As many of you know, apple cider vinegar has skyrocketed in popularity within the health and weight-loss communities during the last few years. What you may not know, however, is that its benefits and uses extend far beyond just weight-loss.

You may be wondering what exactly apple cider vinegar (or ACV) really is. The words “cider” and “vinegar” being thrown together may seem a bit strange at first glance, but it makes sense when you break down what the product actually is. ACV is indeed made with apple cider. The cider undergoes a fermentation process that forms probiotics and enzymes that simultaneously aid in health benefits and also gives it significantly less sugar and calories compared to regular apple cider or apple juice. Plus, it only takes one or two tablespoons of ACV for it to work its magic! From regulating blood sugar levels and reducing acid reflux to improving skin health and even making your own homemade bug spray; apple cider vinegar does it all. Keep reading to find out just how useful this product really is and why it should become a staple item on your grocery list.

21 Apple Cider Vinegar Uses That You May Not Have Known About

 1. Regulating Blood Sugar

In a study done on patients who drank ACV after consuming white bread, it was found to decrease blood sugar levels by an astounding average of 31% which is great news for those suffering from diabetes! At the same time, ACV may also help to prevent diabetes by increasing insulin sensitivity. High levels of insulin can potentially cause insulin resistance, which leads to high blood sugar.

If you’re trying to keep your blood sugar levels stable, dilute 1-2 tablespoons of ACV in 8 ounces of water and drink it before meals. Lowering your carb intake and increasing your fiber and protein intake combined with regular exercise will help regulate those levels even more!

 2. Enhancing Weight Loss

When used in combination with a healthy diet and regular exercise, ACV has been shown to boost weight loss. Studies have revealed that apple cider vinegar may increase the satisfaction you have of feeling full, which helps prevent over-eating. In one study, ACV decreased total caloric intake by almost 300 calories throughout the day!

 3. Lowering Cholesterol

What is cholesterol in the first place? It’s a fatty sort of substance that can get built up in the arteries. This causes them to become narrow and harden, which in turn forces your heart to work incredibly hard just to pump blood throughout your body.

ACV can help regulate cholesterol levels, reducing the “bad” LDL cholesterol while simultaneously increasing the “good” HDL cholesterol. Reducing sugar intake and refined carbs while adding more healthy fats (and some fish!) to your diet will also help regulate cholesterol.

 4. Improving Skin Health

Yep, that’s right! ACV can also help reduce acne and even help reduce scarring. There are certain strains of bacteria that tend to be responsible for causing acne on the skin. More specifically, the strain of bacteria known as Propionibacterium acnes or the “acne bacteria” is largely to blame. What can you do? ACV to the rescue! Vinegar contains incredibly helpful antibacterial properties that fight a multitude of harmful bacteria, including the “acne bacteria” ACV contains a lot of power-house acids such as acetic acid, lactic acid, succinic acid, and citric acid, ALL of which have been proven to prevent the growth of that pesky acne bacteria.

Don’t forget to moisturize! Using healing masks, a good lotion, plus a nice toner will also help with acne treatment.

 5. Reducing Blood Pressure

Remember those helpful acids we talked about in the last section? Those gals have more than one job! The acetic acid in ACV can help reduce blood pressure and prevent heart disease. Increasing your intake of magnesium, potassium, and fiber while also minimizing salt intake and replacing processed foods with whole foods will help reduce blood pressure too.

 6. Relieving the Symptoms of Acid Reflux

Believe it or not, a lot of times acid reflux is a result of your stomach having low levels of stomach acid. This is why using ACV can help provide some much-needed relief. Introducing more of the right kinds of acids into the digestive tract can help prevent acid backflow. Try diluting 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into 8 ounces of water and drink it right before you eat. Also, including vegetables, healthy fats, and some fermented foods in your diet will help reduce symptoms as well.

 7. Promoting Gut Health

If you go for the organic raw apple cider vinegar (which I recommend) you can introduce some healthy bacteria into your digestive system, which helps its overall health! ACV can also help boost your immune system and help your body’s ability to digest and absorb nutrients.

8. Soothing Sunburns

Fall asleep while lounging outside or perhaps just not go heavily enough on the sunscreen? ACV has got your back again (literally!) Apple cider vinegar works great to sooth sunburnt skin. Just add a cup of ACV, ¼ cup of coconut oil, and some lavender essential oil into a lukewarm bath and soak up all of the relief it provides!

 9. Fighting Fungus

Certain fungal infections like athlete’s foot, jock itch, yeast infections, or even toenail fungus can be treated with apple cider vinegar. Use the following recipe to create your own anti-fungal spray!

  • 2 ounces pure aloe vera gel
  • 1 ounce jojoba oil
  • ½ ounce olive oil
  • ½ ounce apple cider vinegar
  • 10 drops lavender essential oil
  • 2 drops peppermint essential oil (optional)
  • 10 drops chamomile oil
  • ½ ounce witch hazel

Combine all of these ingredients in a glass spray bottle and blend them well. Keep the bottle in the refrigerator to provide a cooling sensation when you use it!

 10. Enhancing Circulation

ACV has been shown to help improve blood flow and circulation. In some studies,  applying apple cider vinegar to varicose veins helped reduce the symptoms associated with them. Apply undiluted ACV on the skin over the varicose veins and gently massage the area. This will help the blood start flowing naturally, reducing the heaviness and swelling of the varicose veins.

