Apple Cider Vinegar

[Bible_Belt]

I am very skeptical of health nut supplement claims, but if I had to pick one supplement as a cure-all magic potion, ACV would be it. I have used it to burn off warts before, but am just discovering its other benefits.

First of all, if you have anything at all wrong with your skin, rip the cotton off a Q-tip, dip it in ACV, and tape it to the sore overnight while you sleep. Warts turn black and fall off. Open sores scab over and heal. The acidity of the vinegar creates an environment in which whatever bacteria, virus, or fungus is causing you problems can no longer live. I have a few patches of psoriasis, and I am planning on trying an ACV bath. Soaking in it will kill any sh!t that is growing on your skin.

I have just recently started consuming ACV, as I've been trying to drop a few pounds and get back in shape. I drink a little off the top of a bottle of water, then pour in some ACV, honey, and a couple ice cubes. Shake it up, and you have a fat-burning potion. Honey is sugar, but it is a natural one that has been used medicinally for all of human history. And it makes vinegar drinkable.

There's one study on mice about ACV, which showed it to "upregulate" the liver cells that secrete an enzyme to make you burn fat instead of storing it. The one study on humans found that consuming ACV made people lose a modest amount of weight, and it was proportional to the amount of ACV they consumed. It's been working for me; I've lost 15 pounds and counting while building muscle at the same time. And I still drink beer.

The health nut people say that you're supposed to use organic ACV. Bragg is the most common brand. I think if you're using the vinegar to burn off skin sores, then it probably does not matter. Acid is acid. But if you're consuming it, you will be drinking such a small amount that you might as well get the organic stuff.

I think ACV is really on the cutting edge of science, and the health nuts are right about this one. I would expect to see more and more scientific evidence of ACV's benefits as time passes. There are a few very preliminary studies that suggest it could fight cancer, lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation, and help the human body in countless ways. ACV is good stuff.

 

[GADavid]

I'll second the skin benefits of ACV. I've removed a few unsightly moles with it. It stings but the next day the pigmented cells are dried out and slough off. Magic. Never tried ingesting it in any quantity though

 

[Bible_Belt]

It's like magic for removing warts. It works better than any over the counter remover, or even treatment from a doctor. Docs will freeze them or cut them, but they almost always grow right back.

My gf is a nurse, but in a specialty that is completely unrelated to dermatology. She had a 6 y/o girl as a patient once. The mother said, "I know this is not what we're here for, but we're desperate at this point and we're asking everyone we know. My daughter keeps getting warts on her face. Nothing is working to remove them. The other kids at school have started making fun of her constantly, and she comes home crying every day. Please can you help us?"

My gf told them she didn't know anything about skin problems, but her bf said that ACV would burn off warts easily; just tape a bit of soaked cotton over it at night. Three weeks later, the mother and little girl were back for a follow-up appointment. The mom was hugging my gf and crying because she was so happy about the ACV working. The warts fell off the little girl's face, and the other kids didn't make fun of her any more.

ACV can't be patented. No one can make money selling it as a wart remover, so it's not on store shelves...despite being the only wart remover that actually works. That gives me a lot of hope about its other benefits. Effective treatment and profitable product in a competitive marketplace are obviously two different things. It might treat a lot of problems, but if no one could make money off it, then we wouldn't ever know.

 

[speed dawg]

I know many people who drink water, ACV and honey combined. Just an overall health promoter. Gets rid of allergies too.

On warts....nail polish does the trick too. I scraped the top off of a big one one time, then covered with nail polish. Extremely painful on both ends, but it killed the wart. It was so big it was denting my thumbnail. Doctors froze it but it always came back.

I'm about convinced that doctors don't know sh*t, they just want you to come back to them and keep spending money. My plan is to stay out of the hospital at all costs.

 

[Sir James]

I drink about half a shot glass a day of ACV and I never get sick. The same way I would a shot of whiskey. It's not that bad, just sour. Do it before you brush your teeth.

 

[VikingKing]

Interesting. My friends mom used to tell me about this stuff. She is a health nut.

 

[alicengo]

interesting! I drink about half a shot glass a day of ACV and I never get sick

 

[TheStig]

Been taking 2 tsp of acv for the last few days...not sure if it's placebo but I've just been feeling good. Will continue for sure.

 

[Jariel]

I drink about half a shot glass a day of ACV and I never get sick. The same way I would a shot of whiskey. It's not that bad, just sour. Do it before you brush your teeth.

Nooo!

The acid will soften the enamel on your teeth, so if you brush straight after, you risk destroying the enamel.

It's better to swill with water and chew some gum to neutralize the acid first. Then brush your teeth later.



Another risk people need to be aware of is that ACV also neutralizes stomach acid, so DO NOT EAT A BIG MEAL STRAIGHT AFTER as you will have problems digesting it and can end up with constipation or worse.

Personally, I've not noticed any difference since taking ACV and about 2 weeks after I started taking it on a daily basis I got a cold, so it certainly did nothing to prevent that or raise my immunity. But it's still early days. Maybe I'll noticed the benefits long term.

