Is apple cider vinegar healthy? Facts and fables at a glance!
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It has been high on the list of miracle weight loss remedies for years: apple cider vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Numerous celebrities swear by it, and the list of miraculous benefits the drug is said to have is getting longer and longer. So it is not surprising that the demand for this vinegar is sky high.
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But… how right is that really? Is apple cider vinegar indeed a panacea for your health, or are there any disadvantages? In short: is apple cider vinegar healthy? We list facts and fables in this blog.
Is apple cider vinegar healthy?
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It may seem like a crazy question whether apple cider vinegar is healthy. After all, you will find huge lists online of the miraculous effects the drug is said to have, from beautiful skin to disappeared bladder infections. It has even been claimed that apple cider vinegar can prevent cancer. Then it must be healthy, right?
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11 minMain dishpeanut oil, tofu stir-fry cubes finely seasoned, stir fry sauce sweet and sour, thick noodles, carrot julienne, beetroot julienne, yellow bell pepper, watercress,rainbow salad with tofu -
45 minMain dishRed cabbage, mild olive oil, quinoa plus, forest outing, lemon, sesame oil, soy sauce less salt, Bio Today tahini white in pot, tap water,grilled red cabbage with quinoa salad -
30 minDessertBrie, Roquefort, port salut, gruyere, Camembert, walnut, garlic, thyme, honey, grape, baguette, Red onion, red grape, raisins, Red wine, Red wine vinegar, Brown sugar,generous cheese plate with onion marmalade -
30 minDessertFull Milk, whipped cream, macaroon, custard powder, vanilla sugar, sugar, protein, amaretto, almond liqueur, basic recipe cooking pears,macaroon pastry with casserole
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The problem? Many of these so-called benefits are not based on any proper evidence. In fact, sometimes they are even undeniably incorrect. We will therefore discuss three categories below: proven benefits of apple cider vinegar, claims that have never been proven, and the less discussed drawbacks of apple cider vinegar.
Proven benefits of apple cider vinegar
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The hype surrounding apple cider vinegar did not come out of nowhere. However, there are still some comments to be made about some proven benefitsâ € ¦ We have listed them below.
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When you take some apple cider vinegar just before a meal, it reduces the breakdown of starch in your stomach. As a result, less carbohydrates are absorbed by your body than without that vinegar.
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5 minDrink without alcoholbananas, cool fresh apple-pear raspberry juice, Soy drink vanilla,soy fruit shake -
20 minMain dishsauerkraut, sticking potato, liquid baking product, half-to-half minced, Spice meatballs, pineapple, olive oil, liquid baking product,gratin sauerkraut dish with minced meat -
40 minMain dishlemongrass, fresh ginger, Red peppers, onions, tomato cubes, fresh cod fillet, coriander, oil, ground turmeric (koenjit), coconut milk, salt,fish in creamy coconut sauce -
15 minSide dishsweet potato, soft goat cheese, egg, spring / forest onion,stuffed sweet potato with egg
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The result is also that your blood sugar rises less, which for example reduces the risk of diabetes. You will also feel satiated a little longer and you will suffer less from the well-known after dinner dip.
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But beware: this effect is less than is often claimed. Yes, the amount of sugars can be reduced by 20 to 40% - but only if you eat a really high-carbohydrate meal. If you eat fewer carbohydrates, or if your meal contains more fiber, the effect will be much smaller.
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A related effect is that apple cider vinegar can support the healthy bacteria in your intestines. That starch that is not broken down still has to pass through your intestines. There it serves as food for these good bacteria and thus functions as a probiotic.
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20 minMain dishTasty vine tomato, (olive oil, fresh basil, onion, garlic, Parmigiano Reggiano, zucchini spaghetti, pumpkin spaghetti, mini buffalo mozzarella,lukewarm pumpkin and zucchini spaghetti -
15 minSide dishtraditional olive oil, curry powder, wheat flour, coconut milk, sambal oelek, chicken broth tablet, water, fresh mango,curry sauce with mango -
30 minMain dishtraditional olive oil, lean ground beef, frozen Mexican wok vegetables, salsa sauce mild, taco shell, grated young cheese, creme fraiche,Mexican vegetable in tacos -
95 minMain dishmaize chicken, lemon, coarse sea salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, thyme, zucchini, tomatoes (small to), black olives without pit,provençal chicken with zucchini and tomatoes
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Your gut bacteria are important, as they ensure the proper absorption of many nutrients. They may even affect your mood and other bodily functions. In this way, apple cider vinegar can indeed have healthy effects.
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Apple cider vinegar has an antibacterial effect. That also applies to the bacteria that live in your mouth and throat! So every now and then some apple cider vinegar can make your breath smell a bit fresher.
But beware: not just apple cider vinegar!
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So far, apple cider vinegar sounds healthy, doesn't it? The catch on all these points? Apple cider vinegar is not the only agent that has this effect! All other vinegars work just as well. The ingredient that has an effect here is acetic acid. And as the name suggests, it's just as good in balsamic vinegar, white and red wine vinegar, and countless others.