 11. Treating Warts

Have an unsightly wart that you just can’t seem to get rid of? Soak a cotton ball in undiluted ACV and apply it directly to the wart. Cover the cotton ball with a bandage and leave this on overnight. Be patient! It could take a while to work. You may need to repeat the process a few times in order for the ACV to help make the wart fall off.

 12. Healing Poison Ivy

Apple cider vinegar can also help relieve the itchiness that comes from poison ivy. The potassium in ACV can help reduce the swelling that the rash causes and provide some relief. Apply a teaspoon directly on the skin a few times a day until the rash has healed.

13. Killing Bugs and Fleas

Chemical-filled bug sprays and flea medicines? NO THANKS! Is your fur baby under attack by pesky fleas? Try adding equal parts water and ACV into a spray bottle and apply to your animal’s fur once a day until the fleas are gone. Keep fleas and other human-biting bugs away as well by combining equal parts ACV and water with 10-15 drops of any of the following essential oils: mint, tea tree, spearmint, lavender, lemon, lemongrass, clove, citronella, or eucalyptus.

 14. Warding Off Seasonal Allergies

Stuffy nose, itchy eyes, and sneezing be GONE! The healthy bacteria found in ACV not only helps promote a healthier immune system, it could also help support healthy lymphatic drainage to kick those allergies to the curb! If you have an allergy flair up, try drinking 2 tablespoons of ACV diluted in 8 ounces of water.

 15. Making Your Own Deodorant

The antibacterial properties of apple cider vinegar make it an excellent natural deodorant. Just use your fingers to dab a little bit under your arms! It will help neutralize odors by preventing bad, odor-causing bacteria from growing.

 16. Keeping Your Hair Shiny

LADIES (or long-haired lads) If your hair is dull and dry, you may want to try some ACV on your locks! Combine the following ingredients in a plastic bottle:

  • 2-4 tablespoons of organic raw apple cider vinegar
  • 16 ounces of cool water
  • 1-2 drops of lavender essential oil (optional)

After shampooing and rinsing your hair, lean your head back and pour the rinse over your entire scalp, allowing the mixture to run through your hair. Let the rinse sit on your hair for 1-2 minutes and then rinse it out thoroughly. Make sure you don’t get the rinse in your eyes-it will burn!

 17. Increasing Weight Loss

As I said before, drinking ACV has shown to help with weight loss by helping you feel satisfied after meals and also kill cravings. You can mix 2 tablespoons of ACV with 8 ounces of water or try adding it in to your favorite green smoothie!

 18. Balancing Your pH

Despite the fact that ACV is filled with acids, albeit good acids, it actually has an alkalizing effect on the body. This means that it can keep your pH levels balanced and help optimize your health with just a few tablespoons of ACV a day!

 19. Cleaning Your House

Don’t like using chemicals in your house to clean? Use apple cider vinegar to make an all-natural one! Just mix equal parts ACV and water. It’s antibacterial properties makes apple cider vinegar a perfect choice for your household cleaning needs.

 20. Detoxifying

Because apple cider vinegar can help balance your pH, help with lymphatic drainage, and enhance circulation, it is great for detoxification. Try this recipe for a Detox Drink to get a concentrated dose of health-promoting ingredients. It may not taste the best, but it does help detoxify!

  • 12-16 oz of warm/hot water
  • 2 Tablespoons organic raw apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • ½-1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • dash of cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon raw honey (optional)

 21. Relieving Cold Symptoms

Because apple cider vinegar contains immune-boosting bacteria, it can help you fight off the symptoms that come with a cold. Just mix 1-2 tablespoons of ACV with 8 ounces of water and start drinking it a few times a day as soon as symptoms begin. Continue until symptoms subside!

Raw, Unfiltered, Organic- What it All Means

Going to the store and finding the right type of apple cider vinegar can be confusing, because there are several different varieties with labels that don’t exactly explain what’s inside. The best variety of ACV to buy for health purposes is organic raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar. Let’s go over what exactly these words mean. If it is labeled as certified organic, it simply means that the ACV is free of GMOs and synthetic additives-always a great thing! Raw ACV is unheated and unprocessed and still has the “mother” intact, which is a cluster of proteins, enzymes, and other beneficial bacteria that often times gets removed if the ACV is processed. Unfiltered apple cider vinegar will still have the mother intact, which is what we want. When ACV is filtered, the mother is removed along with all of its beneficial components-not good!  

PRECAUTIONS AND WARNINGS

I am not a doctor or a licensed health professional, and while apple cider vinegar is healthy and safe for most people to use, consuming large amounts of ACV can lead to some negative effects on your health. These side effects include erosion of tooth enamel, burning of the throat or skin, and decreased levels of potassium.

Make sure you ALWAYS dilute apple cider vinegar in water. Do NOT drink ACV straight-this will help prevent erosion of tooth enamel and other potential unpleasant side effects. It is also recommended that you start with a lower dose of ACV before working your way up to consuming higher doses so that your body can grow and become more tolerant to ACV.

WARNING: If you are taking blood sugar medications, talk to your doctor before using apple cider vinegar. Using ACV may reduce blood sugar levels, so you may need to adjust and modify your dosage of diabetes medications to prevent hypoglycemia.

If you experience any side effects from using apple cider vinegar, stop usage and consult a doctor or licensed professional before continuing use.

Last, but surely not least, please be aware that while the use of apple cider vinegar can help aid you in your journey to a healthy lifestyle, it is not a miracle cure or a “quick fix” and it should be used alongside a nutritious diet as well as a healthy lifestyle for maximum results.