Apple Cider vinegar (ACV) Benefits, Uses, Dosage & Side Effects

May 16, 2015Last Updated: October 16, 2019

9 minutes read

Apple Cider vinegar (ACV) is ancient vinegar formulation prepared with the process of fermentation of apple juice or crushed apples. It is generally sour in taste and pale or amber in color. Apple Cider vinegar (ACV) has been used for centuries as a health boost tonic.

It treats a large variety of health problems. Apple cider vinegar raises the PH level in the body and increases the alkalinity. It is a good antiviral, antiseptic, antibacterial and anti-fungal. So, it is also used to treat wounds, cuts and infections. It is also helpful in skin and hair related diseases. It is very inexpensive to get it. Organic apple cider vinegar is good to use, so always go for organic.

Apple Cider Vinegar contains more than fifty nutrients including iron, fluorine, calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper and sodium. It also contains carboxylic acids, ketones, various minerals, fiber and amino acids. In addition, it contains vitamin C, vitamin A, B1, B2, B6 and vitamin E. Acetic acid present in the apple cider vinegar causes release of energy from fats and carbohydrates and maintains the weight in the body.

How to Make Apple Cider Vinegar at Home

Apple cider vinegar is the natural product used to increase the body stamina and increase immunity. It takes about seven to eight months to prepare apple cider vinegar at home. Making it at home is very inexpensive. Here are instructions for preparing apple cider vinegar.

Take 10 organically grown apples and wash them properly.
Cut them into pieces. Make four pieces of each apple.
Allow the apples remain at room temperature until and unless they turn brown.
Put all the brown apples in the wide large glass jar.
Put enough water in the jar to cover the apples.
Cover the jar with cheesecloth. Do not cover so tightly. This will let oxygen to go through and airflow.
Place the cover jar in the dark and warm place.
Leave the jar for six or seven months.
Stir once in a week.
After six months, you will see the layer of scum on the water. This forms from bacteria as alcohol turns to vinegar.
Filter the liquid through the cheesecloth into the second wide large glass jar.
Cover the second jar of liquid again with the same cheesecloth.
Allow it for five to six weeks in the warm place.
The liquid will become the vinegar called apple cider vinegar.
Now, transfer it into the desired containers.
Store it in the refrigerator.

Health Benefits & Uses of Apple Cider Vinegar

There are number of health benefits that are associated with the use of Apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar (ACV) can cure digestion problems, respiratory problems, heart related diseases and skin or bone related problems. This one solution can work in almost all diseases and people use it as a home remedy for several health conditions.

Apple cider vinegar is helpful in removing stomach ulcers, bowel, intestine infections and constipation. Here is the way, which tells you how Apple cider vinegar helps in keeping the digestive system healthy.

Stomach, Peptic, Intestinal Ulcers

Ulcers in the stomach and intestine occur due to the building up of the acid in the stomach. We can get rid of these ulcers by using some Apple cider vinegar in our daily life.

How Apple cider vinegar works in removing ulcers

ACV acts as alkalizer, which helps neutralizing the excess acid in the stomach. Secondly, it also works on H. Pylori bacteria and helps eradication of this infection, which may be responsible for ulcers.

How to take in ulcer

Take 1 glass of water and one tablespoon of Apple cider vinegar.
Mix them properly.
Drink the mixture before one hour of taking meal.
You can also add some baking soda in it.
It will help you for neutralizing acid and treat ulcers.

Constipation

Apple cider vinegar is a natural mild laxative. It induces the bowel movements and relieves from the constipation. Apple cider vinegar works better in constipation in which stool is not dry and hard, but stool is sticky or contains mucus.

How Apple cider vinegar works in constipation

Apple cider vinegar also contains small amount of ‘pectin’, which is good water-soluble fiber and helps in healthy digestion. It results to remove constipation. It also contains MALIC ACID, which is beneficial for constipation. Nutritional benefits of this vinegar made from fermented apples into alcohol and then again fermented into acetic acid with sugar and yeast makes our digestion strong and removes constipation naturally.

