Apple Cider Vinegar and Allergies: The Evidence

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. This is such an old adage but still so accurate, even in the modern world. Fermenting that apple into apple cider vinegar? Even better! Vinegar has been used for centuries, all the way back to the time of Hippocrates for its antibacterial and antiviral properties. Fast forward hundreds of years and apple cider vinegar has been proven by modern science to be beneficial for MORE than just that. It can prevent a whole array of diseases including allergies.

So, how does it do that?

Making vinegar involves a long fermentation process that brings out the rich bioactive compounds in the fruit. It increases its innate antioxidant and antimicrobial potency. The food that we eat is so important because the intestines are not just a long tube that digests that food. It also hosts 80-90% of our immune system’s cells. Feeding it with healthy bacteria from fermented sources and plant-nutrients is the best way to keep it in shape.

Apple cider vinegar is effective in keeping the pH of the body balanced. In doing so, it provides an overall cleansing effect and helps to clear out lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are organs in the body where bacteria, viruses, fungi and other toxins accumulate. They are the swellings that you feel in your neck and at the back of your throat during hay fever season or when you become ill. Since allergies are basically a way for the body to get rid of acidic toxins, keeping the body pH balanced, or even slightly alkaline, will help to eliminate allergies. In this way, apple cider vinegar helps to reduce mucus production, sinus congestion and sore throats related to allergic reactions.

And, you know what else?

Apple cider vinegar is not just useful for allergies. The polyphenol compounds in it, such as chlorogenic acid, has been shown to prevent oxidation of the bad cholesterol, LDL, and prevent heart disease. Other studies have shown that the amino acids in unprocessed vinegar reduce inflammation after exercise and reduce muscle damage. Numerous researchers have linked vinegar with improved insulin sensitivity in diabetic patients and more stable blood sugar levels making the disease easier to control. It also helps to curb appetite, which helps them lose weight more effectively. Double win! When used in cooking, vinegar is effective in preventing E. coli and salmonella contamination. The list of benefits just goes on and on.

The healthiest kinds of apple cider vinegars are:

• Made from organic produce,
• Unfiltered or unprocessed.

The Environmental Working Group’s ‘Dirty Dozen’ list of produce highlights the 12 fruits and vegetables that have the highest pesticide contamination. Apples, unfortunately, have come out as the number 1 produce on that list for many years running.

As with other foods, the more processed something is, the less beneficial it is for us. Unprocessed apple cider vinegars will have a murky appearance and strand-like substances in the bottle called the ‘mother’. Just how mothers all over bring life into the world, this is also what the mother in the apple cider vinegar does. It’s packed with phytonutrients essential to a vibrant life, full of healthy gut bacteria, proteins and enzymes. Other manufacturers remove the mother because they are scared consumers won’t buy a cloudy-looking product. But, we at CoralTree believe that you deserve only the best.

Apple cider vinegar can protect you and your family from allergies naturally. No more drowsiness from expensive antihistamines. By buying CoralTree’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, you are assured that you are getting the finest quality apple cider vinegar. No worrying about toxins from pesticides as only certified organic apples are used in its manufacture. It is naturally fermented and unfiltered, leaving the goodness of the whole apple behind in every bottle.

References:

(1) Budak, N. H., Aykin, E., Seydim, A. C., Greene, A. K. and Guzel-Seydim, Z. B. (2014), Functional Properties of Vinegar. Journal of Food Science, 79: R757–R764

(2) Johnston CS et al. Vinegar Improves Insulin Sensitivity to a High-Carbohydrate Meal in Subjects With Insulin Resistance or Type 2 Diabetes Diabetes Care 2004 Jan; 27(1): 281-282

(3) Ostman E et al. Vinegar supplementation lowers glucose and insulin responses and increases satiety after a bread meal in healthy subjects. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2005 Sep;59(9):983-8

(4) Entani E et al. Antibacterial action of vinegar against food-borne pathogenic bacteria including Escherichia coli O157:H7. J Food Prot. 1998 Aug;61(8):953-9.

(5) Yucel S, Karapinar M. Effectiveness of household natural sanitizers in the elimination of Salmonella typhimurium on rocket (Eruca sativa Miller) and spring onion (Allium cepa L.). Int J Food Microbiol. 2005 Feb 15;98(3):319-23.

(6) Schwalfenberg G. The Alkaline Diet: Is There Evidence That an Alkaline pH Diet Benefits Health? J Environ Public Health. 2012; 2012: 727630.

(7) Warrington R et al. An introduction to immunology and immunopathology. Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology20117(Suppl 1):S1

(8) Ewg.org. (2016). EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce. [online] Available at: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php [Accessed 14 May 2016].