At any one time, some health trends arising while others are falling.
One health trend which seems to stick around persistently through it all is Apple cider vinegar, also known simply as "ACV."
Apple cider vinegar is recommended widely for a whole range of health conditions.
You might wonder whether it is a gimmick or whether ACV really does deliver on its promise.
As it turns out, apple cider vinegar is a potent home remedy which can successfully treat many different health problems, while also providing improvements in appearance.
In this article, you will learn all about these benefits in detail.
But first, let's learn a little bit more about apple cider vinegar and that you need to know when shopping for your first bottle of ACV.
What Is Apple Cider Vinegar?
First of all, what is apple cider vinegar, and what makes it different from other types of vinegar? How is it made?
Apple cider vinegar is exactly what the name indicates - a type of vinegar made from cider or apple must.
If you do not know what "must" is, it simply refers to freshly pressed fruit juice which contains seeds, stems and skins from the fruit.
You can recognize apple cider vinegar at the grocery store instantly because of its recognizable amber hue.
It stands out from other vinegars on the shelf, like white vinegar, which is completely clear in color.
While many people use apple cider vinegar as a supplement, it is also used in cooking.
ACV may be used to make marinades, salad dressings, or vinaigrettes. It may also be an ingredient in chutneys. Sometimes it is used to create food preservatives as well.
Filtered vs. Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar
While you are shopping for apple cider vinegar, you will notice that there are two distinct types of ACV.
Some bottles contain entirely clear liquid, while others contain liquid with a cloudy, almost cobweb-like appearance.
The distinction here is whether or not the apple cider vinegar has been filtered. When ACV is filtered, you get the clear amber liquid.
The cloudy apple cider vinegar you see is the unfiltered ACV, which still contains what is known as the "mother."
What is the "mother?" This is the cobweb-looking structure which you see in the unfiltered liquid as you can see below.
It is comprised of a collection of enzymes, proteins, and beneficial bacteria.
You will notice as you do research on apple cider vinegar that many proponents of ACV believe that you should only buy the unfiltered apple cider vinegar which still contains the "mother."
This is because they attribute the health benefits of apple cider vinegar to the presence of the "mother."
At this point, however, research studies have not definitively proven that this is the case.
Neither form of apple cider vinegar appears to be significantly more beneficial than the other.
That means that you can purchase either filtered or unfiltered apple cider vinegar and get the same excellent benefits either way.
It is totally up to you. I will share a few buying recommendations with you at the end of this article.
Always Dilute Your ACV
Apple cider vinegar is very strong stuff. It has even been implicated in soft tissue injury from consumption and topical use ( 1).
This is because it is very acidic. As a result it can literally burn your throat or mouth.
For this reason, you should dilute apple cider vinegar before you swallow it. A good ratio is about 10 to 1, with water comprising the bulk of the mixture.
It is also smart to rinse out your mouth when you are finished.
This is because apple cider vinegar's high acidity can wear down your teeth's enamel. Rinsing ensures that this does not happen.
On the whole, you should also find that watering down your apple cider vinegar makes it significantly easier to down.
Many people find the acidity quite overwhelming, even when the ACV is diluted.
That being said, there are others who find apple cider vinegar quite palatable, and even enjoy the taste.
If you do feel a need to take some of the edge off of the ACV while you are drinking it, I recommend mixing in a little honey to smooth and sweeten it out a bit.
You may also find that drinking this mixture warm is easier than drinking it cold.
Now, let us learn about some of the exciting health benefits that you can look forward to when you start using apple cider vinegar in your cooking or as a supplement.
As you will discover, there are even some benefits for topical use.
How Much Apple Cider Vinegar Should You Drink? (Dosage)
You know that 10:1 is a good dilution ratio in terms of water to apple cider vinegar, but you probably are still wondering what an appropriate dosage would be.
Actually, there is no particular amount which is currently recommended as the "correct" dosage.
This is because apple cider vinegar is still considered an "unproven" home remedy, despite the research already backing up its effectiveness.
That being said, most people who are supplementing with the liquid form of ACV drink anywhere from a teaspoon to a tablespoon of it daily.
