12 Things That Will Happen If You Drink Apple Cider Vinegar Daily

https://www.healthambition.com/apple-cider-vinegar-drink-daily-better-health/

Diluted raw Apple Cider Vinegar is a drink with many potential benefits and it has been used throughout history to treat a long list of health problems.

Are you interested in Apple Cider Vinegar, but don’t know where to start? Click here.

Here is 12 reasons why it’s worth drinking apple cider vinegar, also commonly known as ACV, daily for more energy, a better body and improving your health in general.

Check here to see why pharmaceutical companies HATE ACV!

12 Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

1. Improved Digestion

Drinking apple cider vinegar in water can help to naturally improve your digestion. Take a tablespoon of ACV in a big glass of water around 15 minutes before a meal to stimulate digestive juices for better breakdown of your food.

It’s important to use raw, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar with the mother for this and all of the other health benefits listed below.

The mother is the cloudy strings of naturally occurring pectin and proteins that form during fermentation. Filtered and pasteurized vinegars will not have this and lack the enzymes and other nutritional properties in raw ACV that have such a positive effect on the digestive process.

Real apple cider vinegar, Like this organic version I use, contains valuable minerals and trace elements, LDL cholesterol-lowering pectin, fat burning acetic acid, anti-viral malic acid, live enzymes, amino acids and many other beneficial nutrients.

When you drink apple cider vinegar regularly, ideally before each main meal, you digestion improves and you naturally begin assimilating more from your food. This can also reduce hunger and help with losing weight. More on this ahead.

2. Heartburn, Intestinal Problems and Constipation

Regular apple cider vinegar in water is believed to help correct low stomach acid conditions that leads to heartburn. Importantly, straight ACV is very strong and likely to be too powerful for heartburn sufferers, and especially those with ulcers, so make sure you dilute it well.

Apple pectin fiber, found in the mother of raw and unfiltered apple cider vinegar, soothes the entire gastrointestinal tract, helping to prevent stomach cramps, bloating and gas.

Apple cider vinegar can also be useful as a mild laxative to stimulate peristalsis in cases of occasional constipation. It should not have this effect if your bowel movements are already regular.

Did you know that apples can help with constipation?

3. Prevent Candida and Normalize Intestinal Bacteria

ACV is full of beneficial acids which are believed to help improve the make up of your intestinal flora.

These include acetic acid and malic acid, which have antibacterial, antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties and can help control the spread of the candida fungus in your intestines, a common and debilitating problem with many people’s high sugar diets.

4. Strengthen Your Immune System

Your intestinal flora are a big part of your body’s immune system. It makes sense then that improving the conditions for the growth of friendly bacteria with apple cider vinegar can help improve your overall immunity.

The malic acid in ACV is also a strong antiviral, perhaps one of the reasons people often say they experience fewer colds when they take apple cider vinegar in water daily.

Additionally, raw and unfiltered apple cider vinegar is said to benefit your lymphatic system by helping to cleanse lymph nodes and break up mucus in the body. Over time this can relieve sinus congestion, reduce colds and alleviate allergies.

5. Regulate Blood Sugar and Aid in Diabetes

Apple cider vinegar is full of acetic acid which appears to slow down the digestion of simple carbohydrates, thus regulating blood sugar levels from the brief highs and longer lows of a high carb diet.

The anti-glycemic effect of ACV has been proven in several studies, including this one that concluded, “vinegar can significantly improve post-prandial insulin and sensitivity in insulin resistant subjects…thus, vinegar may possess physiological effects similar to acarbose or metformin (anti-diabetic drugs).

Further investigations to examine the efficacy of vinegar as an antidiabetic therapy are warranted.”

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6. High Blood Pressure

Some animal studies have shown that apple cider vinegar may lower high blood pressure and there are many reports in online forums of using it for this purpose.

It’s possible that ACV increases nitric oxide production that helps relax blood vessels, or it may just have a generally beneficial effect on your cardiovascular system that, over time, naturally results in a lowering of high blood pressure.

