The health benefits that I’ll talk about here are only for the Organic, Raw, Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar. The brownish stuff that floats in it is called the "Mother," which is well-named as it nourishes the whole bottle of vinegar. We don’t consume any other variety, only the one with the "Mother."

Health Benefits

From the Mother to the Father … The Father of Medicine, Hippocrates, used this type of vinegar around 400 B.C. for its health-giving qualities. Apparently he used only two remedies: honey and apple cider vinegar.

Apple cider vinegar is made from fresh ripe apples that are fermented. The vinegar contains vitamins, beta-carotene, pectin and vital minerals such as potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, chlorine, sulphur, and iron.

Pectin in the vinegar is a fiber which helps reduce bad cholesterol and helps regulate blood pressure and blood sugar. This vinegar helps extract calcium from whole, uncooked plant foods — the only way that the body can assimilate calcium to maintain strong bones is from nutrients in foods.

Apple cider vinegar is loaded with potassium, which is needed to strengthen hair, finger nails, teeth, and sinuses. In addition, potassium in this vinegar helps to eliminate toxic waste from the body. Beta-carotene helps to reverse damage caused by free radicals, helping you to maintain firmer skin and a youthful appearance.

For fat loss, Apple cider vinegar helps to break down fat which helps in natural weight reduction. It also serves as a mild appetite suppressant.

Apple cider vinegar contains malic acid, which fights fungal and bacterial infections. This acid dissolves uric acid deposits that form around joints, so that it can more easily be eliminated from the body, resulting in relief of joint pain.

Many people report that apple cider vinegar helps in conditions 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 many other ailments.

Get Your Daily Apple in Cider Vinegar

Again, I want to remind you to consume only the natural, organic, unfiltered variety of apple cider vinegar. Clear vinegar (white or amber) is over processed, yielding no health benefits.

Some like to drink it diluted, first thing in the morning. One method is to mix two tablespoons each of apple cider vinegar and honey in a glass of warm or room temperature water. (Personally, I prefer it without honey.) This helps the bowels to move, an especially helpful remedy if you are constipated or have a tendency to be constipated. You will feel more energetic and less cranky. Your skin will radiate and look more youthful.

Salads, of course, are a traditional way to enjoy the benefits of apple cider vinegar. You don’t need any oil, just pour this tangy tasting liquid over your leaves. Add herbs if you want, but the vinegar alone adds plenty of taste and nutrition.

Enjoy an apple cider vinegar cocktail before meals. This is non-alcoholic, of course. Just water and apple cider vinegar: 1-6 teaspoons in a glass of water. You can put it in a wine glass and sip it or in a tumbler and drink it down. It aids in digestion and produces a slight alkaline effect on the body.

Topical Applications

Apple Cider Vinegar is also wonderful for the skin. I keep a small spray bottle of ACV in the bathroom. I spray it on a cotton ball and rub it on my face and spray it directly on my hair. Be certain not to get it in your eyes; even the fumes can sting your eyes.

Many people report that gray hair returns to natural color, attributed to both internal and topical use.

Remember, get it organic, unfiltered, "mother" laced, nutrition filled, and healthful — apple cider vinegar.