This is not a lot, so one bottle of ACV should last you through many uses if you are sticking with this dosage.
You also may be wondering whether you can drink the "mother" if you purchase unfiltered apple cider vinegar.
The answer to that question is, "Yes, definitely."
It is true that the mother looks a bit "odd," but it is entirely edible. Indeed, it is very nutritious, so you should drink it.
You know that 10:1 is a good dilution ratio in terms of water to apple cider vinegar, but you probably are still wondering what an appropriate dosage would be
What About Taking Apple Cider Vinegar Pills?
Right now you may be wondering why you should drink this stuff at all when you could just take it in the form of a pill.
Well, you can take ACV in pill form if you want, but it is not the best idea.
First of all, how much vinegar is in these supplements is hard to specify ( 36). The linked study is from 2005, and shows that many ACV pills do not contain much actual vinegar at all.
There is also the risk of esophageal burns, as once transpired when a woman got an ACV tablet lodged in her throat.
Thankfully this is quite unlikely, but it is still possible.
For these reasons, it is more sensible to simply drink the ACV directly.
It will not get stuck in your throat, and if you appropriately dilute it, it will not burn your esophagus.
You also will know for sure that you are imbibing vinegar.
37 Health Benefits and Household Uses of Apple Cider Vinegar
Below are the 37 apple cider vinegar health benefits and uses:
1. Vinegar contains high amounts of acetic acid along with other nutrients.
The process used to make apple cider vinegar ( 2) involves the use of yeast to ferment crushed apples.
This causes the sugars which are present to be converted into alcohol.
Bacteria are then added to the mixture.
The bacteria then ferment the alcohol itself, which results in acetic acid.
This is the key active ingredient in ACV.
Apple cider vinegar also is rich in potassium, antioxidants, and amino acids.
There is not a lot mineral or vitamin content, but thankfully, there also are not a lot of calories.
In fact, one tablespoon of ACV only contains about three calories.
2. Apple cider vinegar is antimicrobial.
Vinegar has antimicrobial properties, which makes it a good disinfectant. It can effectively kill bacteria ( 3).
Indeed, the use of various forms of vinegar to disinfect wounds has been going on for thousands of years. Hippocrates himself was reported to have done so.
Because vinegar can inhibit E. coli and other bacteria, it makes an excellent preservative for food ( 4, 5, 6, 7).
Vinegar is entirely natural, so it does a great job preventing food from spoiling without introducing any contamination.
3. ACV may have benefits for skin care.
Perhaps owing in part to its antibacterial qualities, vinegar has been demonstrated to be effective in combating acne.
Most of the evidence which supports the use of apple cider vinegar in treating acne is anecdotal, but there is some scientific research backing it up.
For example, this study ( 8) mentions that "vinegar is the safest and most effective natural treatment for hyperpigmentation."
Hyperpigmentation is a post-inflammatory process which may occur following severe acne, especially if deep infection was involved.
The darker pigment can stick around for years following such an infection, even if the acne itself has cleared up.
While there are laser and topical treatments for this condition, those with sensitive skin, dark skin tones, or active breakouts cannot use them.
Vinegar, on the other hand, is natural and relatively gentle.
This is why it is a more suitable treatment for a wider range of skin types.
Also, consider that vinegar may be able to fight bacteria during an active acne outbreak.
This could feasibly prevent hyperpigmentation from forming in the first place.
Now, I do want to mention something about the very sensitive skin on your face.
While ACV is relatively gentle, it can be a bit harsh if it is not diluted sufficiently and it is applied directly to your face.
I have found from personal experience this can cause some irritation. Sometimes it also seems to dry out my skin a bit.
So I would make sure that the ACV is diluted quite a bit if you are going to put it directly on your face.
If you do find ACV irritates your skin, just use it elsewhere on your body.
4. With apple cider vinegar, you may be able to control your blood sugar and combat diabetes.
For those who are diabetic or pre-diabetic, control of blood sugar levels is of critical importance.
Diet can help to keep blood sugar levels stable (particularly low-carb diets), but ACV may also assist.
