The past two weeks I’ve been drinking apple cider vinegar (ACV) to see if and how it benefits the body. I began this process knowing little to nothing about how to work a shot of ACV into my daily diet to produce some of its many benefits. This was something I thought I might as well try just to see if it lived up to all the hype. If you’ve been on the fence, here’s the insider’s guide to ACV.
Apple cider vinegar has been credited for being a natural product that aids in weight loss (by being an appetite suppressant), removing stains from teeth, killing bad breath bacteria in the mouth, reducing blood sugar levels, curing hiccups, helping an upset stomach, clearing a stuffy nose, getting the stank out of your feet, cleaning any surface, reducing itching from mosquito bites, balancing the pH level of your skin, relieving muscle aches, giving your hair an extra shimmer and even soothing a sore throat. Basically, it’s supposed to be a cure-all for everything.
The First Day
I was excited and also very nervous to start my drinking vinegar for the next fourteen days. But I already committed, so I had to follow through with it. I made hot green tea with honey to use as a chaser after my first shot of ACV because, you know, healthiness. It burned like a shot of Titos. In other words, it was awful. However, the worst part was over; all that was left to do was see if there were any changes. Throughout the day, I didn’t seem to notice any differences in my appetite or my alertness, but it was only the first day.
The Fourth Day
I began to notice a few changes starting to take place. My throat was sore and my stomach was feeling off, but I could go longer without eating throughout the day. I thought that the soreness of my throat and peculiar stomach feeling may be a side effect, so I looked online to find any suggestions or advice about drinking ACV. There were many articles from various health journals and websites. These articles stated that drinking ACV straight can cause the esophagus to burn. Great, I’d been doing this for four days; my throat was burnt.
While looking for guidance on this process, I began finding more worrisome facts: ACV can cause damage to your teeth, throat and stomach due to the high acidity in ACV. However, there were solutions to this – mixing one tablespoon of ACV and one teaspoon of honey (for taste) into an eight-ounce glass of water. This dilutes the acidity and causes significantly less harm.
The Seventh Day
I had been mixing ACV, honey and either water or green tea for a few days now, and my throat was no longer sore, I was still feeling full longer, and my stomach had gotten used to having a daily dose of ACV, which improved my digestion. I still hadn’t quite gotten used to the taste, but if it was helping my health, then it was worth the undesirable taste.
The Eleventh
I was feeling energized, satisfied and healthy. I was more energetic and felt no need to snack at all. My sinuses were clear, despite the weather change, and my digestion was regular. With these results, I wanted to experiment with other usages of ACV, so I began applying it to my face to control and prevent acne breakouts.
The Final Day
I had been using ACV on my face for three days now and my face was drying out in spots where it was applied. However, I hadn’t had a breakout, so it seemed to be working in all tested aspects thus far.
Final Thoughts
After these past two weeks, I can say I’ve paid more attention to my body and its functions more than ever before. ACV has helped in numerous ways, and I see no reason to stop drinking my morning mix. I probably won’t continue using ACV on my face regularly, but if I do breakout I’ll definitely use it as a spot treatment. If you decide to try this out for yourself, read up on the benefits and warnings to make sure it’s the right decision for you.