Apple Cider Vinegar? What Can It Do For Me?

A common product that has been increasing used recently is the Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar, or ACV. It has been used in a variety of ways over the years, but a common use is in weight loss and management. Having had experience working in grocery retail where I have often stocked the Bragg's ACV onto the shelf, I have had customers tell me how it has helped them lose weight. Initially, I was a skeptic about how could one product such as ACV help in losing weight. I always felt that making changes to eating habits and proper exercise was the way to becoming healthier, and that other methods (e.g., diet pills, lose-weight-quick schemes, etc.) may bring you temporary results but not overall effective. It was after I had a conversation with my health and wellness mentor that I decided to research more about the benefits of ACV:


​ACV can help with:

​1. Upset Stomach
2. Hiccups
​3. Sore Throat
​4.Cholesterol
5. Indigestion
6. Stuffy Nose
7. Weight Loss
8. Dandruff
9. Acne
​10. Increased Energy
​11. Nighttime Leg Cramps
​12. Bad Breath
​13. Whiten Teeth
14. Fades Bruises
​15. Lower Blood Sugar (Reader's Digest Editors, 2017)

In my research about ACV, for these benefits to work the ACV has to be unfiltered and "from the Mother". As it relates to weight loss, a tablespoon of ACV is mixed with 16oz of warm water and is taken once or twice a day.

​Because I am a member of the health and wellness community and that I have been asked about the benefits of ACV (more so the question, "Does it really work?"), I chose to add it to my healthy lifestyle journey a year ago. I continued with healthy eating, exercise, and proper water intake, but incorporated a glass of water mixed with ACV. I did this for two weeks and I ended up losing three pounds. However, I could not get past the taste to continue the routine, so I had returned to just healthy eating and exercise. I ended up losing just about the same amount of weight in four days than I did while drinking the ACV with water.

Drinking ACV is not for everyone, but if you do decide that you want to try it, remember to always mix it with water. ACV is very acidic and therefore should not be taken by itself for it can burn your esophagus.



Reference

Reader's Digest Editors. (2017). 13+ Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar. Retrieved from http://www.rd.com/health/wellness/apple-cider-vinegar-benefits/ 

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