APPLE CIDER VINEGAR:
Like salt, vinegar has a long and illustrious history. It’s been traced to Egyptian urns as far back as
3000 B.C., and Hippocrates, known as the father of medicine, used it to treat his patients. The
Babylonians used vinegar as a condiment and preservative, while Julius Caesar’s army used it in a
tonic to help maintain health and ward off disease. The Greeks and Romans kept vessels filled with
vinegar for healing and flavoring in Biblical times it was used as an antiseptic and a healing agent—it’s
even mentioned in the Bible. Christopher Columbus and his crew brought along barrels of vinegar to
prevent scurvy on their trip to discover America. And for centuries the feared Samurai warriors in
Japan drank it for strength and power.
But, similar to the situation with salt, the vinegar that appears on most dinner tables today is a far cry
from the substance our ancestors used for staying healthy. Just as salt has been refined and “purified”
over the years to such an extent that it no longer possesses any of its health-giving components, the
same is true with vinegar. In fact, the most popular vinegar in supermarkets today is actually a clear,
white version created by a food chemist from coal tar!! And because uninformed consumers often buy
with their eyes, most people purchase this poor imitation of the real thing because it "looks good",
although it has no real nutritional value.
They don’t know what they’re missing because natural (undistilled), raw apple cider vinegar (ACV) is
one of nature’s most perfect foods. And health pioneers Paul and Patricia Bragg made it part of their
life’s work to re-educate the public about its many virtues. One of the main reasons raw, unpastuerized
ACV is so good for you is that it contains cobweb-like substances called “the mother,” which can,
unfortunately, make the mixture look cloudy and downright unappetizing to people with its floating
“globs of brown stuff” at the bottom. Some people might even mistakenly think that it’s a sign that the
vinegar has “gone bad,” when actually just the opposite is true. Distilling not only destroys “the
mother” and powerful enzymes, but also removes life-giving minerals like potassium, silicon, and trace
elements. The distillation process also destroys the natural malic and tartaric acids, which are
important in fighting body toxins and inhibiting unfriendly bacteria. So distilled vinegars are basically
just flavoring agents and nothing more.
But fortunately, because of the Braggs and other natural health practitioners, people are now re-
discovering the many benefits of ACV, which are many!
It helps:
• promote youthful skin & a healthy body
• remove artery plaque & body toxins
• fight germs, viruses, bacteria & mold naturally
• retard the aging process in humans, pets & farm animals
• regulate calcium metabolism
• keep blood the right consistency
• regulate menstruation & relieve PMS & UTI
• normalize urine pH, relieving the frequent urge to urinate
• digestion, assimilation & balance pH
• relieve sore throats, laryngitis & throat tickles, and cleans out throat & gum toxins
• detox the body so sinus, asthma & flu sufferers can breathe easier & more normally
• banish acne & athlete’s foot, & soothe burns & sunburns
• treat itchy scalp, baldness, dry hair, dandruff, rashes, & shingles
• fight arthritis & remove crystals & toxins from joints, tissues, organs & the entire body
• control & normalize body weight
Wow! That’s quite a list for something so simple and inexpensive! And it can be used as a mouthwash,
to help relieve constipation, improve memory, alleviate “brain fog,” and much more! Many famous
people and health practitioners make a habit of drinking the “tonic” listed in A Healthier You from the
Inside Out, where you combine 1-2 tsps. ACV with 1-2 tsps. honey in 8 oz. distilled or filtered water,
several times a day. Women going through menopause have had great success in dealing with hot
flashes by taking the mixture 3 to 4 times a day. Paul Wenner, the creator of Gardenburger, used it as
part of his asthma cure, and Gabriel Cousens, MD, author of Conscious Eating and Spiritual Nutrition,
has said that “The use of Bragg organic apple cider vinegar is a wonderful health aid, the #1 food I
recommend in helping to maintain the body’s vital acid-alkaline balance.”
And for those of you out there interested in shedding some pounds, you will be happy to know that
ACV helps with that, as well. Since it naturally supports your body in getting rid of excess fluids, and
works to speed up a slow metabolism and "curb" your appetite, you’ll have yet one more reason for
adding ACV to your daily health regimen.
AND ACV can clean almost anything in your house. Just add liquid castile soap, filtered water, and
essential oil (optional) to some ACV and you have an environmentally-friendly mixture for cleaning
floors, the bathroom, kitchen, etc. It can also be used as a fabric softener and in the wash cycle to
prevent fabrics from fading. Try vinegar and water as a non-toxic way to clean windows, but be sure to
use a micro fabric cloth for wiping—instead of newspaper, which contains toxic dyes. And you can help
keep your drains unclogged by sprinkling some baking soda down them, followed by ACV. Let the
mixture bubble for 15 min., then rinse with hot water. Baking soda and ACV also makes a wonderful
spa-like bath for soaking away aches and pains and detoxing the body. It’s almost hard to believe that
something so simple and inexpensive could have so many benefits and uses! No home should be
without it!
For more information about ACV and ways to incorporate it into your daily health routine, check out
the book by Paul C. and Patricia Bragg titled Apple Cider Vinegar: Miracle Health System.
Back to "To Your Health"
| "May you be blessed with all things good." |
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Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
The products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The information
is provided as a guideline only, and is not meant to substitute for the advice of your physician,
nutritionist, trained health care practitioner, and/or inner guidance system. When in doubt,
always consult a professional before undertaking any change to your normal health routine.
The products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The information
is provided as a guideline only, and is not meant to substitute for the advice of your physician,
nutritionist, trained health care practitioner, and/or inner guidance system. When in doubt,
always consult a professional before undertaking any change to your normal health routine.