Apple Cider Vinegar is great stuff. It’s fairly low cost (though you’ll want to be sure you get the good stuff – see below) and can help with many things. One other use not mentioned here is for any type of Gall Bladder issue. You can take it internally to lessen the symptoms.
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has many all-natural uses, going from a salad dressing to personal care and household cleaning. Lately there has been a lot of fuss around the healing powers of apple cider vinegar and enthusiasts suggest to take a tablespoon or two a day to cure everything including gout, diabetes, allergies, and cancer.
Although a lot of those claims are overstated or unfounded, there are many uses that are proven and have been used for ages.
Always opt for organic, unfiltered, and unprocessed apple cider vinegar and not the clear stuff you find in most stores. If you try to look through the vinegar you should see a cobweb-like substance, which is the good stuff, floating in it. Apple cider vinegar is made through a fermentation process, which destroys most of the healthy nutrients of the apples. So filtering it out will even remove more nutrients. Actually, this can be said for all foods, the more they’re processed, the less nutritious.
1. Provide Better Nutrient Absorption
ACV is high in acetic acid. Like many other acids, acetic acid can increases your body’s ability to absorb essential minerals from the food you eat. So drinking water with ACV before meals can definitely help you to get more out of the foods you eat.
2. Improve Digestion
Some people swear by taking a few tablespoons a day to improve digestion, but long-term excessive use could cause low potassium levels and lower bone density. I don’t use apple cider vinegar on a daily basis, but it definitely helps me to cure bloating, acid reflux/heartburn, diarrhea, or stomach cramps.
ACV improves bowel movement and prevents indigestion when taken before a heavy meal. So instead of using it every day, use this mixture whenever you need it. Squeeze a whole lemon in 6 ounces of water and add 1 tablespoon of ACV (for children use half). Drink this remedy 3 times a day until symptoms disappear.
The fantastic cleansing properties of ACV help body detoxifying process, as it helps the body remove toxic waste more efficiently before it has time to do damage and it also helps to detoxify the liver. If you are interested in detoxifying your body, you can find more useful information in the e-book The Detox Guide. This guide will teach you how to use detox to cleanse and energize your body naturally and safely.
3. Ease Muscles Cramps
The same remedy as described above can be used to ease muscle cramps. If leg cramps during the night are holding you back to have a peaceful night’s rest, take one tablespoon ACV with honey to taste just before turning in. You could use the lemon water as well, but it is better to not drink a glass of water before going to bed or your sleep maybe be interrupted to go to the bathroom.
4. Kill Fungus
Whether you are struggling with a candida overgrowth or foot or skin fungus, ACV may save your day. Add 1 tablespoon ACV to a glass of water and drink before each meal. At first your candida may seem to worsen, caused by the die off of the yeast.
To get rid of skin or toe fungus soak feet in ACV or apply on the affected area. It will give a burning sensation, so if you have a sensitive skin it is best to dilute the ACV with water. You can find here another method to treat toenail fungus with tea tree oil or hydrogen peroxide.
5. ACV Rinse For Healthy And Shiny Hair
ACV can be used as a rinse after shampooing. It will give your hair more body and a healthy, shiny look. It works well to balance the pH of your hair and scalp, it removes product build-up, and can help to fight dandruff, hair loss, and an itchy scalp. Just fill an empty shampoo bottle with ½ tablespoon ACV and one cup of cold water and use this to rinse your hair. Use this a few times a week and be amazed by the result. You may also be interested to read the article about the best natural treatments for dull hair.
6. Whiten Your Teeth
ACV can help you to remove stains from your teeth and give them their white look back. Rub your teeth with pure ACV and rinse thoroughly afterwards. Please note – excess acidity could erode the tooth enamel, so don’t repeat this treatments more than once to twice a week. Find here more natural methods for teeth whitening.
7. Green Cleaning
Mix ½ cup ACV with ½ cup water to clean microwaves, bathroom and kitchen surfaces, sinks, windows, and mirrors. To make things easy, add the mixture in a spray bottle and you’re ready to go.
For the tougher stains use undiluted ACV. To clean your toilet, pour undiluted ACV in your toilet and let sit overnight. ACV can be used in your dishwasher instead of your normal dish detergent, just mix ½ cup ACV with 1 cup of water.
You could save your orange or lemon peels and add them to a mason jar with ACV for 10 days, shake it up every day and use diluted or undiluted. The orange or lemon peel will release it oils to give it an extra fresh scent and antimicrobial properties. You may also be interested to learn how to make sanitizing natural household cleaner using essential oils.
8. Clear A Slow Drain or Remove Bad Odor
Pour ¼ cup baking soda into the drain and add ½ to 1 cup apple cider vinegar. When the fizzing stops, rinse with hot water.
9. Unclog Your Shower Head
Soak your shower head overnight (or approx. 12 hours) in undiluted ACV. If it is not possible to remove your shower head, fill a bag with acv and rubber band it around your shower head.
10. All-natural Flea repellent For Your Pets
Mix one part vinegar with one part water and add to a spraying bottle. Saturate the coat of your pet with this mixture once a day, for a few days to a week and all fleas should be gone.
Although some people swear by using up to 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar on a daily basis, I would not recommend to use it that much as it may cause low potassium levels and lowers bone density. Apple cider vinegar may interact with diuretics, laxatives, and medicines for diabetes and heart disease, so if you’re planning to use it on a daily basis make sure to consult your doctor to avoid interactions with the medicines you’re taking.
