Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) has historically been used as a remedy for numerous health concerns, cooking and preserving food, and as a household cleaner. You may not know it, but ACV is making a comeback as a nutritional superfood!

How is it made?

Vinegar is a product of fermentation. This is a process in which sugars in a food are broken down by bacteria and yeast. In the first stage of fermentation, the sugars are turned into alcohol. Then, when the alcohol ferments further, you get vinegar. The word comes from the French, meaning “sour wine.” While vinegar can be made from many foods – like many fruits, vegetables, and grains – ACV is made from apples.

Organic, unfiltered, unpasteurized ACV (Like Bragg’s or Filsinger’s) is our favourite type to use because it contains a “mother,” or strands of proteins, enzymes and friendly bacteria that give the product a murky, cobweb-like appearance. It is also what gives ACV most of its health benefits and makes it a powerful probiotic and helps to fight off harmful bacteria and other microbes.

How to Use Apple Cider Vinegar:

1 – Digestive Aid

Here at Clinic Intrinsic we recommend ACV often to our patients to help digestion. Full of gut friendly probiotics ACV is great for helping to colonize the digestive tract with healthy flora. It is also helpful to digest fats and proteins. The best way to take it is 1 tsp diluted in a bit of water a few minutes before you eat your meal.

2 – Morning Alkaline Tonic

Starting your day with 1 tsp of ACV, the juice of ½ lemon and 1 tsp of honey in 1.5 cups of warm water is a fabulous way to wake up your body and promote alkalinity.

3 – DIY Facial Toner

It may sound weird but it works! There are lots of DIY recipes for ACV toner out there but here is the basic recipe: For sensitive skin: Mix 1 part apple cider vinegar with 4 parts distilled water and dab onto your face with a cotton ball after cleansing as you would a regular toner. For normal skin: Mix 1 part apple cider vinegar with 2 parts distilled water. For oily skin: Mix 1 part apple cider vinegar with 1 part distilled water.

4 – Blood Sugar Regulator

There are studies that suggest that ACV is anti-glycemic – meaning it helps to stabilize blood sugar after the ingestion of carbohydrates. For this reason ACV has been used to help control diabetes and help with weight-loss. However, before using ACV to help with any health ailment, it is important to check with your healthcare practitioner to be sure that it is right for you.

5 – Clarifying Hair Rinse

Apple cider vinegar can be used as a rinse for your hair after shampooing, and can boost your hair’s body and shine. We recommend recycling an old shampoo bottle, fill it with 1/2 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar and a cup of water. Pour the solution through your hair after shampooing several times a week for effective results.

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