You may remember the apple cider vinegar craze from a few years ago. Although the pop culture attention may have died down, apple cider vinegar is still a popular treatment. Not only is it used in food, but there’s scientific evidence to show it may help with weight loss, diabetes symptoms, blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels. Read on to discover the benefits of apple cider vinegar and why you should take it.

Health benefits of apple cider vinegar

Here’s a closer look at some of the biggest apple cider vinegar benefits:

• Helps kill bacteria: Vinegar has been used for millennia to help kill harmful bacteria and other pathogens. The ancient Greeks used it to help clean wounds. It helps preserve food (preventing e. Coli from forming). It may also help clear up acne if applied to the skin, but make sure you talk to your dermatologist before trying this.
• Full of nutrients: Apple cider vinegar is made by crushing apples and fermenting them with yeast. Then helpful bacteria are introduced to turn the alcohol into vinegar. The high content of acetic acid in apple cider vinegar is thought to give it its health benefits. Some people swear the “mother,” a clump of proteins, enzymes and helpful bacteria, gives apple cider vinegar its health benefits. It also contains a small amount of potassium, and may contain amino acids and antioxidants (depending on the brand).
• Diabetes and blood sugar: Blood sugar spikes are unpleasant, even if you don’t have diabetes. Apple cider vinegar may be helpful for regulating type 2 diabetes because it significantly lowers blood sugar and insulin response. Of course, if you’re already taking medication to lower your blood sugar, you should talk to your doctor before starting an apple cider vinegar regimen.
• Weight loss: Apple cider vinegar can help lead to greater feelings of fullness, which helps people eat less and lose weight over time. This is a relatively minor effect—however, if used as part of a diet and exercise routine, you may be able to increase your weight loss progress by several pounds.
• Animal heart health: So far, the benefits of apple cider vinegar on heart health have only been studied in animals. Apple cider vinegar can help lower cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure, which are risk factors for heart disease. While there’s no evidence that it helps human heart health, there may be future studies on the subject.
• Skin health: Finally, apple cider vinegar has been used to treat dry skin and eczema. This is thought to be because apple cider vinegar balances the skin’s pH levels. Be sure to talk to a doctor before trying this, as undiluted vinegar can burn your skin.

How to use apple cider vinegar for health

Most people dilute apple cider vinegar in water and drink it. One to two tablespoons per day can help you enjoy the benefits above. However, there are also apple cider vinegar supplements available in pill form, which may be a more pleasant way to use it. (Don’t forget to add it to your cooking, too.)

When you want to discover the benefits of apple cider vinegar supplements firsthand, visit Bee Hive Natural Foods today.