The One Liquid (Besides Water) You Should Be Drinking Every Day

By Dr. Josh Axe | Draxe.com

Today, I want to talk about an amazing superfood or, more accurately, a super liquid: apple cider vinegar. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, is famous for saying, “Let food be thy medicine,” and he gave this to his patients over 2,000 years ago to support the healing of their bodies.

Overlooked until recently, apple cider vinegar benefits include increasing your energy, helping to fight diabetes, improving your heart health, and supporting fat burning and weight loss.

Below, I’ll go through the evidence-based studies on apple cider vinegar uses and its health benefits. In fact, if you go online and just look up apple cider vinegar, you’re going to be surprised by how many health benefits it yields.

Now first, let me ask you this question, “What’s the difference between apple cider and apple cider vinegar?”

Well, it’s a process called fermentation or creating probiotics enzymes in changing the pH of this liquid. If you go online and just look up apple juice or apple cider, there’s going to be actually a lot of negative press there because of all of the sugar compared to apple cider vinegar. But when you ferment something, you are turning the sugar into healthy organic acids, creating enzymes and probiotics — really turning apple juice from nutrition-rich apples into an incredible superfood.

5 Apple Cider Vinegar Benefits

1. Lowers Cholesterol

Apple cider vinegar benefits start with the fact that it lowers your cholesterol. According to a study published in the British Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers found that if you consume just one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in the morning, you’re naturally lowering your cholesterol because apple cider vinegar has been shown to increase bile production and support your liver.

Your liver and bile are very important for the processing of and creating cholesterol as well as breaking it down, so apple cider vinegar is a great way to lower your bad (LDL) cholesterol.

2. Reduces Blood Sugar Levels

The next massive benefit you’re going to see with apple cider vinegar is it’s been medically proven to reduce your blood sugar levels and is very effective in the treatment of diabetes. In fact, it should play a prominent role in every diabetic diet plan.

In the medical journal Diabetes Care, researchers found if you took two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and water before your meal, it decreased your blood sugar levels by 6 percent — this is because apple cider vinegar has been shown to balance those blood sugar levels and reduce A1C levels, which are great for diabetics. This also means that if your blood sugar is going to spike after meals, one of apple cider vinegar’s benefits is that it naturally can increase your energy levels.

3. Increases Metabolism & Speeds Up Weight Loss

Looking to speed up your metabolism and lose weight fast? Apple cider vinegar can increase your metabolism and support weight loss because it contains an organic acid that is created when you convert apple juice to apple cider vinegar. Called acetic acid, it’s been shown to improve your metabolism.

Most of the time when we hear acid, we think, “Oh well, acid isn’t good.” In this case, acid is good. Very similar to how lemon juice has citric acid that helps deliver the detoxifying benefits of lemon water, here acetic acid has an alkaline effect on your body — and this has been proven medically to support weight loss.

4. Lowers Blood Pressure

The other great benefit of apple cider vinegar is that it’s been shown medically to be one of best natural ways to lower blood pressure. While it needs further study, a study on rats revealed that acetic acid, the main component of vinegar, significantly reduced both blood pressure and renin activity compared to controls given no acetic acid or vinegar.

5. Supports Gut Health & Treats Acid Reflux

Apple cider vinegar’s acetic acid also supports digestive function — including fighting acid reflux — with its enzymes and probiotics. If you suffer from the symptoms of acid reflux, GERD or any sort of digestive issue, consuming just one to two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in about eight ounces of water before you eat is greatly beneficial.

How To Start Using Apple Cider Vinegar

Because of these apple cider vinegar benefits and more, I strongly suggest consuming it in various ways, such as in my own Secret Detox Drink, which combines the benefits of cayenne pepper, lemons and cinnamon with apple cider vinegar.

Also, put a couple tablespoons on your salad along with some organic extra-virgin olive oil. Put a tablespoon or two in water, and if you want to sweeten it up a bit, just add a couple of drops of liquid stevia. I’ll even use it in baking recipes, or when I’m making chicken bone broth at home, as it actually helps bring out the nutrients.