7. Detoxification

Apple cider vinegar is a popular ingredient in detoxification protocols with good reason. Aside from all the other body cleansing benefits already listed, drinking diluted raw and unfiltered apple cider vinegar is believed to help detoxify and cleanse your liver.

One tablespoon of ACV in a large glass of water before each meal is often recommended as an effective dosage for daily detoxification. Some detoxifying methods may use larger doses, though it’s best to build up to these over time.

8. Weight Loss

Apple cider vinegar’s acetic acid has been shown in studies to suppress the accumulation of body fat and liver lipids. Its pectin content is also thought to slightly reduce your body’s ability to absorb fat.

When you have an apple cider vinegar drink before a meal, as well as improving digestion, it will usually reduce your hunger levels as well, which can only be beneficial for losing weight. Once again, 1 tablespoon in a large glass of water before each meal is the recommended dosage.

Raw ACV may well aid weight loss, but it would be better thought of as part of a larger body fat reduction plan. In all I’ve read on the subject, I believe the most effective first step is to reduce grain-based carbohydrates and eat more, not less, of the right type of foods.

9. Bad Breath

The natural acids in real apple cider vinegar, like acetic and malic acid, can reduce the bacteria in your mouth that cause bad breath.

Using apple cider vinegar for halitosis, you would make it a bit stronger than when drinking it. Add one tablespoon to a third of a cup of water and gargle it for around 20 seconds to minimize bad breath.

10. Skin Benefits

The page on apple cider vinegar as a skin treatment covered using ACV externally in detail, but drinking it regularly can have a very beneficial effect on your skin from the inside.

Apple cider vinegar balances your skin’s pH levels and has long been recommended as a skin tonic. It can also help treat dermatological conditions like acne, especially when used both internally and externally regularly.

11. Leg Cramps and Restless Leg Syndrome

Sipping on an apple cider vinegar drink can increase low potassium levels in your body, a suspect in nighttime leg cramps and restless leg syndrome.

Many people in health forums report positive results with regularly drinking ACV in water right before bed to prevent leg cramps and reduce restless leg syndrome.

12. Stamina and Energy

Improved stamina and energy are harder to measure subjectively, but raw, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar has long been considered a general health tonic and more energy and greater stamina are commonly reported when drinking it.

This may be a combination of all the other health benefits of ACV already listed. Or it could be due to the powerful alkalizing effect it has on your body when you drink apple cider vinegar daily.

Despite been acidic outside the body, ACV, like lemon water, is recognized as a premier alkalizing drink, which reduces acidosis in the body and has been reported to aid in recovering from a wide range of health conditions and diseases.Here’s a short video explaining the benefits of ACV and how to use it.

Drinking ACV to Improve Your Health

Drink apple cider vinegar like this daily for best results, ideally 15 minutes before each meal.

The starting dosage is 1 tablespoon in a big glass of water and you can slowly increase the dosage, a teaspoon at a time over several weeks, to 2 or even 3 tablespoons, if you find the increased dosage beneficial to your health.

Yes it does taste a little sour, but that’s a good thing. It’s important to train your taste buds to not expect everything to be sweet.

If you really can’t handle it at the start, then try it with a drop of Natural stevia sweetener, but using sugar or commercial honey to sweeten it will only feed the intestinal problems that ACV is used to treat.

Have you tried having a daily apple cider vinegar drink for better health? Do you have other health conditions you’ve found ACV beneficial for? Let everyone know in the comments below and spread the word about just how good for you apple cider vinegar is.

Here's an infographic I found at swansonvitamins.com showing the 40 uses for ACV.

No More "Sink" Snacking

By USA Swimming  | Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Introducing #SwimFasterFood!

Swim Faster Food is your guide to healthy, tasty, convenient and affordable snacks that will keep our swimmers fueled and able to perform at their best.

Stay Clear of Sink Snacks. “Sink snacks” are any snacks that are low in nutrients and high in fat.

