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Why Does Apple Cider Vinegar Need To Have The Mother?
Apple cider vinegar, also known as ACV, is a substance that has been utilized for food preservation and flavoring, as well as medicinal purposes for thousands of years.
Made from yeast, specific bacteria, and fermented apples, apple cider vinegar can be used for a variety of different health and wellness benefits for yourself, and can help keep your home fresh and clean without many of the toxic chemicals that are found in conventional all-purpose cleansers and detergents. Apple cider vinegar is even safe enough to use on your children and pets.
This article will discuss how apple cider vinegar can keep you healthy and why it is important to always find apple cider vinegar that is organic, raw, unpasteurized, and still contains “the Mother”.
Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar
In recent years, the numerous health benefits of regular consumption of apple cider vinegar has been a topic of discussion through books, the Internet, and among wellness coaches and professionals.
With obesity and its related health concerns on the rise in the United States, apple cider vinegar can help aid weight loss as it helps you feel full longer, which can prevent overeating.
Apple cider vinegar can also reduce inflammation throughout the body, lowering the incidence of high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and therefore reducing your risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
Apple cider vinegar can fight diabetes in patients who have insulin resistance and are struggling to control their illness with traditional medications.
When applied topically, apple cider helps to keep the hair and skin healthy, and can help treat and prevent acid reflux disease. Apple cider vinegar can also help to detoxify the body by providing support to the liver and kidneys. (1)
What is The Mother?
The Mother is what gives unfiltered, raw apple cider vinegar its distinctive, cloudy appearance.
Some people see this and assume that ACV has turned or gone bad, when in reality, this is the most beneficial part of ACV.
It is full of antioxidants, important plant-based chemicals that help to promote new cell growth and can help prevent cancer.
It is also full of probiotics, which are important for the immune system by promoting healthy bacteria in the gut. (2)
Additionally, the existing “Mother” in the vinegar that is purchased from the store can be used to make your own apple cider vinegar at home.
Will You Get the Same Health Benefits Without The Mother?
Research into the benefits of the Mother in apple cider vinegar is fairly limited. While there are no scientific studies to explicitly back this belief up, it is believed that almost all of the wellness benefits of apple cider vinegar and the majority of the cleaning benefits come from the Mother.
The price difference between raw, apple cider vinegar containing the Mother and pasteurized, motherless AVC is fairly small, and as more vinegar companies are realizing the demand as well as the benefits of the Mother, it is becoming more readily available in major grocery stores.
If you are unable to locate it in your leading grocery, try any healthy food store. Many websites also sell ACV with the Mother in bulk for those who incorporate this type of vinegar regularly into their diet and detox regimen. (3)
How to Incorporate Apple Cider Vinegar Into Your Diet
There are numerous ways to incorporate more apple cider vinegar into your diet, from using it as a dressing on vegetables and salads, to drizzling it over popcorn.
For therapeutic benefits, a larger amount of apple cider is needed. Some suggest taking a ‘shot’ of straight apple cider vinegar with the Mother, though this can increase the risk of adverse reactions from the high acidity.
It is best to dilute between one and two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with eight ounces of warm or cold purified water, depending on your preference.
If you are using warm water, you can dissolve a teaspoon of organic honey or 100% pure maple syrup to cut down on the acidic, bitter taste.
You can also add between one and two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into your morning smoothie with some fruit juice, strawberries, a banana and some ice to get the therapeutic benefits in a healthy and delicious tasting smoothie. (4)
Side Effects of Consuming Apple Cider Vinegar
There are a wide variety of health and wellness benefits of apple cider vinegar, but it is important to be mindful of any negative side effects you may experience while consuming apple cider vinegar.
Given its acidic nature, if undiluted, ACV can cause irritation of the throat, esophagus, and stomach, particularly those who already have irritation from acid reflux disease or ulcers.
Excessive apple cider vinegar consumption can lead to depleted nutrient levels in the body, particularly potassium. Undiluted apple cider vinegar can also irritate skin and nails, and may cause loss of tooth enamel, which can lead to tooth decay.
Given apple cider’s ability to lower blood sugar levels, taking therapeutic levels of apple cider vinegar can actually lower blood sugar levels to dangerous lows when combined with insulin or other diabetes drugs.
ACV can also have negative impacts on diuretics and pain killers, so it is important to talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider to ensure there are no unintentional, negative side effects when trying to reap the benefits of apple cider vinegar. (5)
Conclusion
It is said that Hippocrates, who is commonly referred to as the father of modern medicine, was the first person to realize the multitude of health concerns that can be remedied with regular usage of apple cider vinegar.
While modern medicine has evolved greatly in the past 2500 years, the benefits of regular consumption of apple cider vinegar are more pronounced than ever. Make sure to buy apple cider vinegar that contains the Mother to reap the full benefits.