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25 minSmall dishflour, frozen puff pastry, egg, milk, walnut, mature cheese, paprika, dried Provençal herbs,puff pastry-sticks -
20 minSide dishEggs, lettuce, parsley, olive oil (extra virgin), tarragon vinegar, salt and freshly ground pepper,lettuce with egg dressing -
15 minSmall dishbaking flour, peanut oil, flat leaf parsley,ar'nabit mi'li -
15 minAppetizerScottish salmon fillet, butter or margarine, fresh dill, creme fraiche, dry white wine, arugula lettuce melange, pan tostado,baked salmon with white-wine sauce
A little is enough!
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In addition, the doses you would need are often grossly exaggerated. It is really not necessary to drink half a bottle daily. In studies, the maximum effect is already achieved with 1 to 2 spoons of vinegar before a meal, diluted in a glass of water.
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And even more annoying: in this case, excess does indeed harm. You can read more about this below under the heading â € Disadvantagesâ € ™! Either way, it is wise not to overdo it with that vinegar.
Unproven apple cider vinegar claims
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But, you may say now, I have read about many more benefits. What about those bladder infections it could solve? And with that impure skin that you can clean with it? Unfortunately, these are all examples of fables about the drug.
Eczema and acne
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A common claim: apple cider vinegar may improve eczema, acne and other skin problems. The explanation is often something with the acidity of your skin: the vinegar could bring it back into balance. Unfortunately that is nonsense.
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Vinegar has a pH of 2 â € “a lot more acidic than your skin, at 5.5. As a result, it breaks more than it fixes! You actually only make the impurities worse. Vinegar is also not recommended for healthy skin, as it can dry out and damage your skin.
Bladder infections (and other infections)
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This bactericidal effect is also often cited to claim that apple cider vinegar can cure all kinds of inflammation. Bladder infections and pneumonia, for example. We can be brief about this: there is no evidence whatsoever that this anti-bacterial effect also occurs in the body. Any positive for bladder infections has never been shown in research.
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25 minMain dishbalsamic vinegar, garlic, steak, Spaghetti, traditional olive oil, fresh green olive tapenade, arugula, Parmigiano Reggiano,spaghetti with steak and arugula -
15 minAppetizerfennel bulb, arugula, red pointed pepper, black agnus carpaccio (a 100 grams), capers,black angus carpaccio with fennel -
35 minMain dishsweet potatoes, salad onion, garlic, cooking dairy, grated cheese for vegetable gratin, almond shavings, peanut oil, breaded schnitzels, Broccoli,crispy schnitzel with sweet potato gratin and broccoli -
30 minMain disholive oil, onion, tomato, risotto rice, laurel leaf, thyme, saffron, turmeric, fish stock of 1 tablet, mixed seafood, mixed whitefish fillet, mussel, lemon,fish paella from the oven
Osteoporosis
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Another point that is sometimes mentioned: apple cider vinegar is said to make your bones stronger. It is true that the drug may slightly improve the absorption of calcium in your body. However, it has never been shown that this difference is large enough to actually counteract osteoporosis. So at best it's a stroke of luck if it turns out to make a difference.
Detox and Detox
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Apple cider vinegar is touted as the panacea for detoxification. The problem? Detoxification doesn't make much sense anyway. Your body itself has plenty of ways to get rid of waste. Moreover, it is not necessary for anything if you eat healthy in principle. In fact: sometimes you put too much strain on your liver by giving it a whole course of treatment in one go!
 € ¦ and further miracle claims
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Then there are the most extreme claims made about apple cider vinegar: for example, it would prevent cancer and all kinds of aging diseases. There is no indication whatsoever that vinegar has such a beneficial effect, however much we all would like it to be. Eating healthy and exercising is a lot more effective!
Disadvantages of apple cider vinegar
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Now, of course, it wouldn't be so bad if apple cider vinegar failed to live up to the most extreme claims, if at least it didn't do anything harmful. After all, then you can still keep it to “if it doesn't work, it won't harm”. Unfortunately, even that's not quite the case here. Apple cider vinegar has three major drawbacks.
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Like all acid, vinegar affects your tooth enamel. Drinking through a straw helps, but it certainly doesn't solve the whole problem! Incidentally, it is also said that apple cider vinegar whitens your teeth; that is not true either. In fact, these damages can actually cause yellow spots on your teeth…
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In addition, undiluted apple cider vinegar is incredibly bad for your stomach and esophagus. Never drink it neat, because you can damage delicate tissue there! A maximum of two scoops to a glass of water is really strong enough to take advantage of all the proven benefits.
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Finally, the action of apple cider vinegar interferes with that of many insulin-related drugs. So if you have diabetes, it is a bad idea to use vinegar in large amounts. If in doubt, it is wise to consult your doctor.
So… lose weight with apple cider vinegar?
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With all this information in a row, it is clear that losing weight with apple cider vinegar is not as easy as it sounds. Yes, it can help a little bit. But beware, the effect is minimal: researchers saw a positive difference of about half a kilo in three months. Not a spectacular panacea, so.
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In addition, using apple cider vinegar can do more harm than good if you get it wrong. So be a little careful with it and don't drink pure vinegar… And again, if you want to stay healthy and slim, it's better to adjust your diet as a whole than rely on one panacea!