Drinking apple cider vinegar is a trend, but actually apple cider vinegar has been used for centuries as a natural remedy or healthy ingredient and flavouring in cooking. Many people start their day with an invigorating vinegar drink in the hope of using it to lose weight or support the body’s detoxification. But what is apple cider vinegar and is it really that healthy?

What is apple cider vinegar?

Apple cider vinegar is as much as fermented apple juice. For this, apples are sliced and pressed or you can also put pulp of apples or apple leftovers under water with some sugar. When the apple juice starts fermenting, the fruit sugars are converted into alcohol and you get wine. Then oxygen and bacteria are added to the wine, converting the alcohol into acid. The ‘apple wine’ eventually changes in taste, smell and acidity and becomes apple cider vinegar.

Apple vinegar looks dark yellow, orange or burgundy, depending on the type of apples used.

Fermentation brings specific bacteria, proteins and active enzymes into the apple vinegar that support our gut flora, resistance and health. You can recognise them by the cloudy strands you see floating around in unfiltered apple cider vinegar. People also call this “the Mother” of apple cider vinegar. Most of the health benefits of apple cider vinegar are attributed to this “Mother”, although there are no studies yet to confirm this.

Why start your day by drinking apple cider vinegar?

The Romans drank apple cider vinegar diluted with water as a stimulating, uplifting drink and Hippocrates, founder of Western medicine, used it as medicine in ancient Greece. Vinegar has also been valued in Chinese medicine for its healthy properties for centuries. So it is not surprising that more and more people are drinking apple cider vinegar.

1. It is said to help you lose weight or control your weight

Apple cider vinegar, for some people, could help make you feel satiated, reducing your temptation to snack and snack and thus reduce your calorie intake. As such, it would help with weight loss. It further helps break down proteins and fats. The Mother or cloudy substance in apple cider vinegar also contains many probiotics that support digestion.

2. It is said to help kill pathogens or germs

Apple cider vinegar has disinfectant properties. The bacteria in apple vinegar kill pathogens, or germs. Hippocrates already knew this at the time. Among other things, he used it to cleanse wounds, but also as an antiseptic for colds or coughs or mixed with some honey as a tonic for overall health. Apple cider vinegar can thus also contribute to the normal functioning of the immune system.

3. It can help maintain normal blood pressure

Apple cider vinegar does not contain many vitamins or minerals, but it does contain a small amount of potassium. Potassium, along with chloride and sodium, is involved in regulating fluid balance and blood pressure in the body. In this regard, potassium has a beneficial effect on blood pressure because it counteracts the blood pressure-raising effect of sodium.

4. It helps stabilise blood sugar levels

Several studies show that apple cider vinegar has a beneficial effect on blood sugar levels and insulin response, which is beneficial for people with diabetes. Acetic acid has antiglycaemic properties. In other words, vinegar can reduce glucose in the blood.

How to drink apple cider vinegar?

Do not drink apple cider vinegar pure, but dilute it in water. Mix 1/5th apple cider vinegar (1 tablespoon) with 4/5ths water (250ml). Stir in 1-2 teaspoons of honey if necessary and your invigorating morning drink is ready.

Keep in mind that apple cider vinegar, even diluted, can have a negative effect on your tooth enamel due to its specific pH value. If you use it daily, we recommend drinking your vinegar drink with a straw. Also, limit your intake to 1 or 2 tablespoons a day.

If you take medication for high blood pressure or have diabetes, don’t suddenly start experimenting with drinking a lot of vinegar yourself. Seek advice from your doctor. 

If in the end you don’t manage to drink apple cider vinegar because you just don’t like it, don’t worry; incorporate the vinegar in your food, for instance in a vinaigrette or a marinade for meat or fish. Besides, there are many ways you can use apple cider vinegar and enjoy the benefits of this natural product.

By what do you recognise good apple cider vinegar?

Good cider vinegar is unpasteurised, raw, organic and unfiltered. 

Pasteurisation is a process in the food industry where people heat or pressurise food briefly to kill bacteria present and prevent spoilage. But this process largely destroys the Mother which is actually considered beneficial for health.

That’s why you want unfiltered apple cider vinegar, with the Mother. Many people prefer to buy a clear vinegar because it looks more appetising. This is fine as a flavouring, but this way you miss out on the nutritious enzymes and nutrients found in the vinegar.

Raw means that the vinegar was not heated above 42°C during the entire production process. This keeps the bacteria and enzymes in the apple vinegar intact.

If you choose an organic apple vinegar, you can rest assured that it is made from organic apples, with no added sugars or other additives.