12 Health Benefits of Vinegar

You might have heard about it in the press, or on TV. Apple cider vinegar, and sometimes, vinegar in general contains enough vitamins to keep you healthy every day. It has essential proteins and sugars to keep your cells young. It’s a wonder tonic!

However, many of these claims have not been supported by research. To tell the truth, apple cider vinegar, and vinegar have very few nutrients, let alone vitamins. They’re not wonder tonics, and neither are they cure-alls.

Vinegar still has some health benefits, owing to the fact that it is an acid. With prudence and an ability to sort trash science from carefully conducted experiments, you’ll find that vinegar has some advantages that can still translate to good health.

1. Apple cider vinegar can be used as a gentle skin toner to remove dead skin cells and dirt. Mix equal parts of apple cider vinegar and water, and apply to skin gently with a cotton ball, taking care to avoid the eye area.

2. Apple cider vinegar applied gently to sunburns can relieve both itch and burns, keeping your skin healthy and supple even when you’ve been in the sun for too long.

3. Vinegar can help you lose weight – though in an indirect manner. Ever tried to go on a full vegetable or fruit diet, or fish diet – and then failed because the food was so bland? You can use vinegar to flavor these foods, making your diet tasty and healthful.

4. A mixture of apple cider vinegar and water can relieve dandruff and itchy scalp. Take care to avoid getting the vinegar in your eyes.

5. Vinegar can help you eat lean meats by acting as a potent meat tenderizer. Just add vinegar to your marinade instead of piling on the salt, sugar, or even ketchup. Vinegar tenderizes lean meats easily. Yes, we know: marbled, fatty meats are more tender and delicious. Try lean pork marinated in a mixture of red wine vinegar, black pepper, sage, onions, garlic, and a dash of turmeric.

6. Vinegar, especially apple cider vinegar, can help you absorb nutrients faster. This is due to the considerable amounts of acid, especially ascorbic acid in apple cider vinegar. Nutrient absorption gets harder as we get older, so vinegar can help you get the most out of your food.

7. Vinegar can actually help prevent osteoporosis, albeit indirectly. Vinegar increases the capacity of your body to absorb calcium, which can be advantageous especially if you are lactose tolerant.

Milk is our most easily absorbed source of calcium, but if you can’t take milk, vinegar can increase your capacity to assimilate calcium from other food sources.

8. Vinegar can help diabetics by slowing down enzymes that break carbohydrates down into simple sugars. Diabetics have a hard time breaking down these simple sugars, leading to heightened levels of blood sugar, which can damage nerves and blood vessels.

Vinegar slows down the breakdown of food, giving the body time to absorb whatever sugar is still left in the bloodstream – and therefore preventing a buildup of sugar that could be potentially disastrous.

9. Vinegar can also help ease hypertension – again, indirectly. Your doctor might have told you to lower the amounts of sodium in your diet, which means you have to stay off salt. But how will you flavor your foods?

Vinegar can add a spicy, multidimensional tang that ordinary salt cannot. You can add vinegar to foods and still enjoy your diet – without resorting to dangerously high levels of sodium that other foods might have.

10. Vinegar plays an indirect role in keeping you safe from heart disease. Remember how those trans-fats make your food oh-so-good? Deep fried foods seem to be richer and even more flavorful than steamed, seared, or baked foods.

Vinegar can substitute for these rich flavors. Try this: instead of frying fish, steam it with some balsamic vinegar and a dash of sesame seed oil. Add lots of garlic and spring onions.

If you’re still craving those deep fried fish and chips, substitute malt vinegar for the tartar sauce. That way, you don’t overload yourself with fats.

11. Vinegar can help keep you from diabetes, and indirectly, by providing a sugar substitute. How? Try adding balsamic vinegar to strawberries, melons, and even avocados. Vinegar brings out the sweetness in these fruits without you having to add sweeteners.

12. You can wash out the dirt, pesticides, and bacteria in fresh produce by soaking produce in 10 parts vinegar diluted in 90 parts water. Just avoid doing this to fragile produce such as berries. The vinegar can wash away debris better than ordinary soap and water can.

You don’t need to drink a cup of apple cider vinegar, nor should you wash your skin in pure vinegar! Mild vinegar solutions can help you stay healthy and even get cleaned up around the house.

Moreover, a little bit of vinegar can add flavor to your foods, which helps when you want to avoid too much sodium in your diet. Substitute vinegar for mayonnaise, salt, and other condiments that are high in fat or sugar.

So whether you’re having some apple cider vinegar with your salad, or dipping meat in your cane vinegar, you’ll still get some health benefits from it. As long as you keep a balanced diet and exercise regularly, you’ll really stay healthy.