Why: Fat is important for the body, but the type in junk food sits in your stomach, keeping energy from getting to your muscles. This leaves you sluggish and maybe with a belly ache. Whether swimming a 50 or 1500, these foods won’t have you feeling your best for a strong finish.

Examples of Sink Snacks

Potato Chips – Made of mostly fat, eating chips before a race may make you feel sicker, not quicker.

Candy Bars – After the sugar high, they’re more like sugar crash and burn bars.

Donuts – When you try fuel with fried food, you’ll only hope to make it from flip turn to finish.

IMPROVING YOUR RECOVERY WITH MAGNESIUM

Article from swimswam.com

Improved performance starts with the right nutrition, and that means making sure your body is fueled properly. Getting the right nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, in the right amounts will enable your body to maximize its recovery and help you perform to your true potential. This can be a challenge, and some vitamins and mineral deficiencies are more common than others. Magnesium deficiencies are the second most common deficiency in developed countries, after vitamin D.

A lack of magnesium raises blood pressure, reduces your glucose tolerance, neither of which are positive for your body or your performance. We’ll talk more about why magnesium is important for swimmers and how you can make sure you’re getting enough of this important mineral in your diet.

Electrolyte balance

Magnesium is an essential dietary mineral that is involved in energy production and protein synthesis. It is also the second most common electrolyte found in humans. As a swimmer, whether you are training in the pool or the weight room you are losing electrolytes, like magnesium, through sweat. These electrolytes need to be replaced. You’ll want to keep an eye on your electrolyte balance when you’re participating in any endurance activity, especially those lasting over an hour.

Muscle relaxation:

Magnesium helps to ensure proper muscle contraction and a lack of it may result in muscle cramps. It is involved in the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which is important for red blood cell production in muscle cells. When your magnesium levels are too low to aid ATP production, your muscles may struggle to contract effectively. Magnesium also helps maintain normal nerve, heart and muscle function, in addition to promoting calcium absorption. 

Better recovery

Another benefit to magnesium is that it helps with quality sleep, which is important for swimmers.  Studies have shown altered electrical activity in the brain when magnesium is lacking, which can cause you to wake up multiple times during the night, and have an agitated sleep. Poor rest detracts from your recovery time and increases the chance your body won’t be well prepared for your training or race the following day. Magnesium has a calming effect, lowers blood pressure and improves insulin sensitivity.

What’s a good source of magnesium

Magnesium deficiencies can be fixed through proper nutrition. Grains, more common in the western diet, are not a good source of magnesium, whereas nuts and leafy vegetables, which are a good source of magnesium tend not to be eaten as often.

Magnesium can be found in dark leafy greens, nuts, fish, beans, whole grains, avocados, yogurt, bananas, dried fruit and dark chocolate. It is recommended that athletes get around 410mg of magnesium per day. Not getting enough of these foods, and not getting enough magnesium is quite common. An estimated 75% of Americans lack sufficient magnesium in their diet so you might also consider supplementing your diet with a nutritional shake to fill in the gaps. Something like NutriBoost Shake, which contains 100% of the recommended daily amounts of magnesium in just 3 scoops.

If you’re finding you’re fatiguing, having frequent muscle cramps, or poor sleep and want to determine whether you’re getting enough magnesium, check with your healthcare professional. They’ll be able to run a red blood cell test, which is more accurate than a regular blood test, to determine whether or not you have a magnesium deficiency.

Keeping an eye on your magnesium intake will help you make sure your body is getting the minerals it needs to optimize its recovery and prepare you to perform at your best.


Sources:

  1. https://examine.com/supplements/magnesium/
  2. http://www.chiro.org/nutrition/FULL/Essential_Nutrients_for_Endurance_Athletes.shtml
  3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17172008
  4. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/
  5. http://www.webmd.com/diet/supplement-guide-magnesium
  6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26166051
  7. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/844214
  8. http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/43836/1/9789241563550_eng.pdf

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