Vinegar can improve insulin sensitivity during meals which are high in carbohydrates by as much as 34% while also reducing blood sugar ( 9).
In fact, blood sugar may be reduced by as much as 34% during the consumption of white bread ( 10).
Those who partake of just two tablespoons of ACV before bed can reduce their blood sugar levels while fasting by 4% ( 11).
The studies above are just a few examples. There are much more which likewise demonstrate that vinegar can lead to reductions in blood glucose and increases in insulin sensitivity ( 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17).
5. Apple cider vinegar can help to reduce triglycerides.
Researchers in Japan took a look at the triglyceride levels of obese subjects ( 18).
They discovered that ACV reduced triglyceride levels.
They also discovered that body weight and fat mass reduced in participants who used ACV.
They hypothesized that this might have something to do with ACV switching on genes which aid in the breakdown of fats.
At the end of the study, the researchers concluded that "Daily intake of vinegar might be useful in the prevention of metabolic syndrome by reducing obesity."
6. Apple cider vinegar may aid in weight loss through more than one mechanism.
You already know from the study above that apple cider vinegar may affect genes associated with fat breakdown.
It turns out however that this may not be the only mechanism through which ACV can help speed along weight loss.
A couple of studies have shown that this works even with high-carb diets.
If vinegar is taken with meals, it can improve satiety. This, in turn, can average out to dieters eating 200-275 fewer calories throughout the day ( 19, 20).
Mathematically speaking, this will result in improvements in weight.
7. Apple cider vinegar can help reduce stubborn belly fat.
Having a hard time getting rid of that visceral fat around your abdomen?
You are hardly alone. This fat is notoriously tough to get rid.
But you definitely want to get rid of it, because this visceral fat is associated with a whole range of health problems.
Some of those include metabolic dysfunction, inflammation, and insulin resistance ( 21).
A low-carb diet can help with this problem, and so can drinking vinegar on a daily basis ( 22).
The study above does not show a dramatic reduction, but any amount of excess fat loss from the abdominal region helps.
8. Potentially reduce cholesterol and blood pressure to prevent heart disease.
According to animal studies, consuming ACV can result in improvements in both triglycerides (as previously mentioned) and cholesterol ( 23, 24).
Additionally, apple cider vinegar contains powerful antioxidants such as chlorogenic acid.
Chlorogenic acid can prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol.
This can prevent heart disease ( 25, 26).
There are also indications (also from animal studies) that vinegar may be effective in reducing blood pressure ( 27, 28).
Does this mean that this is true for humans as well? Right now, the evidence is pretty sparse.
The only relevant study is this one ( 29), which showed a reduced risk of heart disease among women who ate vinegar in salad dressings.
Correlation, however, does not prove causality. It only demonstrates an association.
So right now, more research is needed.
9. Possibly prevent or treat cancer.
While there is a lot of buzz about apple cider vinegar and cancer prevention, right now there is not a lot of evidence.
Still, there is some. There are a few studies which indicate that vinegar may be effective in killing cancer cells, but all have been conducted in test tubes or on animals subjects ( 30, 31, 32, 33).
The majority of the studies also have focused on rice vinegar rather than ACV.
This does not mean that the results could not potentially apply to humans using apple cider vinegar, but there is no way to know without doing the research.
There are also a couple of relevant observational studies.
In one study, an association was shown between drinking vinegar and decreased esophageal cancer rates ( 34).
In the other, however ( 35), it was associated with an increase in bladder cancer.
This emphasizes why it is so important to get solid answers instead of making medical assumptions.
10. Maintain your energy levels throughout the day.
You already know that apple cider vinegar can regulate blood sugar levels.
You also know that you can get enzymes and potassium from ACV.
Spiking your blood sugar may result in a brief burst of energy, but this is typically followed up by increased fatigue ( 37).
The enzymes and potassium coupled with the regulatory effects of ACV on blood sugar help to prevent these spikes and keep energy levels stable and high throughout the day.
11. ACV can be used to clean your produce.
Previously, I mentioned using apple cider vinegar to preserve food against spoiling.
You also can use it to clean your food for the same reason.
