Magic Elixir

by
Joseph Mercola

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Story at-a-glance

  • There are
    a number of different types of vinegar; each with its own set
    of benefits and uses. White distilled vinegar is useful for cleaning
    and horticultural purposes, while fruit vinegars such as apple
    cider vinegar has many reported health benefits when taken internally
  • The only
    vinegar that is best avoided altogether is 20% vinegar, which
    is a petroleum derivative that is dangerous to breathe and can
    be damaging to your eyes and skin
  • A vinegar
    solution can also be used to remove certain pesticides and bacteria
    from your fresh produce. Other uses include hair care, and improving
    the pH of alkaline water, which can benefit plant growth
  • Recipes
    for treating a sore throat; treating various types of pet ailments;
    and making a non-toxic weed killer are included

Howard Garrett,
also known as The Dirt Doctor, has compiled a number of uses for
vinegar, including recipes for both internal use and use in your
organic garden, which I will share with you here.

“Vinegar
is a wonderful organic tool that was discovered by accident 10,000
years ago when wine was accidentally allowed to ferment too long
and turned sour,” he writes.

“It can
be made from many products, including beer, apples, berries, beets,
corn, fruits, grains, honey, malt, maple syrup, melons, molasses,
potatoes, rice, sorghum, and other foods containing sugar.

Natural
sugars from these food products are fermented into alcohol, which
is then fermented into vinegar.”

… The
product label will identify the starting ingredients, such as “apple
cider vinegar” or “wine vinegar.”  Malt vinegar is made from
the fermentation of barley malt or other cereal grains.  Sugar
vinegar is made from sugar, syrup, or molasses.

White,
spirit, or distilled vinegar is made by fermenting distilled alcohol.
Distilled white vinegar is made from 190 proof alcohol that is fermented
by adding sugar and living bacteria.

… Vinegar
that is made from the petroleum derivative, 99 percent acetic acid,
is not acceptable in an organic program.”

The name “vinegar”
comes from the French words for “sour wine.” But it’s important
to realize that not all vinegars are created equally. Some can benefit
your health when taken internally, while others should only be used
for tasks such as cleaning, or horticultural purposes, while others
are best avoided altogether.

White Vinegar
– A Great Non-Toxic Cleaner and Herbicide Ingredient

Distilled white
vinegar is the type of vinegar you’ll want to use for cleaning and
laundry. Toward the end of this article I’ll also share Garrett’s
recipe for a non-toxic weed killer formula, which calls for white
vinegar. Vinegar and water makes an excellent window cleaner, for
example, and vinegar combined with hydrogen peroxide works exceptionally
well as both a disinfectant and sanitizer. According to Garrett:

“Sprinkling
white vinegar atop a dusting of baking soda is terrific for cleaning
sinks, tubs, tile floors and other surfaces. For cleaning, it can
be diluted with water as much as 50-50. For the herbicide, it should
be used full strength.  In all cases, the products to buy in
this category are true vinegars made by distilling grain alcohol.
For the purists, there is organic white vinegar made from corn.”

Avoid 20%
Vinegar

Garrett warns
against using 20 percent vinegar, which is made from 99 percent
glacial ascetic acid, stating it’s far stronger than you’d ever
really need, in addition to being overly expensive. Perhaps more
importantly, this type of vinegar is actually a petroleum derivative,
which is dangerous to breathe and can be damaging to your eyes and
skin.

“One final
warning is that some of the 10 percent vinegars being sold to naïve
organic gardeners are the fake 20 percent product that has been
cut with water. Proper vinegars should have on the label that they
are made from distilled grain alcohol or other similar language
indicating natural products from distilling,” Garrett warns.

Apple Cider
Vinegar – Good for Your Health

The cider vinegars,
made from fermenting fruits such as apples, have little value as
cleaners or herbicides. Instead, these are the types of vinegar
associated with a number of different health benefits when taken
internally. There are two basic categories of cider vinegars:

  • Regular
    apple cider vinegar
  • Organic
    apple cider vinegar with the “mother” included

When purchasing
an apple cider vinegar, you’ll want to avoid the perfectly clear,
“sparkling clean” varieties you commonly see on grocery store shelves.
Instead, you want organic, unfiltered, unprocessed apple
cider vinegar, which is murky and brown. When you try to look through
it, you will notice a cobweb-like substance floating in it. This
is known as “mother,” and it indicates your vinegar is of good quality.
While it may look suspicious at first, in this case, it’s the murky
looking stuff you want. As with everything else, the more processed
a food is, the less nutritious it is, and this holds true for apple
cider vinegar.

Surprisingly
enough, while apple cider vinegar has historically been prized for
its health benefits, little research has been done to evaluate its
therapeutic actions. However, lack of scientific studies is a common
problem for many natural and alternative therapies.

