THE BENEFITS OF APPLE CIDER

HEALTH TALK:
Apple Cider Vinegar
In all likelihood, you have a bottle of sparkling clear apple cider vinegar in your kitchen. Most probably you have also heard of all the health benefits of this wonder vinegar . You use it for marinating the meat, chicken and fish. Almost all the salads that you make contain apple cider vinegar. You make a conscious effort to put in a little extra every time, so as to gain from all its good healing properties. If you are using apple cider vinegar that is clear and sparkling, the news is not very good. This apple cider vinegar does not contain all the health benefits that you have heard of.

The Real Apple Cider Vinegar
The apple cider vinegar that contains all of the health benefits is not a clear vinegar, but just the opposite. It is an organic and unfiltered vinegar . It is not a clear liquid, but has got a brownish tinge to it. If you try looking through it, you will notice a tiny cobweb-like substance floating in it. This is known as "mother", and means just one thing. This apple cider vinegar is of good quality with all the nutrients and health giving properties intact.

Just think. Would you buy a vinegar from the supermarket that is not clear, has got a brown tinge to it, and most of all you find something floating in it. In all likelihood you will not buy this. This is the prime reason why manufacturers distil the vinegar. The pure vinegar is steamed to get the sparking clear vinegar that is available at the supermarket. This steaming process destroys almost all of the health giving nutrients. What it does do is give the vinegar an excellent eye appeal.

Health benefits
There surely must be something really healthy in using apple cider vinegar, since The Father of Medicine, Hippocrates, used this vinegar around 400 B.C. for its health giving qualities. It is said that he had only two remedies: honey and apple cider vinegar.

Apple cider vinegar is made from fresh ripe apples that are fermented and undergo a stringent process to create the final product. The vinegar contains a host of vitamins, beta-carotene, pectin and vital minerals such as potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, chlorine, sulphur, iron, and fluorine.

Pectin in the vinegar is a fiber which helps reduce bad cholesterol and helps in regulating blood pressure. The need for calcium supplements once you start growing older is very well known. This vinegar helps extract calcium from the fruits, vegetables and meat it is mixed with, helping in the process of maintaining strong bones. Potassium deficiency causes a variety of ailments including hair loss, weak finger nails, brittle teeth, sinusitis, and a permanently running nose. Apple cider vinegar is loaded with potassium. Studies have shown that potassium deficiency results in stunted growth. All these ailments can be avoided with the intake of apple cider vinegar. The potassium in this vinegar also helps in eliminating toxic waste from the body. The beta-carotene helps in countering damage caused by free radicals, helping one maintain firmer skin and a youthful appearance. Apple cider vinegar is good for those wanting to lose weight. It helps in breaking down fat which helps in natural weight reduction.

Apple cider vinegar contains malic acid which is very helpful in fighting fungal and bacterial infections. This acid dissolves uric acid deposits that form around joints, helping relieve joint pains. This dissolved uric acid is gradually eliminated from the body.

It is claimed that apple cider vinegar is helpful in ailments such as constipation, headaches, arthritis, weak bones, indigestion, high cholesterol, diarrhea, eczema, sore eyes, chronic fatigue, mild food poisoning, hair loss, high blood pressure, obesity, along with a host of many other ailments. No wonder then many know apple cider vinegar as the "Wonder Drug".

Different ways of consumption
Please make sure that you use only the natural, organic variety of apple cider vinegar; the sparkling clear variety will have practically no health benefits.

Many call apple cider vinegar the Wonder Drug . Propagators of this wonder drug claim that the best way to have the vinegar is first thing in the morning. Mix two tablespoons each of apple cider vinegar and honey in a glass of water and drink it. This solution may taste slightly acidic, and may not seem to be the best way to start your morning, but once you know of the immense benefits that follow, it will not feel all that bad. Many find that following this routine first thing in the morning helps in eliminating constipation, which is one of the prime causes of many diseases. Constipation is also sometimes the cause of headaches - leading to a bad mood, deprived sleep, and a lethargic feeling the whole day. Once the constipation problem is solved, all the other symptoms vanish immediately, making you fresher and extremely active whole day long. Following this morning regime helps minor skin rashes vanish and the skin texture too improves, leaving you radiant and glowing naturally.

You can also enjoy the benefits of this wonder vinegar in many other ways. Use apple cider vinegar while preparing salads. Substitute the oil that is poured over a salad with this vinegar. Not only will the salad have a tangier taste, it will be much healthier too. Use this vinegar to pickle an assortment of fruits and vegetables. Marinating beef, pork, lamb, fish and a variety of meats is almost a daily process for meat eaters. Make apple cider vinegar the prime ingredient in the marinade with an assortment of herbs and spices. This marinade will not only help in flavoring and tenderizing the meat, but it also comes with all the health benefits that have already been mentioned.

Having that chilled glass of lemon juice can be substituted with a couple tablespoons apple cider vinegar and water. Some prefer the taste as is. If the taste is too acidic for you, add honey to give it the sweet tinge. Adding honey will only improve the health benefits.

Natural or Processed?
So, after reading this article, what will your next bottle of apple cider vinegar be? Will it be the sparkling clear, eye-pleasing, nutrition-less apple cider vinegar; or will it be the organic, unfiltered, "mother" laced, nutrition filled, healthful apple cider vinegar