The antibacterial properties of apple cider vinegar make it an effective cleanser for fruits and vegetables ( 38).
To use this technique, simply dilute some vinegar in warm water and add a little table salt.
Use this mixture to gently wash your produce.
Doing so will kill germs while removing any residue which may be present on the skin of the fruits or veggies.
This is more effective than just washing with water.
12. Fight a candida infection.
If you have ever suffered from a candida infection, you know how notoriously difficult they are to treat or cure.
Apple cider vinegar has antifungal properties.
Researchers have discovered that it can be an effective therapy in treating candida infections ( 39).
Topical or internal application may both be useful if you are trying to kill such an infection.
13. ACV may be useful as a deodorant.
This is largely an anecdotal use, but some people say that apple cider vinegar works as a deodorant, especially for getting rid of unwanted foot odors.
It is likely that this works because ACV is antibacterial and antifungal.
Fungi and bacteria which accumulate on your feet may produce an unpleasant smell.
The apple cider vinegar can combat these unwanted bacteria and fungi, however, reducing or eliminating their presence.
This in turn reduces the odor.
On that note, I have also had some success treating athlete's foot with apple cider vinegar.
This is entirely anecdotal, as I have not found any studies confirming the effectiveness.
But during particularly stubborn flares, I have found that soaking my feet in ACV for a few minutes has a more pronounced effect than applying over-the-counter treatments.
As such, I can recommend this usage from my own personal experience.
I should note that I experienced a slight "burning" sensation when soaking my feet, particularly in the location where the athlete's foot was concentrated.
But this was not particularly painful, and there were no ill effects. It seems indeed that it was simply an indication that it was working.
14. Possibly fight acid reflux.
Apple cider vinegar is often recommended as a home remedy for heartburn/acid reflux.
This might sound odd, considering that ACV is highly acidic.
The idea, however, is that downing the ACV may buffer the acid in your gut.
I have searched for studies to back this up, but have only found one so far, a study on a proprietary product called GutsyGum™ ( 40).
It was a small study, with only 24 participants.
The gum also contained other ingredients alongside ACV, including papain and licorice extract.
Personally, I have not had success in treating my heartburn with ACV at all, though I have gotten results from using licorice.
For this reason, I am not sure whether the apple cider vinegar, the licorice, or both might be responsible for the heartburn-fighting effects that the gum demonstrated in the research trial.
At the same time, I have known people who have told me that apple cider vinegar has done a great job fighting their heartburn.
It should also be kept in mind that heartburn can have multiple different causes.
As a result, some treatments which are effective for some people may be ineffective for others, and vice versa.
If you do decide to try treating your heartburn with ACV, I advise that you only take a little and that you do so with caution.
That way you can find out whether it is working for you or not before you start turning it into a routine.
This will prevent you from inadvertently making your heartburn worse.
15. Remove stains from your teeth.
This is more of a cosmetic use than a health use, but how you look has an impact on how you feel about yourself, and how you feel about yourself obviously influences your health.
The high acidity of ACV is not something you should leave in contact with your teeth for long, since it may eat at the enamel.
But if you simply rub it briefly over your teeth (for around one minute), this can lift stains.
The result is a natural whitening effect.
Be sure to rinse your mouth afterward to protect your enamel and the soft tissue of your mouth.
16. Use apple cider vinegar to soothe a sunburn.
Just as ACV is helpful for treating acne and other irritating skin conditions, it may also help to ease the discomfort of a sunburn.
To treat a sunburn with apple cider vinegar, get a warm bath ready, and then pour in 1 cup of ACV.
At this point, you can go ahead and climb in the bath, but I recommend that you also add a quarter cup of coconut oil and some lavender essential oil.
Soak in that bath as long as you need to to get the full soothing effect.
17. Reduce bloating and gas.
I have already discussed ACV as a possible treatment for heartburn. But did you know ACV may also be a helpful treatment for gas and bloating?
In unfiltered ACV, the "mother" contains apple pectin fiber.
Apple pectin fiber can soothe your GI tract, which in turn may alleviate bloating and gas.