Perhaps the
most researched and the most promising of apple cider vinegar’s
benefits are in the area of type 2 diabetes. Several studies have
found that vinegar may help lower blood glucose levels. In 2004,
a study cited in the American Diabetes Foundation’s publication
Diabetes Care1
found that taking vinegar before meals significantly increased insulin
sensitivity and dramatically reduced the insulin and glucose spikes
that occur after meals. The study involved 29 people, divided into
three groups:

  1. One third
    had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
  2. One third
    had prediabetic signs.
  3. One third
    were healthy.

The results
were quite significant:

  • All three
    groups had better blood glucose readings with the vinegar than
    with the placebo.
  • People with
    prediabetic symptoms benefitted the most from
    the vinegar, cutting their blood glucose concentrations by nearly
    half.
  • People with
    diabetes improved their blood glucose levels by 25 percent with
    vinegar.
  • People with
    prediabetic symptoms had lower blood glucose than the healthy
    participants after both drank vinegar.

A follow-up
study geared at testing vinegar’s long-term effects yielded
an unexpected but pleasant side effect: moderate weight loss. In
this study, participants taking two tablespoons of vinegar prior
to two meals per day lost an average of two pounds over the four-week
period, and some lost up to four pounds.  In 2007, another
study cited by WebMD2
involving 11 people with type 2 diabetes found taking two tablespoons
of apple cider vinegar before bed lowered glucose levels in the
morning by 4 to 6 percent. Although the research to date looks favorable,
more studies are needed to confirm the extent of vinegar’s insulin
stabilization benefits.

Other Apple
Cider Vinegar “Cures”

Although this
article and many others advocate the benefits of using vinegar therapeutically,
I really think that this is an inferior approach. From my perspective
it would be far better to use large quantities of fermented foods
to get these types of acids because you will then also help to recolonize
your gut with beneficial bacteria.  However, vinegar is easier
and certainly safe to use, so you can put your toe in the water
by trying it first.  Garrett, however, has been a long-time
proponent of vinegar, recommending it for a number of uses.

“Apple
cider vinegar might cure more ailments than any other folk remedy,”
he writes. Vinegar apparently provides at least some cures
for allergies (including pet, food and environmental), sinus infections,
acne, high cholesterol, flu, chronic fatigue, Candida, acid reflux,
sore throats, contact dermatitis, arthritis, gout and the list goes
on… It also brings a healthy, rosy glow to the complexion and
can cure rough scaly skin. Apple cider vinegar is also wonderful
for animals, including dogs, cats and horses. It helps with arthritic
conditions, controls fleas, repels flies, and gives a beautiful
shine to their coats.”

As an example,
Garrett has shared the following recipe with me, which can help
soothe a sore throat:

“Use 3
tbsp. of apple cider vinegar, 3 tbsp. lemon juice, 2 tbsp. of honey
and 16 oz. water, and warm to sipping temperature and sip. Adding
juice from chopped ginger can be used for more power.”

What Can Account
for Apple Cider Vinegar’s Health Benefits?

Many who tout
apple cider vinegar’s wide-ranging benefits claim its healing power
comes from the abundance of nutrients that remain after the apples
are fermented. However, standard nutritional analyses of apple cider
vinegar have found it to be a surprisingly poor source of most nutrients.
For example, the one milligram of calcium found in a tablespoon
of apple cider vinegar does not come close to the 1,000 milligrams
a typical adult needs each day.

It has also
been claimed that soluble fiber in the vinegar, in the form of pectin,
binds to cholesterol and helps carry it out of your body, thereby
improving your lipid profile. However, apple cider vinegar contains
no measurable pectin or any other fiber, for that matter.

Its magic can
also not be traced to vitamin content. According to the US Department
of Agriculture (USDA), apple cider vinegar has no measurable vitamin
A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin,
pantothenic acid, beta-carotene, or folate – and it’s equally
lacking in amino acids, lycopene, or any other nutritional elements.

Still, despite
the fact that it’s devoid of many of the traditionally valued nutrients,
evidence of apple cider vinegar’s health benefits has been witnessed
for hundreds – maybe thousands – of years. So, what can
explain this mysteriously beneficial elixir?

It may be partially
related to the fact that vinegar is a diluted acid, specifically
acetic acid, which help to normalize your body’s pH. This likely
improves nutrition, by optimizing your gut flora and helping eradicate
pathogenic or disease-causing bacteria, and by serving as growth
accelerators for beneficial bacteria that typically thrive in more
acid environments. This is also one of the reasons why eating fermented
foods is so important.  

Apple Cider
Vinegar for Dogs

Pet care is
another area where vinegar can be a useful, non-toxic, all-natural
tool. According to Garrett:

Vinegar
is a remedy with multiple uses for dogs including alleviating allergies
and arthritis, and helping to provide the correct pH balance. You
can give apple cider vinegar to any animal by simply adding it to
the water.

If your
dog has itchy skin, the beginnings of a hot spot, incessantly washes
its feet, has smelly ears, or is picky about his food, an application
of apple cider vinegar can help. For poor appetite, use it in the
food at 1 tablespoon, two times a day for a 50 lb. dog. For itchy
skin or the beginning hot spots, put apple cider vinegar into a
spray bottle, part the hair and spray on. Any skin eruption will
dry up in as soon as 24 hours and shaving the dog won’t be necessary
– which is good because I never recommend that. If the skin is already
broken, dilute apple cider vinegar with an equal amount of water
and spray on.