How to take

You can take one or two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar directly by mouth.
You can also take it with one glass of water.
You can take it with one spoon of honey.
You can take it by mixing it with apple or grape juice.

Choose one of the above methods and regular use of apple cider vinegar helps you in removing your constipation.

Food Poisoning

Food poisoning occurs due to contaminated food with infectious bacteria or viruses. Apple cider vinegar has antimicrobial, antiviral and antibacterial properties, which help combating food poisoning.

How to use

You can take 1 teaspoon of ACV twice a day to reduce nausea sensation, vomiting and diarrhea that occur due to food poisoning.

Acidity, Indigestion & Gas

Acidity may occur due to eating more spicy food or junk foods. Indigestion can also be associated with acidity. Excess gas in the abdomen can cause cramps and abdominal discomfort. All these symptoms and disease are curable using apple cider vinegar.

How Apple cider vinegar works in gastric problems

Apple cider vinegar has the special property to neutralize the acid level in the stomach. It maintains the pH level in the body and increases alkalinity. In this way, apple cider vinegar helps in removing the acidity and gastric problems. It enhances the healthy digestion and keeps the stomach free from all problems.

How to Use

Take one spoon of apple cider vinegar with one glass of water daily.
You can take it before one or half an hour before taking meal.

Liver Detoxification

Apple cider vinegar acts as detoxifier for liver, which helps removing harmful toxins from the liver and improving liver functions. ACV can help in reducing liver inflammation, reduces symptoms of hepatitis, improves appetite and normalizes liver enzymes.

How to take

Take some apple cider vinegar with one glass of water before an hour of supper.

Mouth and Canker Sores

These canker ulcers are the painful lesions in the mouth that comes due to tissue injury. Actually, there are the lots of causes behind sores. Sores occur due to stress, deficiency of Vitamin B12, iron and folic acid. In addition, stomach disorders and unhealthy digestion can be a major cause of having mouth ulcers. These sore are short lived, but causes intense pain. Due to this problem, one is unable to chew and eat food properly.

Whatever will be the cause of these mouth ulcers, there is one natural and inexpensive remedy for removing them is apple cider vinegar.

However, Apple cider vinegar has alkaline effect in the body, but it is some acidic and this acidic action appears in the mouth. This acidic power of it helps to cure mouth sores. The bacteria causing mouth sores fails to handle the power of acidic apple cider vinegar and it dies. In this way, this natural product helps us to get free from mouth sores and its pain.

How to take or use

Soak a piece of cotton in apple cider vinegar solution.
Apply it on the place of sore.
Do not spit for five minutes.
After that, you will get some relief from pain and the regular use of ACV helps getting rid of mouth ulcer completely.

Gall Bladder Diseases

Gall bladder is one of the digestive parts of the body. It stores the bile produced by the liver and release it into the duodenum. When there is infection in the gall bladder, it causes pain in abdomen, pain in right shoulder, nausea and loss of appetite.

Apple cider vinegar helps treating all symptoms of gall bladder infections. ACV is a good disinfectant and removes all the harmful bacteria from the gall bladder.

How to use

Take two spoon of ACV with tablespoon of honey.
Mix it with one glass of water. Drink daily as twice.

Productive Cough with congestion

Apple cider vinegar is anti-inflammatory, decongestant and bronchodilatory. Due to all these medicinal property, ACV works in cough, asthma, hiccup and other respiratory disorders.

Apple cider vinegar helps reducing cough with congestion and wheezing. It liquefies the thick mucus and clears the lungs. Due to antibacterial properties, it also helps in respiratory infections. Yellow phlegm and fever are common signs of infections in which ACV works well. Honey can increase the cough suppressant action of ACV, so honey is used with ACV for cough and congestion.

