If you’ve ever wondered why all the hullaballoo about apple cider vinegar, you have come to the right place.
I’ve gathered everything you need to know in one place so you don’t have to spend hours clicking around a bunch of garbage content on the internet to try and gather all the information. (Especially because, let’s face it, there’s a lot of misinformation out there, which we’ve debunked here.)
Apple cider vinegar is amazing, and I’ll walk you through exactly why.
ACV starts with three or fewer all-natural ingredients
These ain’t Doritos, folks. ACV is made from all-natural ingredients (literally, just apples, sugar, and water), and it’s easy to find all kinds of brands with three or fewer ingredients in stores, all organic. (My personal favorite? Bragg.) Apple cider vinegar is great for all kinds of reasons, but the fact that its base is just a handful of natural ingredients helps set it off on the right foot to start.
Plus, it’s really easy to make at home. Here’s how:
Apple cider vinegar is fantastic for gut health
Chances are good that you’ve heard about all the benefits of probiotics for gut health, but I’ll summarize briefly (feel free to skip this paragraph if you already know what I’m talking about). Your gut is home to all kinds of “good” bacteria that aid in digestion, so it’s valuable to consume probiotics can provide more bacteria and help keep them healthy. (If you’ve ever been on a strong round of antibiotics in the hospital, the doctors will usually also prescribe probiotics because the antibiotics can unfortunately kill gut bacteria while they’re protecting you from infection.)
Apple cider vinegar has a TON of probiotics and enzymes, especially apple cider vinegar with the “mother”, which is a mixture of yeast and good bacteria from the vinegar’s fermentation. (The “mother” gives the ACV a cloudy, amber color. You can’t miss it.)
Apple cider vinegar has tons of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants
Obviously we all want to put good quality, natural stuff in our bodies. But it’s even better if it’s jam-packed with healthy vitamins, minerals, anti-inflammatories, and more. Here’s a list of the good stuff in apple cider vinegar.
Vitamins (support overall health):
- B1
- B2
- B6
- Vitamin C
Minerals (help maintain bone health and electrolyte balance):
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Magnesium
Plus, ACV has polyphenols, which are antioxidants that also combat inflammation, and acetic acid, another potent antioxidant and antimicrobial.
That’s a whole lotta good in just one thing!
ACV is extraordinarily versatile
The one knock against white vinegar is that it’s just too sour (and it smells it too). While you can certainly use it for pickling and in household cleaning (and, fine, if you don’t have balsamic vinegar handy, it’ll do in a pinch for a vinaigrette – but it won’t taste as good!), it just doesn’t have all that many uses where it’s ideally suited.
But because apple cider vinegar has that balance of sweet and tangy, you can use it for a lot more stuff.
It provides excellent sharpness to drinks when mixed with a variety of fruit juices, and of course you also get exposure to all the vitamins, minerals, and health benefits I mentioned above. It’s also great in salads (not just vinaigrettes), on root vegetables, and all kinds of other recipes (here’s the full list).
Heck, you can even drink apple cider vinegar directly, when well-diluted in water – one tablespoon ACV in a full glass of water. (Please don’t just take shots of ACV straight out of the bottle – because it’s so acidic, it could damage your esophagus over time.)
You can even use it for your laundry as an all-natural fabric softener, stain-fighter, even as a washing machine cleaner. No joke.
And it doesn’t stop there – ACV is not just for eating and cleaning…
It’s also amazing for hair
ACV has been shown to drive a number of benefits for hair and scalp health, including:
- Restoring pH balance. Because ACV is slightly acidic, it lowers the pH of your scalp and hair follicles, stimulating healthier hair growth and helping prevent issues like dandruff.
- Fighting dandruff. (Probably not shocking after the last section!) In addition to reducing dandruff via its acidity, ACV’s antimicrobial properties also help combat the naturally-occurring fungus that can cause dandruff.
- Cleaning everything. Since it’s a vinegar, ACV is slightly abrasive and can help clean out dead skin and other odds and ends on your scalp. That’s great for promoting the healthiest possible environment for your scalp, hair follicles, and hair growth.
- Smoothing and detangling hair. Because of its acidity, ACV can smooth down hair cuticles, meaning your hair doesn’t get nearly as tangled.
I’ve experienced all of these benefits myself in my own hair care routine – after I take a shower (before I’ve dried my hair), I spray a mixture of one part ACV diluted with four parts water onto my hair and then comb it out. (I used to have terrible dandruff, but finally I’ve beaten it!)
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