Taken internally,
apple cider vinegar is credited with maintaining the acid/alkaline
balance of the digestive tract. I take a large spoonful straight
or in my “witches brew” in the morning that I drink at least once
a day.

Another
tip is if you have a dog that has clear, watery discharge from the
eyes, a runny nose, or coughs with a liquid sound, use apple cider
vinegar in his or her food. One teaspoon twice a day for a 50 lb.
dog will do the job.

After grooming
sessions, use a few drops in dogs’ ears after cleaning them to avoid
ear infections. Fleas, flies, ticks and bacteria, external parasites,
ring worm, fungus, staphylococcus, streptococcus, pneumococcus,
mange, etc. are unlikely to inhabit a dog whose system is acidic
inside and out.

Should
you ever experience any of these with your dog, bathe with a nice
gentle herbal shampoo – one that you would use on your own hair
– rinse thoroughly with vinegar, and then sponge on apple cider
vinegar diluted with equal amounts of warm water. Allow your dog
to drip dry. It is not necessary to use harsh chemicals for minor
flea infestations. All fleas drown in soapy water and the apple
cider vinegar rinse makes the skin too acidic for a re-infestation.
If you are worried about picking up fleas when you take your dog
away from home, keep some apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle,
and spray your dog before you leave home and when you get back.
For raw spots caused by excessive licking, use a few drops in water,
and sponge the affected areas with apple cider vinegar.

Horticultural
Uses for Vinegar

Vinegar can
also be used to control weeds in your garden. According to Garrett:

To keep
the weeds out of a decorative or utility gravel area, the best approach
is to design them out from the beginning or use organic products
later to kill the weeds. Salt, toxic herbicides and bleach should
never be used because they contaminate the soil long term. They
also leach into the water stream. To head off the problem, install
the gravel in a thick layer – 6 to 8 inches after scraping away
all grasses and weeds.

Any weeds
that grow through the gravel can be sprayed and killed with a mix
of 10 percent pickling vinegar mixed with 2 ounces orange oil and
1 teaspoon liquid soap or you can use commercial organic herbicides.
Vinegar sprays can also be used to kill weeds in the cracks in sidewalks
and driveways. The best choice for herbicide use is 10 percent white
vinegar made from grain alcohol. It should be used full strength.
Avoid products that are made from 99 percent glacial acetic acid.
This material is a petroleum derivative. Natural vinegars such those
made from fermenting apples have little herbicidal value.

Herbicide
Formula:

1 gallon
of 10 percent (100 grain) vinegar

Add 1 ounce
orange oil or d-limonene

Add 1 tablespoon
molasses (optional – some say it doesn’t help)

1 teaspoon
liquid soap or other surfactant (I use Bio Wash)

Do not
add water

Shake well
before each spraying and spot spray weeds. Keep the spray off desirable
plants. This spray will injure any plant it touches. This natural
spray works best on warm to hot days. Vinegar sprayed on the bases
of trees and other woody plants will not hurt the plant at all.
This technique was first learned about by spraying the suckers and
weeds growing around the bases of grapevines.

If
your water is alkaline, add 1 tablespoon of 50-grain
(5 percent) natural apple cider vinegar to each gallon of water
to improve the quality of the water for potted plants and bedding.
This doesn’t have to be done with every watering, though it wouldn’t
hurt. This technique is especially helpful when trying to grow acid-loving
plants such as gardenias, azaleas, and dogwoods. A tablespoon of
vinegar per gallon added to the sprayer when foliar feeding lawns,
shrubs, flowers, and trees is also highly beneficial, especially
where soil or water is alkaline. The other horticultural use for
vinegar is in the watering can.

Other Uses
for Vinegar

Last but not
least, vinegar can be used to remove certain pesticides and bacteria
from your fresh produce. Of course, you don’t need apple cider vinegar
for this – any basic white vinegar will do. Gayle Povis Alleman,
MS, RD recommends a solution of 10 percent vinegar to 90 percent
water as a bath to briefly soak produce3.
Just place your veggeis or fruit in the solution, swish it around,
and rinse thoroughly. Just don’t use this process on fragile fruits
(like berries), since they could be damaged in the process or soak
up too much vinegar through their porous skins.

Apple cider
vinegar has also long been used as a natural hair care product.
Its acidity is close to that of human hair; it’s a good conditioner
and cleaning agent, as well as an effective germ killer. You can
visit www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com
for information on how to make a vinegar hair rinse.

While we need
a great deal more research to investigate vinegar’s full healing
potential, it can certainly be useful in a variety of ways, for
a variety of conditions. It’s definitely a great multi-purpose tool
to have in your pantry.

[+] Sources and References

August
31, 2012

Copyright ©
2012 Dr. Joseph Mercola

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