How to take

Take one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
Mix it with 1/4th tablespoon of ginger, 1/4th tablespoon of honey, 2 tablespoon of water, 1/4th tablespoon of cayenne pepper.
Take one tablespoon of this mixture daily.

Note that above remedy only works when you suffer from productive cough with congestion and wheezing. This remedy can worsen dry cough, so you should avoid using it in non-productive cough.

Asthma

Asthma is a disease that makes your breathing difficult and causes coughing and shortness of breath.

Apple cider vinegar cleans the respiratory tract and reduces congestion and wheezing. In addition, ACV contains special nutrients that have power to make your respiratory system healthy.

How to use or take

To get free from asthma one should follow the following treatment of apple cider vinegar.

Pour one teaspoon of ACV in one glass of water. Add 1 tsp. of honey. Mix it well.
Drink it in small sips.
After an hour, again start to take small sips.
It will give you relief from coughing and shortness of breath.

Hiccups

Hiccups are the powerful and uncontrollable contractions of diaphragm. Diaphragm is the muscle below the lungs. Diaphragm plays a crucial role in exchange of gases into the lungs. Lungs take up oxygen when diaphragm contracts. Carbon dioxide is release out from the lungs when diaphragm relaxes. Thus, diaphragm regulates breathing.

Disorder in contraction and relaxation causes Hiccups. Main causes of hiccup are over eating, consuming excess alcohol, temperature changes and eating spicy.

Apple cider vinegar restores the acid balance in the stomach and relaxes irritating and painful spasms of diaphragm. It also calms the nerve irritation, which reduces hiccups.

How to use

Take two teaspoons of ACV and mix it with one glass of warm water.
Add a pinch of cardamom powder and cinnamon powder.
Then add one teaspoon of honey. Mix all these ingredients in ACV water solution well and drink it twice a day.

Weight Loss

Apple cider vinegar contains around 5-6% acetic acid. (1)

According to studies, Acetic acid promotes weight loss and inch loss. It gives your body a total shape with various mechanisms.

It improves the ability of muscles and liver to take up glucose from the blood, which helps in lower blood glucose levels. It also reduces the production of fat in the liver. It also lowers the ratio of insulin to glucagon, which helps to induce fat burning. (2, 3)

Dosage

The dosage of apple cider vinegar can vary according to age, health condition, body weight and other conditions and symptoms. Here is an example of appropriate dosage of apple cider vinegar.

Age Groups (in years)	Dosage
6 to 10	1/5 tsp. (or 20 drops or 1 ml)
10 to 15	1/2 (2.5 ml)
15 to 20	1/2 to 1 tsp.
20 or above (male)	1 tsp. to 4 tsp.
20 or above (female)	1 tsp. to 2 tsp.
Above 60	Less than 2 tsp.

The dosage can increase in obese people and in certain health conditions, but if you have weak bones, you should not take ACV on regular basis and should not exceed daily dosage from 1 teaspoon.

We do not recommend using apple cider vinegar in children below age of 5 years.

Caution & Side Effects

The most common side effect of apple cider vinegar is loss of bone mineral density. Women above age of 30 years are more prone for this effect. It occurs when you take Apple cider vinegar or any other type of vinegar for more than 30 days in dosage of 2 teaspoons a day.

However, this effect may not appear in all people, but you should take precaution using apple cider vinegar. You should not use apple cider vinegar regularly more than 30 days. In other conditions, apple cider vinegar is PROBABLY SAFE, but for SHORT-TERM USE.

Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

According to ayurvedic science, you should not take vinegar formulation in pregnancy or breastfeeding. Vinegar can slow down the fetal development and may lead to low body weight during birth. Pregnant women may suffer from backache, bone pain and loss of bone minerals after delivery. All this also applies on Apple cider vinegar because it also contains similar chemical acetic acid as other vinegars contain.

In breastfeeding, it may cause decrease in breast milk supply. However, no evidence based information available regarding this, but you should avoid it in pregnancy and breastfeeding for precautionary purposes.