Bloating and gas play a role in heartburn, so this is yet another way in which ACV may reduce heartburn symptoms.
But ACV may also reduce gas and bloating related to other digestive issues.
18. Treat constipation.
If you are drinking raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar with the "mother" intact, that same apple pectin fiber which can reduce your gas and bloating may also help to alleviate constipation.
Increasing fiber to decrease constipation is a well-known treatment, one which is documented to be very effective in both adults and children ( 41, 42).
This can be a gentler means of stimulating your bowels than using an over-the-counter laxative.
Over-the-counter laxatives can be unpleasant to take, and may also cause side effects in some patients.
That means that ACV may be a preferable solution in many milder cases of constipation, and may be a better treatment for chronic, recurring blockages.
Taking ACV regularly may even help to prevent constipation from occurring in the future.
19. Boost immune function.
You already know that taking apple cider vinegar can help to soothe your GI tract, and that it can help fight infections.
This may create a healthier, more balanced environment within your GI tract.
This in turn may be more conducive to the healthy intestinal flora which assist you with digestion and which also play a role in your immune system.
20. Possibly detoxify your liver.
I could not find any research yet to support this possible benefit of apple cider vinegar, but it seems worth mentioning if only because it is included in many detoxification products.
It is commonly believed that ACV can help to cleanse the liver.
Until there is some solid scientific evidence to support this, do not take it as a given. But considering how much anecdotal evidence is out there, it seems quire possible that it is true.
21. Treat halitosis.
This is another use which is backed up more by anecdotal use than science, but it also follows logically off of what we already know about ACV.
Bacteria play a role in halitosis (bad breath). Indeed, targeting these bacteria and reducing their numbers may result in improvements ( 43).
We have already discussed the antimicrobial qualities of apple cider vinegar in detail.
Those same qualities may make it useful as a mouthwash.
This may improve oral hygiene and ultimately combat bad breath.
22. Treat poison ivy or bug bites.
Back on the matter of skin-related uses, you can apply apple cider vinegar topically to soothe a reaction to poison ivy or poison oak.
You also can use it to treat bug bites.
23. Possibly treat allergies, sinus infections, the common cold, etc.
If you are looking up apple cider vinegar online, or even if you just bring it up casually in conversation, you are bound to run into people saying it can treat or cure a sinus infection, allergy, cold, or similar health issue.
Right now, the jury is still out on these uses from a scientific perspective. More research is needed to verify whether these claims hold water.
In the meantime, because there is so much anecdotal evidence, these uses are worth discussing and investigating.
So if you do have a sinus infection, allergy or cold, consider taking ACV to treat it.
It may result in improvements, and even if it doesn't, the other health benefits will kick in. This may help you feel better all around.
24. Make your diet and body more alkaline.
Even though apple cider vinegar is acidic, in your body it has an alkalizing effect ( 44).
This effect is considered to be "low," but it still exists.
For this reason, it may be useful in balancing out your body-wide pH.
25. Improve bone health.
Researchers have discovered that there is a link between metabolic acidosis and osteoporosis.
Indeed, bone tissue is highly sensitive, so even minor changes in pH can result in mineral loss and other problems with bone health ( 44).
By improving the alkaline balance in your body as discussed above, you can maintain the structural integrity and strength of your bones.
This may help to prevent osteoporosis.
26. Reduce varicose veins.
This use is more cosmetic than health-related, and also seems to be anecdotal at this point. More research is required to support it.
Nonetheless, some people claim that they have been able to reduce the appearance of varicose veins by rubbing ACV on their skin with witch hazel.
If you try this, do it for a couple of weeks and see what happens.
27. Make warts go away.
According to one study ( 45), "Scattered reports suggest that the successive topical application of highly concentrated acetic acid solutions (up to 99%) alleviated warts, presumably due to the mechanical destruction of wart tissue."
So there you have it. If you have warts, apple cider vinegar is one possible solution.
Just make sure you do not burn your skin. Dilute vinegar so that it is strong enough to destroy the wart tissue but not so strong as to damage healthy skin tissue.
