You may not be able to live forever, but taking a daily dose of pure, unfiltered, raw, apple cider vinegar may be the best thing for extending your lifespan to its max. It comes from the concentrated goodness of apples and is packed with essential amino acids and enzymes. Some even claim it’s a cure-all for everything that ails us.
Is apple cider vinegar really a remedy for all the ills of this world? Consider this: The stars are made of a number of chemicals, including acetic acid, the main component of vinegar. So perhaps there is more truth to the power of ACV than we realize!
Traditional medical systems are designed to respond to illness, but extending life and supporting health is achieved by good eating practices, and that should include adequate nutrients and a teaspoon of the golden liquid every day, which may be as close as we’ll ever get to the fountain of youth. It will aid general health, prevent disease, control weight, ease coughs, colds and breathing difficulties, fight germs, and settle your digestion.
Apple cider vinegar is made from fermented apple cider and gets its color from tannins which flow from the ruptured cell walls of fresh ripe apples. When these naturally occurring colorless preservatives come into contact with air, they develop the rich golden color we associate with cider. This is called enzymatic browning and it contributes to the distinctive flavor of cider. First the cider is fermented into an alcoholic beverage (hard cider), then it’s fermented again and the result is vinegar.
ACV contains more than 30 important nutrients, a dozen minerals, essential acids, enzymes, and pectin. Scientists have identified 93 different volatile components:
- 7 Hydrocarbons
- 18 Alcohols
- 33 Carbonyls (4 aldehydes and 29 ketones)
- 4 Acids
- 8 Esters (plus 11 lactone esters)
- 7 Bases
- 3 Furans
- 13 Phenols
What does all this chemistry mean to you and your health? ACV is both antiseptic and antibiotic, but researchers are still unsure why it promotes healing.
The first known text describing ACVs medical benefits is from early Assyria, and in 400 BCE, Hippocrates talks about treating his patients with apple cider vinegar. It was used in Biblical times as a dressing to treat wounds and infectious sores, and was routinely used during the U.S. Civil War as a wound disinfectant.
How much vinegar should you take every day?
One teaspoon 3x a day is all you need. You can add it to a cup of water with a little honey to taste, drop it into a cup of hot soup, sprinkle it on veggies, or throw it into a fruit smoothie.Be sure to add it when making bone broth. It has the power to draw off the natural collagen protein in bones so you get all the goodness when you drink it.
Apples are highly sprayed with pesticides, and when they’re concentrated down to make cider, then vinegar, those pesticides become concentrated, too. Be sure to purchase only raw, unfiltered, organic apple cider vinegar sold in health food stores and most large chain supermarkets.
Combining vinegar with beneficial plants will give you maximum medicinal value. Herb vinegars have been in use for thousands of years, so trymaking your own herb vinegar by adding some of these:
- Dandelion – a mild laxative and anti-inflammatory that will work with ACV’s natural antiseptic qualities to soothe and heal intestines.
- Myrrh – used as a mouth rinse, it heals sores and soothes red swollen gums. It will also sweeten your breath.
- Sage – acts as a nerve tranquilizer.
- Peppermint – settles and calms the digestive system, and is great for cramps, diarrhea or gas.
- Rosemary – boosts memory and eases dizziness.
- Wormwood – use this externally, sprinkled liberally in infested areas to deter fleas and other insects.
Beta Carotene and Cancer
Aging, heart disease, cancer, and cataracts are just a few of the symptoms of the harm done to the human body by free radicals. They damage chromosomes and are probably responsible for many of the physical changes associated with aging. Powerful antioxidants like the beta carotene found in apple cider vinegar absorb free radicals, making them harmless.
Digestion
There’s a strong link between poor digestion and poor health. ACV is very similar to the chemicals found naturally in the stomach, so it’s an excellent aid to digestion. Try adding a splash to a pot of dried beans. It will make them more tender and digestible.
Memory
Memory loss is one of the most common maladies of our modern times, costing more than $44 billion dollars annually in medical bills. Alzheimer’s and stroke or multi-infarction dementia, poor nutrition, and reactions to prescription drugs rob many of their mental faculties, but information and research continues to pile up in favor of a balanced dose of vital amino acids, vitamins and minerals, all of which can be found in ACV.
Arthritis
Arthritis sufferers spend $8-$10 billion dollars a year searching for relief, yet this simple recipe for ACV tonic supplies the body with the necessary nutrients to relieve pain and slow the progression of arthritis.
Ingredients
- 1/2 grapefruit, washed, peel on, cut into wedges
- 1 orange, washed, peel on, cut into wedges
- 1 lemon, washed, peel on, cut into wedges
- 2 stalks celery, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 4 cups fresh water
- 4 tablespoons raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar
- 4 tablespoons Epsom salts
Method
- Combine all ingredients except vinegar and salts in a saucepan and simmer uncovered for 1 hour.
- Press the softened foods through a sieve and stir in salts and vinegar.
- Add 1/4 of the tonic to 8 ounces of water and drink daily.
Headaches
Add a dash of ACV to the water in a vaporizer and inhale the vapors for 5 minutes. Lay quietly and your headache should be gone within 20 minutes.
Upset Stomach, Gas and Digestive Issues
Add 1 teaspoon each ACV and honey to a glass of warm water and sip slowly.
Sore Throat
Ease the pain of a sore throat by sipping a syrup of 1/2 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, and 3 tablespoons honey. Or make a gargle: Mix 1/2 cup ACV into 1 cup of warm water. This is also a great mouth rinse.
Taking raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar every day will fill the tiny deficiencies that can result in sickness, premature aging and damage to the mind. It should come as no surprise that apple cider vinegar is a time-honored prescription to fix what ails us!
