6 Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

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Boost your overall wellness with apple cider vinegar! Learn how ACV can help you ward off infection, boost digestion, improve weight loss, and increase energy.
Apple cider vinegar (ACV for short) is a superfood health elixir that has been around for centuries. Apple cider vinegar is typically used as a natural remedy to boost immune health, fight off infections, and improve digestion. The acidic liquid is touted as a powerful remedy, but what does the science say about these apple cider vinegar health benefits and how can they change your life?

What Is Apple Cider Vinegar?​

Apple cider vinegar is made from fresh, crushed apples which are aged in wooden barrels. Wood is used because of its ability to boost the natural fermentation process, as compared to other materials. It’s important to keep the cobweb-like substances, the mother, in the product (unfiltered) for the most nutrient benefit. The more mature the ‘mother’ is, the more nutrients there will be. It’s no secret that ACV is pungent, to say the least. After all, it is vinegar!

6 Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar​

1. Supports Gut Health​

Apple cider vinegar helps increase the acidity of the stomach, in turn helping your body create more pepsin, the digestive enzyme that breaks down protein in the digestive tract. The real benefit comes from improving stomach acid production, which is crucial for the digestive process of the foods that we eat.1 When people don’t make enough stomach acid naturally, they may experience uncomfortable bloating and gas. Gut health tops our list of apple cider vinegar health benefits because it serves as a natural home remedy for bloating and digestive symptoms.

2. Supports Digestion​

You may know apple cider vinegar as something people drink on an empty stomach when following intermittent fasting. However, whether you intermittent fast or not, apple cider vinegar helps support gut health and digestion because it contains pectin. Pectin is a naturally occurring soluble fiber that acts as a prebiotic. Prebiotics are the precursors to the production of healthy bacteria in the gut which is important in fighting off infection, keeping your gut in optimal function, and aiding with the digestion and absorption of food.2 In short, pectin enhances the effect of probiotics while creating more effective delivery systems for nutrients in the gut.3
Related: Is Poor Digestion Wreaking Havoc on Your Gains?

3. Supports Weight Management & Suppresses Appetite​

Losing weight is no easy feat and apple cider vinegar can be a tool that can make it just a little bit easier. Apple cider vinegar contains natural enzymes and acids that can actually reduce appetite, regulate digestion, and increase feelings of fullness in an effort to control hunger. If you’re full for longer, you’re not going to eat as many calories. Fewer calories mean less energy consumed, consequently leading to a caloric deficit and eventual weight loss.
By combining ACV with a whole food diet, you can really boost the apple cider vinegar health benefits. In fact, studies have shown that healthy weight management is more easily achieved. A few studies have actually shown that those who consume ACV, as compared to those who did not, we’re able to obtain better results and weight management in conjunction with a caloric deficit and regular exercise.4,5

4. Supports Healthy Immune System Function​

Whether it is the middle of summer or the height of flu season, nobody likes missing workouts because they’re sick. If you’re looking to take a preventative measure and get ahead of an infection before it gets you, then supplementing with ACV can be a great way to do it. As mentioned previously, pectin’s role as a prebiotic supports the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut.6 When our bodies have healthy gut bacteria, we flourish and do a great job of protecting against pathogens. When combined with other minerals and vitamins from the natural fermentation process, the apple cider vinegar health benefits are seen with optimal immune system function and body optimization.7

5. Improves Natural Energy Production​

Athletes and active lifestyles are used to the build-up of lactic acid in the body which leads to soreness, fatigue, and stiffness. By supplementing your nutrition and routine with apple cider vinegar, you can increase your daily intake of potassium, helping to alleviate these effects of exercise.8 Not to mention by increasing your intake of b-vitamins, like B6, B9, and B12, you can boost your body’s natural energy production, especially when combined with a diet full of quality protein, carbohydrates, and fats.3 Fight exercise fatigue with ACV and the power of b-vitamins.

6. Supports Heart Health​

The last apple cider vinegar health benefit we’ll touch on has to do with vitamin B12 and folic acid and how they help support heart health. Since these naturally occur in ACV, studies have shown that when taken regularly, ACV can help reduce LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and support positive cardiovascular health.9 If you take ACV as a gummy and get some of the extra antioxidants, like pomegranate and beetroot, you can increase the heart health support benefits of your ACV.

Alternative To ACV Liquid - Gummies​

Instead of tasting the vinegar, taste the apple and get all the benefits of drinking the acetic liquid with apple cider vinegar gummies. Not only is the harsh vinegar taste masked, but they come with a variety of other ingredients you won’t find in ACV liquid to increase the health benefits and absorption. As compared to traditional ACV liquid, are often infused with superfoods like beetroot and pomegranate, enriched with vitamins (B6, B9, B12), and their great-tasting, delicious smelling, and way better for your tooth enamel than the harsh vinegar alternative. Make sure to take a gummy that has the mother or unrefined ACV so that you get the maximum nutrient benefit.

Conclusion​

All in all, the apple cider vinegar health benefits outweigh not taking it, in our opinion. With the science catching up to ACV after centuries of it being used, why wouldn’t you supplement your health with it? ACV proves to be a simple, straightforward, and easy way to boost your overall wellness. By taking a preventative approach to your health, you can ward off infection, boost digestion, improve weight loss efforts, and see natural rises in your energy. We definitely recommend drinking ACV liquid with water and a straw to protect your tooth enamel, or better yet, opt for a gummy.