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Bragg Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar

By Jesse Kornbuth
Published: Nov 28, 2016
Category: Food and Wine

I knew winter’s coming because my annual bout of Sinusitis began. Ten days of Amoxicillin followed. I got better. Then I didn’t. “This sometimes requires a second round,” the doctor said, and I started ten more days of medicine.

On day 4, with no change in the swamp residing in my head, I had dinner with a friend who takes 3 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in half a glass of water every morning.

He used to have sinus trouble.

He doesn’t now.

Why? “Apple cider vinegar contains potassium, which thins mucus; and the acetic acid in it prevents germ growth, which could contribute to nasal congestion.”

I stopped taking Amoxicillin and started drinking 3 teaspoons of Bragg organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar in half a glass of water in the morning — and in 4 days I was breathing like a bull.

A clear head turns out to be only the first in a long list of Good Things that apple cider vinegar can do for you.

First, some consumer warnings:

1) You don’t want the apple cider vinegar that Heinz makes. Bragg (established 1912) is the gold standard, but if you choose another brand, make sure it is 1) organic and 2) unfiltered and 3) contains the “mother.” What is that? “Strands of proteins, enzymes and friendly bacteria that give the product a murky, cobweb-like appearance.”

2) You don’t want to burn your esophagus — so don’t drink it straight. Diluting the vinegar with several ounces of water is essential.

3) Like any solid, the “mother” lives at the bottom of the bottle, so shake the bottle before you pour any vinegar.

Follow those simple guidelines, and you may — repeat: may — be on your way to better health and greater beauty. Like: “Rich in enzymes & potassium. Support a healthy immune system. Helps control weight. Promotes digestion & ph Balance. Helps soothe dry throats. Helps remove body sludge toxins. Helps maintain healthy skin. Helps promote youthful, healthy bodies. Soothes irritated skin. Relieves muscle pain from exercise.” And this, from a show-biz blog: “Sting’s voice soars, supple as ever. His secret? ‘Apple cider vinegar,’ he said on stage, and gargled with it for the audience. ‘You should try it sometime.'” [To buy 32 ounces from Amazon for $12.13, click here. To buy a gallon for $24.88, click here.]

Some other uses of apple cider vinegar:

Apple cider vinegar can help kill pathogens, including bacteria. It has been used to treat nail fungus, lice, warts and ear infections. It’s a facial toner. In the bath, add 1–2 cups of apple cider vinegar to your bath water.

And there’s always salad dressing.

Feel like reading some studies? Here’s one on the therapeutic effect of daily vinegar ingestion for individuals at risk for type 2 diabetes. And here’s one on vinegar’s ability to reduce fasting blood glucose concentrations in healthy adults at risk for type 2 diabetes.

Mostly, though, we’re talking about folk medicine here. In Vermont, people who lived close to the land concluded that apple cider vinegar keeps our body slightly acid, which prevents colds and indigestion. Did science agree? That was unimportant — a cider vinegar regimen was simple common sense. Which is available in the longtime bestseller by D.C. Jarvis, “Folk Medicine: A New England Almanac of Natural Health Care From a Noted Vermont Country Doctor.” [To buy the paperback from Amazon, click here.]

[Many thanks to Preston B.]