 

[DanZy]

Another risk people need to be aware of is that ACV also neutralizes stomach acid, so DO NOT EAT A BIG MEAL STRAIGHT AFTER as you will have problems digesting it and can end up with constipation or worse.

Really? Acetic acid will neutralise hydrochloric acid? Yeah, that's not true

 

[TheStig]

Really? Acetic acid will neutralise hydrochloric acid? Yeah, that's not true

Yeah I thought the same thing. Basic chemistry --> acids and bases neutralize each other. ACV doesn't 'neutralize' stomach acid per se.

Here's my take:

Acid reflux can occur for multiple reasons. One reason is not enough stomach acid. The stomach has to naturally be acidic to digest food. When the stomach low on acid (or thinks it is), it churns to make use of what it has, and production of stomach acid increases, causing discomfort, and some acid to come up (heartburn). ACV just helps restore the natural acidity of the stomach, and signals to cease HCl production (I think stomach acid is HCl). The reason antacids seem to work, is because since they are basic, they weaken the acid that's churning, causing it to be less potent, leading to less pain. Also since basic substances really do neutralize acids, the stomach (or whatever produces it) ramps up acid production. It's not actually fixing the problem.

There's also a muscle called the Lower Esophagal Sphincter (LES). It connects the esophagus to the stomach. When food passes through, it opens, otherwise it's closed. Too high of a pH level (basic) causes it to relax and stay open. Consuming something acidic (low pH level) tells it to close.

That's my understanding of it anyway, I could be wrong about some things. Ask a doctor or two (or three). But I do know that anytime I've had heartburn (not often), a tsp or two of vinegar clears it right up. Even if I may not know the exact mechanism of action, I know it works.

bradd's above post also glosses over this

TL;DR
There's no way acid can neutralize another acid. The teeth brushing thing makes sense though. Except it'd probably be even better to do a quick swish with milk (as it has a high pH level) to truly neutralize the acid still present on the teeth.

 

[Bible_Belt]

Some people report that taking shots of ACV burns their throat or esophagus, which makes sense.

I've never taken baths since I was a little kid, but I am starting to like soaking in an ACV bath. Doing farm work gives me calloused feet and hands, and the ACV bath eats the dead skin off. I use a half-gallon of the cheap non-organic ACV, which costs about $1.50.

 

[Jariel]

Really? Acetic acid will neutralise hydrochloric acid? Yeah, that's not true

This is a big misunderstanding. It won't directly neutralise stomach acid, but it puts the body into a more alkaline state, which in turn lowers stomach acid.

There are a lot of studies on the whole PH balance of the body. I'm not sure I buy into all the claims, but it seems a lot of acidic foods will actually lower the body's acidity.

 

[JohnChops]

to neutralize the acidic solution on your enamel, drink water with fluoride, it will act as a base and neutralize the acetic acid that could be on your teeth + in crevices as well where food may get gunked up.

 

[Desdinova]

Over the last few years, I've developed an acid reflux problem. I'll get a pain in my chest and it'll shoot up into my head and give me a massive headache. It doesn't affect me all that much, usually just when I've got a bit of stress in my life. The doctor prescribed me some pills to prevent it, but I honestly don't see the point of purchasing and taking a daily pill to eliminate something that only occasionally bothers me.

Enter ACV. When I get that pain in my chest, I swallow a cap full of ACV. It's fvcking harsh going down, but within minutes it knocks out the pain and I get instant relief.

I've also used ACV to kill warts.

 

[Sprayarc]

Does it have to be organic? I found some non organic laying around the house, diluted to 5%, drank I shot of it.

 

[speed dawg]

Hmmm, since I posted on this topic, I've asked my doctor the exact same question. He tells me ingesting more acidic foods will only make the problem worse, which for the most part has been true for me. Most citric juices, red pasta/pizza sauces, etc. really give me a bad case of heartburn. That, and just eating too much in general. So I don't really know the answer. I eat a lot of basic foods, and I'm interested in getting my body more neutral, so who knows. Any way to actually test your body's pH?

 

[Sprayarc]

Hmmm, since I posted on this topic, I've asked my doctor the exact same question. He tells me ingesting more acidic foods will only make the problem worse, which for the most part has been true for me. Most citric juices, red pasta/pizza sauces, etc. really give me a bad case of heartburn. That, and just eating too much in general. So I don't really know the answer. I eat a lot of basic foods, and I'm interested in getting my body more neutral, so who knows. Any way to actually test your body's pH?

Yeah I actually dug around a bit after I posted this question. Allegedly the raw unfiltered form of Apple cider vinegar contains good bacteria which allow it to alkalize the body.

The internet says that the pasteurized form doesn't alkalize.

 

[Fatal Jay]

Make sure you get bragg's apple cider vinegar, the stuff they sell in the store doesn't work, I been drinking apple cider vinegar for 4 years, its cure almost all diseases. It's a miracle drink that doctors will never tell you about.

It cured my high blood pressure

 

[ubercat]

Speed Dawg
Plenty of simple foods that help alkalize blood. Kale, spinach and cucumber r top 3. I am a bit lazy living on my own so I buy ice cubes of chopped kale and spinach you will find them in the freezer section of your supermarket. adding those to your cooking is an way to get more alkaline food in your week