Strange as it may seem, apple
cider vinegar can be used to fight heart burn, even though
that type of vinegar is composed of acetic acid the same as
any other. It wouldn’t seem logical to use an acid to
alleviate a condition caused by excess acidity in the stomach,
but all will be clear shortly.
First, let’s have a look at what cider
apple vinegar is, and whsat health benefits it can impart to
the body. There is more to the old maxim regarding an apple
a day than most appreciate. Although an orange has more vitamin
C, apples have a lot going for them. They not only contain
the soluble dietary fiber and prebiotic pectin, that can help
reduce blood cholesterol levels, but are also rich in vitamins
and minerals. Many consider apple cider vinegar the form of
the apple that provides its ultimate health benefits.
Hippocrates himself has written of the health
benefits of apple cider vinegar and used it for the benefits
to health that it imparted. That goes back almost 2400 years,
to an age when the biochemistry of the body was unheard of
and even the alchemists had yet to work their magic. There
was no surprise then that an acid could be used to increase
the alkalinity of the body since the terms had yet to be understood,
let alone invented.
The later applications of vinegar followed
a path that would be expected of a substance recognized as
a form of medicine, and it has been poured over wounds to
sterilize them from early in history, and by people of the
14th and 17th centuries to protect themselves against the
Black Death and the Great Plague respectively. It was believed
by people in these times that the disease was transferred
by breathing in the ‘ill vapors’ and that a vinegar-soaked
cloth over the face would protect them.
Many people, associate vinegar with ‘bad
wine’ or solutions of acetic acid, generally 5%. But
how is real cider apple vinegar produced? All vinegar has
acetic acid as its key ingredient. The reason that it can
be produced from wine is that acetic acid is produced naturally
by the fermentation of ethanol, or ethyl alcohol, the main
alcoholic product of the fermentation of sugars. If the fermentation
of wine is allowed to continue after the sugar has been used
up, then the yeast will act on the ethanol and convert it
to acetic acid. In fact the word comes from the old French
‘vin aigre’ or ‘sour wine’, due to
it resulting from the undesirable continuing fermentation
of wine.
The concentration varies according to the
use it is put, though commercial pickling vinegars can be
distilled to any required concentration of acetic acid. Apple
cider vinegar is obtained by the over-fermentation of apple
must usually used for cider, and can be obtained either the
clear filtered form, or unfiltered with a hazy light brownish
color. Although the manufactured distilled vinegars consist
of acetic acid at various concentrations, natural vinegars
contain by-products of the fermentation process such as citric
and tartaric acids.
However, none of this explains why apple
cider vinegar should help to cure heartburn. The first thing
you should keep in mind is that this type of vinegar has some
nutritional value that will be explained later, but also that
it is less bitter than many other types of vinegar and many
enjoy drinking it with a small amount of honey as an energy
pick-me-up and also to prevent various digestive problems
that it appears to alleviate such as bloating and diarrhoea.
The reason that many people experience heartburn
is due to the body finding that that the acidity of the stomach
is lower than it should be to digest a meal. There might be
several reasons for the body believing this, such as drinking
too much milk during the meal and thereby neutralizing some
of the acid while also introducing more fat to be digested.
The body reacts by injecting more acid into the stomach. Excessively
spicy foods or alcohol can cause the same effect.
Stomach acid is concentrated hydrochloric
acid that is very corrosive and can even dissolve a nail.
If your stomach is slightly full, the acid causes a slight,
but not full, reflux and you get the burning sensation known
as heartburn due to the corrosive effects of the very strong
acid on the esophagus, which is not protected by the stomach
lining that is designed to withstand it. Sometimes the excessive
acid in your stomach will cause the bottom of the esophagus
to open, allowing some of the stomach contents into the esophagus
giving the horrible burning sensation. That sensation is acid
corrosion of your body tissue, but it is rapidly repaired
and does no lasting damage unless it is chronic when you have
to see your doctor.
Since heartburn is caused by excess acidity
then, it will seem strange that you can use an acid to alleviate
it. However, keep in mind that your heartburn is due to the
body (brain) being convinced that there is insufficient acid
in your stomach. If you introduce a weak acid, then you can
convince your brain that the acid has been brought to a satisfactory
level and so it will stop sending signals to the stomach lining
cells that secrete the HCl.
If you remember what I asked you to remember
above, regarding the traditional uses of apple cider vinegar
and how easy it is to drink, then that vinegar is the ideal
acid to take. It floods the stomach with acetic acid and signals
pass back and forth between the stomach wall to the brain
and back again to the effect that the stomach has enough acid
and so no more hydrochloric acid need be secreted.
Had you treated it with milk or even an antacid,
it would have worked initially, but eventually the signal
would be initiated and the lining would secrete more HCl.
With an antacid that can occur after the stomach contents
have been passed on, but although it has had its effect, your
food will have been poorly digested, and so the better remedy
is likely not an alkaline antacid but a weak acid such as
apple cider vinegar.
That’s how it works, but what other
benefits does it bring to you. For starters it is a good source
of potassium which is essential to maintain a proper cardiac
rhythm. Potassium can also help to maintain a good blood pressure,
and it is necessary for healthy nails, hair and teeth, and
also helps to repair damage to soft tissues and to allow cells
to repair internal tissue loss.
Potassium is an essential mineral, although
there is normally sufficient in a healthy diet. However, if
somebody is displaying the symptoms of potassium deficiency
then this form of vinegar can help to resolve the problem.
The elderly especially can benefit from a regular dose.
Other than its antiseptic effect, the most
common popular use of apple cider vinegar, however, is to
fight heart burn and in that respect it is very effective,
even if it seems a bit of a paradox.
About the Author: More information
on apple cider vinegar for heart burn is available at VitaNet
®, LLC Health Food Store. http://vitanetonline.com/
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