Apple Cider Vinegar
from locally sourced apples
What is Apple Cider Vinegar?
For centuries, apple cider vinegar has been used to treat a wide variety of health ailments, from disinfectant to natural preservative. It is also known as a weight loss aid and to help control your blood sugar.
Apple cider vinegar is produced by fermenting apple juice. The process involves bacteria or yeast interacting with the sugar in apples. The cider then turns into alcohol and then into vinegar.
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Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid as well as bacteria and lactic, citric, and malic acids which give apple cider vinegar its tart taste.
Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar?
Many believe apple cider vinegar can boost your health in many ways. Here's what the research says about its benefits.
Can Apple Cider Vinegar Help with Blood Sugar?
Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid which may block enzymes involved in digesting starch. Bread, pasta, and rice can cause a surge in blood sugar after you eat, so apple cider vinegar could lead to a smaller blood sugar spike after starchy meals lowering post-meal blood sugar.
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In research review published by the Diabetes Research & Clinical Practice in 2017 showed that taking vinegar with meals lowered insulin levels. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body use sugar, and it's increased in diabetes.
It's simple to add apple cider vinegar to a meal, a splash on salads or in marinades, vinaigrettes, and sauces.
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ALWAYS CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR: Vinegar can interact with diabetes medication. It shouldn't be used if you have certain health conditions like gastroparesis, a digestive disorder in which the stomach empties slowly.
Can apple cider vinegar help with weight loss?
Taking vinegar before or with a meal may help you feel full faster and lose weight.
A study published in 2018 tracked weight loss in two groups of people over a 12-week period. Both groups ate fewer calories. One group also had 30 millilitres of apple cider vinegar a day.
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At the end of the study, the vinegar group lost more weight. They also lost more visceral fat. Visceral fat is the fat that forms around the organs in your abdomen, and it is linked to a higher risk of heart disease.