28. Recover more effectively after a workout.
If you are attempting to recover from a workout, two things need to happen: your energy stores need to be repleted, and your tissues need to be repaired.
For this, you need muscle glycogen ( 46).
Research indicates that acetic acid can help to boost muscle glycogen repletion ( 47).
The mechanism of this process is not yet fully understood, but the effects have been measured.
That means that taking apple cider vinegar may help you to recover more quickly from your workouts, which can make them more effective and get you back in the gym faster.
29. Treat restless legs syndrome.
Low potassium levels can contribute to restless legs syndrome ( 48).
Apple cider vinegar is high in potassium ( 49).
If you take apple cider vinegar on a regular basis, this can boost your dietary potassium, which may relieve some of your symptoms.
Some people who use this home remedy report that they get great results if they take their ACV right before they go to bed.
Non-Health Uses of Apple Cider Vinegar
Now that you know some of apple cider vinegar's awesome health benefits, let's check out a few great uses for ACV around the house!
30. Get rid of stubborn stains without producing new ones.
I have this bright blue shirt which is made of some kind of really fussy fabric. The first time I ever washed it, I used standard detergent, and the detergent itself left stains all over it.
I was very frustrated, and determined to get the shirt clean, so I did some research, and saw apple cider vinegar recommended.
I gave it a try, and all the stains came out, and the shirt came out spectacularly clean.
And remember, the antimicrobial properties of ACV mean that it is also acting to disinfect your clothes when you wash them.
Some people say that it works great as a fabric softener as well.
I have not noticed this, but it does soften hair (more on that in a bit), so I can see where this effect would come from.
So from personal experience, I can strongly recommend ACV as a natural detergent.
It can get out all kinds of stains, and unlike detergent, it will never leave them (so far as I can tell), even on sensitive fabrics.
31. Use ACV to decontaminate surfaces throughout your home.
Because apple cider vinegar is antimicrobial, you can use it to wipe down surfaces all around the house.
You may find it particularly useful for this purpose in the kitchen, since it is 100% safe, natural, and healthy.
It is a good choice on surfaces where you do not want to use harsh chemicals.
32. Keep fleas at bay.
Does your pet have fleas? If so, apple cider vinegar may be the safe, natural solution you have been looking for.
ACV is not capable of killing fleas, but fleas do not like the smell or the taste.
As a result, they will generally avoid the stuff.
To keep fleas away from your pet, you have several different options:
- Dilute apple cider vinegar into your pet's bathing water.
- Add a little ACV to your pet's drinking water (around one teaspoon of vinegar per quart of water). Gradually introducing the ACV works best, because if you try to do it all at once, your pet may refuse to drink it. So start with a lower dilution, and work your way up.
- Dilute ACV and water in a 1:1 ratio in a spray bottle, and use that before heading outside or whenever you notice fleas on your pet. You can also spray surfaces around the house.
You can do this with dogs and cats alike. It will not get rid of fleas entirely, but if you are persistent, it can greatly reduce the hassles you have with them.
33. Deter ants.
Ants also are not fond of ACV, so if you spray it where you see ant trails, you can disrupt them.
You can also use it to create perimeters to try and keep ants away from specific areas in your home and yard.
34. Clean alkaline battery corrosion from terminals.
If you pop the batteries out of an old device after they have been sitting in there for a long time, you may notice there is some corrosion left behind.
Get a cotton swab and dip the end in apple cider vinegar, and gently apply it to the battery terminals.
This will cause a reaction with the alkaline corrosion, neutralizing it and removing it.
Make sure all the vinegar is cleaned out of the compartment before you insert new batteries.
35. Clean a humidifier.
The antifungal properties of apple cider vinegar may prove useful when it comes to cleaning out mold from your humidifier.
To do this, take out the filter and rinse the humidifier with water first.
Then pour some ACV into the tank. Do something else for about half an hour. Several times, come by and swish the ACV around a bit.
After thirty minutes or so have elapsed, pour the ACV out.
Rinse the humidifier with water again and wait for it to dry.
36. Get hair dye to set.
If you use temporary hair dyes, you know that many of them last only a few weeks, and some may start fading significantly within just a few days (especially lighter colors).
