The Miracle of Apple Cider Vinegar

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The Miracle of 'Apple Cider Vinegar' 

Apple cider vinegar(ACV) created in wooden vats122 and containing 

the ‘mother’, is truly akin to the fountain of Youth and Health. 

When the mother is in the vinegar it will be murky. This health-promoting 

golden liquid is packed with essential amino acids and vital enzymes. 

It is therefore not surprising that many have found this natural storehouse 

of vitamins and minerals a miracle panacea that cures many ailments and

extends life and youthfulness.

A healthy, ageless body requires a diet rich in a wide variety of

nutrients and trace elements – something apple cider vinegar can

supply. A teaspoon of this vinegar, one of the most nutrient-rich

substances known to man, supplies a large percentage of the building

blocks needed to keep the body healthy. 

Through the ages it has been proclaimed as an aid to maintaining health, 

preventing obesity, easing coughs, colds and other respiratory ailments, 

as well as cleaning parasites, aiding digestion and – most importantly – 

releasing Human Growth Hormone from the pituitary gland.

The ‘Mother’ of Vinegar

This is the term used to describe the mass of sticky scum that forms

on top of cider when the alcohol turns into vinegar. As the fermentation

progresses, the mother forms a gummy, stringy, floating lump of the

beneficial bacteria that create vinegar.

Folk Remedies Using Apple Cider Vinegar

• To remain youthful in body and mind, drink one tablespoon of

apple cider vinegar in a full glass of water every day. This is also

touted as the cure for food poisoning.

• Make a healthful tonic for energy and alertness of mind by

combining 1 teaspoon of honey and 1 teaspoon of apple cider

vinegar in a full glass of water. This is to be taken three times 

a day, 20 minutes before mealtime.

• Mix a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with a teaspoon of honey

and a teaspoon of olive oil to make a dressing for greens or other

salad. This helps maintain supple limbs and skin when used daily.

• For improving memory and lifting depression, half an hour before

each meal drink a glass of warm water into which a teaspoon of

apple cider vinegar has been mixed.

• A small amount of vinegar taken daily helps balance the acidity

levels of the urinary tract to keep kidney and bladder infections 

at bay.

• For swollen ankles and tired feet, walk back and forth in ankle

deep bath water to which a half cup of apple cider vinegar has been

added.

• For athlete’s foot, soak the feet for 30 minutes in a footbath of 

1 part vinegar and 5 parts water.

• A tonic for preventing hair loss and keeping hair color calls for

4 teaspoons each of honey, blackstrap molasses and apple cider

vinegar. Take this before breakfast.

• To curb appetite and melt away excess weight, before each meal

drink a glass of warm water with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar

in it.

• To eliminate dandruff and make hair soft and shiny, after every

shampooing rinse with a half cup of apple cider vinegar mixed into

two cups of warm water. This rinse is also said to eliminate frizz

from over-permed hair, brighten dark hair and add sparkle to blond

hair.

• To get rid of pimples, blackheads and to prevent blemishes as

well as softening the skin, mash 3 large strawberries into a quarter

cup of vinegar. Let it sit for 2 hours then strain it through a cloth.

Before going to bed, pat the liquid onto the face and neck and

leave it on overnight. Wash it off in the morning.

• Remove corns and calluses overnight with a vinegar compress.

Take a slice of stale bread that has been soaked in apple cider

vinegar and place it on the area you want to treat. Cover it with a

cotton sock and leave on overnight. The skin will look new and

fresh in the morning.

• A mixture of half olive oil and half apple cider vinegar can be used

to prevent sunburn and chapping.

• Applying a paste of cornstarch and apple cider vinegar can

successfully treat itchy hives, insect bites, boils and blemishes.. 

Pat it on and let it dry. Rinse with cool water.

• Wrapping the legs in cloths wrung out of apple cider vinegar, then

elevating the legs for 30 minutes in the morning and evening,

can bring relief from varicose veins within 6 weeks. Follow each

treatment by drinking a glass of warm water into which a teaspoon

of apple cider vinegar has been stirred. Sip it slowly and add honey

if you are feeling tired.

• Drinking a glass of water at mealtimes to which a teaspoon of

apple cider vinegar has been added can help relieve nighttime leg

cramps.

Vinegar and the Skin

Apple cider vinegar has been used in diluted form to treat facial

infections and infections around the eyes and ears, since it is a very

effective antibiotic. Studies at Ohio State University hospital indicate

that irrigation of the ears with vinegar can successfully treat chronic

middle ear infections when traditional medicines have failed.

Burns can also be doused with apple cider vinegar, as can itchy skin.

The solution should be diluted for use on sensitive areas, with 1 part

vinegar to 4 parts water. Straight vinegar on a gauze pad can be applied

to ease rectal itching.

Vinegar will eliminate perspiration odor for hours when dabbed in

the armpits and left to dry. Two to three cups can be added to bathwater.

