Is Apple Cider Vinegar Good for Gut Health?
For years, people have claimed that apple cider vinegar helps them fight indigestion, heartburn, GERD, and other gut-related issues. Some people regularly add it to smoothies, tea, or chicken marinade recipes as a flavorful ingredient. Others drink it plain with just a bit of water.
But the question remains: Does apple cider vinegar improve gut health? We’re exploring this concept deeper, along with other things that can restore your gut microbiome.
What Is Apple Cider Vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar is made with mashed-up apples, yeast, and sugar. These ingredients undergo the fermentation process twice.
The first time, manufacturers mix apples with a carbohydrate like yeast or sugar. After the liquid sits for a few weeks, the resulting bacteria and yeasts ferment the juice and turn it into alcohol. The second fermentation process further changes the alcohol into acetic acid.
People who use apple cider vinegar as a health remedy often prefer raw apple cider vinegar or the cloudy sediment visible in the bottle before you shake it up. Raw vinegar contains more natural bacteria and yeast than pasteurized vinegar.
Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar
Raw apple cider vinegar can provide health benefits for your gut health. It contains natural probiotics, which can boost your immune system and restore balance in your gut. The liquid is also packed with antioxidants, which help prevent damage to your cells.
Smaller studies have also shown that apple cider vinegar can increase weight loss with a healthy diet. Consuming the vinegar after a meal may also help those with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes to better manage their blood sugars.
How to Use Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has no calories and can add a delicious flavor to your food. While some drink it plain, it has a harsh taste and may burn as it goes down.
Here are some alternative ways to add apple cider vinegar to your diet:
- Create delicious marinades for meals, including fish, chicken, chili, and different vegetables. The possibilities (and recipes) are endless.
- Add a few tablespoons to a cup of hot water. You can certainly add a tea bag, some lemon juice, a drizzle of honey, and/or a cinnamon stick for added flavor.
- Drink a shot diluted with some water before a meal. If you don’t like the taste, you could try chasing it with a swig of pineapple juice.
- Sprinkle some on your salad with your favorite dressing, or create your own dressing by mixing it with olive oil and some ground black pepper.
- Use apple cider vinegar to pickle onions and cucumbers instead of white vinegar.
What Other Foods Help Your Gut Health?
Apple cider vinegar can improve your gut health and add some other gut-friendly foods to your diet. Consider these suggestions:
Fermented Foods
Incorporate fermented foods to introduce healthy bacteria into your gut. Options include probiotic-rich yogurt, kefir, kombucha, kimchi, and sauerkraut.
Bananas
This popular fruit contains inulin, which helps grow good bacteria. Eat a fiber-rich banana plain or mix one into your morning smoothie. Some like them sliced on cereal or between two pieces of bread with peanut butter.
No matter how you eat them, you’ll be helping to protect cells from the damage that comes from fighting inflammation and infection.
Polyphenols
Polyphenols may help fight bad bacteria that can lead to peptic ulcers and inflammatory bowel disease. They can also help grow the good bacteria needed to break down fiber.
Various colorful foods, coffee, red wine, and green tea, often contain these compounds. Your large intestine will thank you as it works to ferment the fiber and protect your gut.
Other Ways to Improve Gut Health
When used with other habits and a healthy diet, apple cider vinegar can help improve gut health. It’s also helpful to participate in moderate exercise regularly. Doing so can help reduce inflammation and intestinal permeability.
Regular exercise also helps to create an environment that encourages healthier changes in your gut. Your gastrointestinal tract can perform more efficiently when you move your body.
Supplements can also help you boost your gut health. The ASEA REDOX supplement is a good place to start, as scientific tests show that drinking it every day signals the activation of genetic pathways.
As a result, you can benefit from genes that work to improve gut health and digestive enzyme production. Using ASEA REDOX can also help regulate genes and keep your cells communicating through a process known as redox signaling.
A Helpful Combination
Adding some gut-friendly foods to your diet, along with moderate exercise, apple cider vinegar, and The Redox Breakthrough, can give your gut what it needs to do its job and thrive. Give it a try today!
