honey.

The results are amazing! I no longer need allergy medicine, my knuckles are normal again & not swollen from arthritis, my hiatal hernia is under control, my eye pressure from border line glaucoma dropped from 19 to 15, and best of all, I was diagnosed with invasive lobular carcinoma last year and even though 1 mass was 2.2 cm & the other was 1.5 cm my sentinel lymph nodes were clear!

If I start to feel a cold or sinus problems starting I drink the mixture 3 times a day instead of once in the AM before eating.

I am a true believer in this remedy!


Broad Benefits
Posted by Gina Marie (California ) on 04/01/2016
★★★★★

Raw apple cider vinegar with the mother. I start with 2 tbsp of ACV and 1tsp of raw honey in a cup of hot water. I drink 3-4 cups a day, daily.

This decreases inflammation, pain and you can lose weight. Lowers your cholesterol. Boost your immune system, and flushes your kidneys....etc...


Broad Benefits
Posted by Esther (Texas) on 05/05/2014
★★★★★

I've heard about ACV health benefits about 2 weeks ago; and after doing research about the healing power of ACV, I started taking it. In a matter of less than a week, I feel great relief from pains I use to feel on and off with my insides. I used to feel pain on my knees, and it's gone. I also felt some pains in my heart and that is gone, too. I also don't feel hungry at night anymore like I used to. I am feeling good at 66 yrs old. Before I started with ACV, I've changed my way of eating already-- I do juicing, eat salads and fruits, some fish and lean meat and chicken, stopped eating wheat products, sugar laden foods. I've also changed my sleeping habits and been getting at least 7 hours at the most of sleep, which helps a lot.

But when I added ACV in my health regimen, totally all the pain I suffered from in my lifetime seems to disappear. I drink warm water with lemon in the morning; then after 30 minutes, I follow it with a glass of water, raw honey and unpasteurized Apple Cider Vinegar and has some of my veggie/fruit/seeds fresh juice.

I've noticed that my BP has been controlled. I'm hoping that it will show lower readings in the months ahead with ACV intakes. I take it 2 to 3 times a day, sometimes a tablespoon of it followed by drinking water. As early as two weeks of taking ACV, I can feel a big change and difference in my body fully enhanced by ACV. I do some moderate treadmill workouts; but the real promise of good health is really from nutrition. It is true that we are what we eat. If I am mindful of what I put in my body, there's a chance I may not need any medications in the later years of my life. I don't take any prescription meds at all except my herbal sleep aid. I may not use it anymore either, as I've read ACV can help with sleep also. A miracle cure that I did not realize I have in my pantry!

Replied by Lalaland
(Los Angeles, CA)
02/09/2015

Thanks so much for your post! It's inspiring--so I am going to try this!

Also wanted to say that what has helped me regarding sleep is to take plenty of magnesium [I believe one is supposed to take 5x body weight, also make sure you take the right form, magnesium glycinate, and NOT magnesium OXIDE]. Also, I use that same herbal remedy -- Deep Sleep -- I take in a liquid tincture and it really works!



NEXT