Its pH is almost the same as the skin’s acid mantle that nature intended

as a protective coating against environmental onslaughts and which

soaps in general destroy. Apple cider vinegar restores it.

Vinegar, Fiber and Cholesterol

The U.S. Surgeon General has recommended complex carbohydrates

and dietary fiber as allies against cancer. Both of these are found

abundantly in apple cider vinegar.

Some fibers, such as wheat bran, are not soluble in water. They rush

through the intestines and can also produce large amounts of gas. 

Apple cider vinegar fiber – pectin – moves slowly through the system 

and binds to cholesterol, pulling it out of the body.

Vinegar and the Gastro-Intestinal Tract

Apple cider vinegar is not very different from the chemicals found

naturally in the stomach, and hence helps digestion. Digestion is 

a core component in improved metabolism and health. 

Its antiseptic qualities aid in eliminating harmful bacteria that may 

have invaded the bowels, lessening the likelihood of bodily toxicity. 

It is helps with balancing blood sugar, cleanses the liver and gallbladder.

Almine’s Note: A splash of vinegar into a pot of cooking beans 

will tenderize them and lessen the gas they cause.

Vinegar and Antioxidants

Aging, heart disease, cataracts are a few of the symptoms of harmful

free radicals found in the body. They cause many aging symptoms by

damaging the chromosomes as they bounce from cell to cell, damaging

each in turn. Antioxidants absorb the free radicals and render them

harmless.

Beta-carotene found in vinegar is a powerful antioxidant in an

easy to digest form. When the lenses of the eyes oxidize because free

radicals have altered their structure, cataracts form. 

Eating foods that contain antioxidants diminishes this risk.

Studies at the University of Western ontario and Johns Hopkins

School of Medicine are among many linking the ingesting of betacarotene

to a lower risk of cancer. It also supplies calcium and boron.

More times than not nature provides us with the most exquisite,

beneficial gifts but because of their simplicity, we often overlook them

or do not take them seriously. For generations apple cider vinegar

(ACV) survived in folk remedies, potions, tonics, recipes, books, etc.

Some state around 460–377 BC, Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine,

used vinegar for various medicinal reasons. In his famous book, The

Canon of Medicine, Avicenna mentions several medicinal uses for

ACV123. From all over the world in many cultures the use of ACV has

stood the test of time.

Apple cider vinegar is made in wooden vats so the original nutritional

properties do not diminish. Stainless steel vats may neutralize ACV’s

beneficial bacteria.

Similar to stomach acid, ACV aids digestion, which is a key factor

to improve metabolism and health. Antiseptic qualities in ACV aid in

eliminating harmful bacteria that may invade the bowel that lessens the

possibility of body toxicity.

With similar properties to antibiotics, infections around the eyes and

ears can benefit from a much diluted solution of ACV – perhaps ¼

teaspoon to a pint of pure water. Ohio State University hospital studies

indicate ear irrigation with ACV can successfully treat chronic ear

infections where traditional medicines did not work.

Benefits of ACV:

Drink several glasses a day of the ACV beverage (1–3 teaspoons

added to 8 ounces of still or carbonated water, stevia added to taste) 

or as otherwise stated for specific results.

• Excellent for eliminating parasites in the G.I. tract or in the gut, 

but it may not kill bacteria in the bloodstream.

• Assists in stabilizing blood sugar.

• Cleans the liver and gall bladder.

• Stimulates HGH to assist in the relaxation of the eye muscles

that may affect eyesight. Drink several glasses a day of the ACV

beverage.

• Eye wash: 1 teaspoon ACV in 1 pint of pure water. This makes 

a wonderful eye rinse. If necessary, use less ACV in the mixture.

• Take a small amount of ACV (1-2 teaspoons) to balance your

urinary tract acidic levels to avoid kidney and bladder infections.

Rinse mouth afterwards (acid of vinegar may damage enamel 

of teeth.)

• One tablespoon of ACV in 8-10 ounces of pure water: Stimulates 

release of HGH from the pituitary gland for youthful mind and body. 

This same mixture neutralizes or stops food poisoning.

• For energy and alertness, try one teaspoon of ACV and local 

honey in a full glass of pure water. Take 3 times a day 20 minutes 

before meals.

• Curb your appetite, improve memory or lift depression: 

Add 1 teaspoon ACV to a glass of warm water before meals.

• For a delicious salad dressing: mix 1 tablespoon ACV with 

1 teaspoon of honey and olive oil respectively. This may also

maintain supple limbs and skin if used daily.

• For Nails, Hair– Drink ACV water daily to grow strong thick 

nails and vibrant hair.

• Hair loss and maintained hair color can benefit from this refresher:

- Take this mixture of 4 teaspoons each of ACV, honey and

blackstrap molasses before breakfast.

- Shiny, highlights in hair, frizz from permed hair and dandruff

can benefit from ½ cup of ACV mixed with 2 cups of warm

water after a shampoo.

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Exceprts from the Handbook for Healers by Almine