Apple Cider Vinegar - 5 Benefits & 1 Downside

If you want to have a healthy metabolism, balanced blood sugar levels and be free from cravings then embrace cloudy Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) into your life. I mention cloudy ACV for it needs to have the 'mother' inside which is the good bacteria probiotics created from the fermentation process. 

Some choose to have a shot each morning but I prefer to only have mine before food and never neat but mixed with my other hero ingredients to protect your GI tract and teeth (more about this later).

I’ve been using ACV and recommended it to my clients throughout my 25-year career. ACV was a key player helping me to heal from eating disorders decades ago too. I first came across the Bragg family and their book Apple Cider Vinegar Miracle Health System (published in 1996) when I first arrived in London in 1998.  

The benefits of apple cider vinegar have been well-known for centuries and stood the test of time long before the recent social media surge in ACV popularity.

Vogue: An Apple Cider Vinegar Shot Every Morning

Last year Vogue published an article about apple cider vinegar by acting senior beauty and wellness editor Hannah Coates. The article included my comments about ACV and Hannah listed "benefits that would have even the biggest wellbeing cynic picking their own apples to ferment".

In my opening comment I said:

“ACV is a powerful remedy that has been used for hundreds of years – it’s really stood the test of time,” explains naturopathic nutritionist and founder of Rejuv, Simoné Laubscher, one of the first experts to share their love of ACV with me many years ago. “ACV formulas that have the cloudy ‘mother’ are great for gut health due to their probiotic power. They also help balance blood sugar levels, support digestion and weight management, reduce cholesterol, boost the immune system and have even been said to help with – and even improve – the appearance of acne and scarring.”

 

What Is Apple Cider Vinegar?

Apple cider vinegar is a type of vinegar made from apple cider first fermented by yeast and bacteria, turning the sugars into alcohol, and then a second fermentation process in which the alcohol is converted into acetic acid.

This process creates gut healing pre and probiotics. This fermentation process drives the many health benefits of ACV, and only minimal amounts of around 1 tbsp of ACV have been shown to have great health benefits.

The Downside of Apple Cider Vinegar

A downside, however, is the effects on the enamel of your teeth, just like too much apple juice. My dentist noticed a rapid decline in my tooth enamel. This experience led me to create the Rejuv Apple Cider Burn Capsules. Capsules are better than pills or tablets as you swallow them whole, bypassing any impact on your teeth. 

I recommend using a straw to bypass the teeth if having apple cider vinegar in its liquid form. 

One of the most common Google searches related to apple cider vinegar is whether ACV gummy supplements work. Most health experts agree that gummies aren’t the best way to ingest the right nutrients, and ACV is no different. Gummies won’t absorb well – they aren’t good for your teeth – and neither will hard bullet apple cider vinegar tablets.

This is why I recommend our Apple Cider Burn Capsules. You only need one capsule before lunch and dinner and two before any rich or late meal.

My Apple Cider Vinegar Shot Recipe 

If you have no problem with the enamel on your teeth, you can have a shot of Apple Cider Vinegar before any meal.

Mix 30ml of filtered warm or room temperature water and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with a pinch of turmeric.

Put this in a shot glass to make easier and have right before your meal.

If you want to add a little extra fat burning properties to the shot, mix in a pinch of cayenne pepper

 

5 Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

I created the Apple Cider Burn Capsules to allow you to enjoy the benefit of organic fermented apple cider vinegar alongside green tea, ginger, cayenne and turmeric without endangering the enamel of your teeth. There are five benefits of apple cider vinegar, which is why I recommend ACV to my clients.

1. ACV Regulates Blood Sugar Levels

ACV’s positive effect on blood sugar regulation is one of the most well-studied ACV benefits and has also been shown to be beneficial for type 1 & type 2 diabetes. This study in Pub Med by Brighenti et al (1995) found that ACV decreased blood sugar spikes by an average of 31 per cent after eating the high-GI food white bread.

On the other hand, ACV has also been shown to increase insulin sensitivity helping both diabetic and regular clients deal with carbohydrates better, therefore, helping reduce appetite and the desire to binge and overeat.

2. ACV Boosts Weight Loss

In addition to the blood sugar benefits above to help people deal with carbs better, ACV has also been shown to increase satiety and fullness, which also boosts weight loss. In my experience, if a client’s blood sugar levels are balanced, they are less likely to comfort eat and feel more balanced to make healthy choices instead of being a victim of eating disorders.

3. ACV Supports Gut Health

ACV helps reset your stomach acid and therefore reduces heartburn. The ACV pre- and probiotics from the ‘mother’ also feed the good bacteria in your gut. This promotes a healthy microbiome which has a wonderful knock-on effect on your immune system, mood, cognition, absorption of minerals and all of your 11 body systems.

We used to say you are what you eat, and now we say you are what you absorb. ACV supports absorption at a cellular level, promoting optimum mental and physical health.

4. Apple Cider Vinegar Improves Skin Health

ACV is also great for your skin and has been linked to reducing acne and scarring. Acne is brought about by localised bacteria on the skin, and ACV is quite famous for its antibacterial properties and has been linked to killing off many strains of harmful bacteria.

ACV is also high in acetic acid, lactic acid, succinic acid and citric acid - all shown to reduce the growth of Propionibacterium acne. These factors can also reduce scarring, exemplified in a study found in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology which concluded that treating acne scars with lactic acid for three months led to improvements in the texture, pigmentation and appearance of treated skin, as well as a lightening of scars.

Your skin is also directly linked to your gut, with the pre-and probiotics in ACV having an amplified positive effect on your skin, as per above.

5. ACV Supports Heart Health & Longevity

ACV helps lower Cholesterol, a fatty substance that can build up in the arteries, causing them to narrow and harden. The ACV helps clear your arteries, lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, supporting heart health and helping with disease prevention and overall longevity.

The traditional way to take ACV is to have 1-2 tbsp in 1/2- 1 cup of water before meals, but as mentioned, this significantly reduces the enamel of your teeth. In our Apple Cider Burn Capsules, I added other herbs to amplify the effects and help with mind-body balance.

 

Rejuv Apple Cider Burn Capsule Ingredients

Our ACV tablets or apple cider vinegar capsules/pills have many benefits.

  • Chromium is scientifically proven to contribute to normal macronutrient metabolism and the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels.
  • Unfiltered apple cider vinegar contains strands of protein, enzymes, and probiotics to support a healthy gut.
  • Apple cider vinegar helps to slow stomach emptying, so you feel more satisfied for a more extended time after eating.

 

Companion Supplements For Extra Impact

ACV is a superhero when it comes to gut and metabolic health. I often recommend to clients with IBS or any gut issues that our ABC goes great with our Gut Healing Pack or Para Cleanse and Gut Repair - especially since we have the two super moons this month.

Our Metabolic Reset Pack is a wonderful compliment if you have a sluggish metabolism and want to reduce body fat. If your goal is weight loss, I recommend Thermo Metabolic Support and Blood Sugar Support for weight loss, as they open up your detox pathways and boost your metabolism.

 

The Seven Pillars of Wellness For Holistic Health

To support all systems of your body, I encourage you to take our Free Wellness Quiz. The Quiz will check the balance of your wellness pillars and tell you the top 3 pillars you must focus on for your long-term health and wellness.

When you submit the quiz, we will send you your free Wellness Profile, including a diagram showing your score on each of the Seven Pillars of WellnessThe Wellness Profile also includes practical advice on the three wellness pillars that need your attention. 

 

The Vogue Article is also available in French, Spanish and German. It has also been published in Glamour Magazine.