If you want to get your hair dyes to last longer, you can apply apple cider vinegar right after dying your hair.
Do this by rinsing out the dye in the shower as usual, and then simply dilute some apple cider vinegar in a cup of water (you just need a couple of tablespoons), and then pour it over your hair.
Do not rinse it out. Just wait for your hair to dry, and the smell will come out.
I do not know why this locks the dye into the hair, but it seems to be very effective, to the point where even dye manufacturers sometimes recommend it.
It may add days or weeks onto your semi-permanent dye duration, especially if you do not shampoo too often.
37. Make a fantastic hair rinse.
Another excellent cosmetic use of apple cider vinegar which I can recommend from personal experience is as a hair rinse.
This works just like I described above with the dye setting. You just get a cup and add a couple tablespoons of ACV, and then fill the rest with water.
Pour it over your hair after you wash it, and wait for it to dry.
You can do this as often as you want, but I find about once a week works best. More than that, and I seem to irritate my skin.
When I use ACV hair rinse, my hair is much softer, smoother and shinier.
It is a lot less matted and tangled, and the rinse seems to work very well to get rid of hard water residue.
My hair also has more body and is more manageable.
You can make your apple cider vinegar hair rinse even more effective by brewing it with herbs like rosemary, lavender, horsetail, or so on. You can even choose herbs for specific purposes (hair growth, hair lightening, and so on).
To do this, just fill a tea ball with the herbs you want to use. Pour ACV in a saucepan and add the tea ball. Heat it to a boil so that the herbs infuse the vinegar.
Take it off the heat, wait for it to cool down, and put it in a jar. Store it in the fridge. Because a little bit goes a long way, it will last for ages before it runs out.
Simple Apple Cider Vinegar Recipes
If you buy the liquid ACV, you can of course simply dilute it in a glass of water and drink it, but you do not have to always take your ACV this way. You can also use it in recipes for foods and beverages. Here are a few simple ones.
1. ACV in Grapefruit Juice
Ingredients:- 1 ½ cups of grapefruit juice
- 1-2 tablespoons of ACV
- 2 teaspoons of organic honey
Just combine all the ingredients thoroughly and enjoy.
The bitter taste of the grapefruit juice does a good job of masking the bitterness of the ACV.
You can also do this with other bitter juices like cranberry juice. The honey mellows out the entire recipe so it goes down smoothly.
2. ACV Detox in a Glass
Ingredients:- 12-16 ounces of warm water
- 2 tablespoons of ACV
- 1 teaspoon of ginger (ground)
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon raw honey
- ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
- Cayenne pepper to taste
Mix everything together and drink it down.
This beverage is best enjoyed warm, but you can wait for it to cool down if you want.
3. Apple Cider Vinegar Vinaigrette
Ingredients:- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 1-2 tablespoons raw honey
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Stir all the ingredients together. Do not use the dressing right away. Instead, wait at least half an hour before you pour it over your salad and enjoy.
This dressing should keep well for as long as a week, but you need to shake it before you use it.
4. Apple Cider Vinegar Coleslaw
Ingredients:- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup of carrots (shredded)
- 4 cups of green cabbage (shredded)
- 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon ground celery seed
- ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Begin by combining the shredded carrots and cabbage in a bowl.
- Get a smaller bowl and add the other ingredients. Stir them together until they are thoroughly combined.
- Pour these combined ingredients over your carrots and cabbage.
- Do not serve your coleslaw right away. Put it in the fridge for a minimum of ten minutes.
- After you pull the coleslaw out of the refrigerator, stir it up a bit, then serve.
This is a great recipe since it makes for a fast, easy and healthy side dish.
You can prepare it just a few minutes before a meal and it will taste great, but if you prepare it several hours before, it will taste even better.
Conclusion: Apple Cider Vinegar Has Numerous Benefits and Uses
If you are looking for an all-around great supplement for your health which also doubles as a handy household cleaning agent and more, apple cider vinegar is a must-have in your kitchen.
Once you stock up on it, you will wonder how you ever lived without it!
