Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is one of those products you should always have around the house. People have been aware of the health benefits of ACV for centuries and have used it for many situations. Apple cider vinegar is a completely natural product made from fermenting apple juice into cider, then the cider into vinegar. Fermentation adds extra enzymes and acids to the already nutritious apples, resulting in a product that not one household should go without. 

Apple cider vinegar can be used internally and externally, for humans and pets. Here are just a few of the ways you can incorporate apple cider vinegar into your lifestyle.

ACNE Apply a solution of apple cider vinegar and water (2 tablespoons to 1 eight ounce glass of water) with a cotton ball several times a day. This will help reduce infection and dry out inflammation. 

ASTHMA Some people have found relief from mild asthma by taking the apple cider vinegar tonic (2 tsp honey, 2 tsp acv, 8 oz water) along with applying a vinegar-soaked compress to the inside of the wrists. 

BLEEDING NOSE Soak a cotton ball in pure apple cider vinegar, have the person lay his head back and then place it in the bleeding nostril. This home remedy will help stop the bleeding quicker. 

BLOOD PRESSURE Take 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon of honey in a glass of water twice a day to help lower blood pressure. The high potassium values in both natural healing substances helps to balance out sodium levels in the body, which aids in maintaining blood pressure within healthy limits. Apple cider vinegar and honey also contain magnesium, a mineral that works to relax blood vessel walls and thus lower high blood pressure. To maximize the benefit of this and other home remedies, take the holistic approach, and couple this with dietary modifications such as a reduced fat and salt intake, moderate coffee and alcohol, no smoking, and daily exercise. 

BURNS Apply pure apple cider vinegar to the burn, whether it’s from the sun or a hot surface, to reduce the pain, to disinfect, and to supply nutrients required for healing. 

COLDS At the first sign of a cold, take 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in half a cup of water several times a day. The body becomes more alkaline during a cold and the vinegar will help to rebalance the body’s acid level.If you have a chest cold, a long-standing home remedy calls for soaking a piece of brown paper in vinegar then sprinkling one side of it with black pepper. Place the peppered side of the paper on the chest, cover with a towel, and relax for 20 minutes. 

CONSTIPATION A low fiber diet and the reduction in digestive acids and enzymes as we age, can lead to constipation. More fruits and vegetables and a daily tonic of apple cider vinegar (2 or 3 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) is a natural healing home remedy to combat constipation. 

COUGHS A home remedy to sooth a nighttime cough is to sprinkle apple cider vinegar on a cloth placed on a pillow. 

CRAMPS Muscle cramps can be caused by a calcium and magnesium imbalance in the body and by a lack of vitamin E. To help prevent the recurrence of cramps, take a regular tonic of apple cider vinegar (2 or 3 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) along with 1 teaspoon of honey. 

DANDRUFF Apply pure apple cider vinegar to the scalp and work it into the roots of the hair; allow the vinegar to stand for a half hour or a full hour before washing your hair. This will help to destroy the bacteria and fungus that cause dandruff and itchy scalp. Click here for information on how apple cider vinegar can be combined with certain herbs to make an extra strength natural hair care product for combating dandruff and soothing itchy scalp. 

DIAPER RASH Use a 50/50 mixture of apple cider vinegar and water to eliminate the bacteria and fungus that cause diaper rash. 

DIARRHEA Pectin, the water soluble fiber in apple cider vinegar, will help to absorb water in the intestines and provide more bulk for the stool. Also, intestinal bacteria transforms pectin into a protective coating which sooths the irritated lining. The well known over the counter diarrhea preparation, Kaopectate contains pectin. So take the natural healing apple cider vinegar tonic (2 or 3 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) to help eliminate diarrhea. 

EAR INFECTIONS Use an ear syringe (found at drug stores) to squirt a vinegar solution into the ear and let it sit for a minute or so, then turn your head and let the liquid drain out. The vinegar solution can be a 50/50 mixture of ACV and pure water, a 50/50 mixture of ACV and rubbing alcohol or a solution consisting of one-third vinegar, one-third pure water, and one-third rubbing alcohol. 

FATIGUE Fatigue can be caused by a build up lactic acid in the body during exercise or periods of stress. The amino acids found in apple cider vinegar can neutralize the excess lactic acid in the bloodstream and the potassium and enzymes obtained through regular use of a vinegar tonic can help beat fatigue. 

FLATULENCE Many people avoid eating certain foods such as beans due to the gas they produce in the body. This gas is a result of incomplete digestion and can be minimized by soaking the beans in apple cider vinegar prior to cooking them. 

HEADACHES Research has shown that people have slightly more alkaline urine when they have a headache. An apple cider vinegar tonic will help restore your body’s acid/alkaline balance. According to one home remedy, inhaling the vapors from a small bottle of apple cider vinegar can also help or if you have a vaporizer, add some cider vinegar to the water and inhale the vapors for five minutes. 

HEARTBURN (ACID REFLUX) Heartburn or acid reflux is a condition in which some of the acid content of the stomach periodically backs up into the esophagus through the lower esophagus sphincter valve.So to relieve occasional heartburn, try drinking the general apple cider vinegar tonic home remedy (2 or 3 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) before each meal. 

HICCUPS To stop hiccups, try sipping a glass of warm water in which one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar has been mixed in. This is a lot simpler than many other home remedies for hiccups. 

INSECT BITES AND STINGS Bee and wasp stings, as well as itchy mosquito bites can be soothed by applying undiluted apple cider vinegar to the affected area. 

LEG CRAMPS Take the apple cider vinegar tonic regularly (2 or 3 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) to help the body’s absorption of calcium and magnesium and thus protect against painful leg cramps. 

MENSTRUAL PROBLEMS A glass of apple cider tonic (2 or 3 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) in the morning has been reported to help reduce the flow of a heavy period. 

SORE THROAT One of many natural healing home remedies for a sore throat involves gargling with a mixture of 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to half a cup of water, using 3 mouthfuls of mixture each hour. 

SUN BURNS If the sunburn is localized, apply full strength apple cider vinegar on the affected skin to obtain relief. Do this by soaking a thin towel in apple cider vinegar and placing it over the burn. Leave it on to help prevent peeling and itching. 

WARTS Apply an ACV soaked gauze bandage to the wart overnight and in the morning replace it with a castor oil soaked gauze bandage. At night alternate the ACV with crushed fresh garlic and vitamin E (prick open capsule).