What is Apple Cider Vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar is readily available in your local grocery store and health food stores.
This seemingly simple salad dressing ingredient has now become an extremely popular household item thanks to its many health benefits.
Vinegar from apple cider is a product fermentation of natural sugars which get broken down by friendly yeast and bacteria.
The resulting alcohol then undergoes further fermentation to produce apple cider vinegar.
The word vinegar comes from the French word for ‘sour wine’. And that is exactly what ACV is: it is a sour, acidic tonic that contains hundreds of healthy nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and friendly bacteria and yeasts.
What are some of the important benefits of ACV?
Thanks to the fermentation process, many healthy nutrients and friendly bacteria get introduced in the final product.
Naturally it is very important to only use raw, organic, unpasteurized and unfiltered apple cider vinegar.
Such ACV is cloudy owing to the presence of mother that contains enzymes, vitamins and minerals.
When you purchase organic, unpasteurized ACV, you are assured that the apples used in it are completely organically grown and harvested.
They are not treated with harmful pesticides and chemicals. Furthermore, the natural fermentation process then introduces following beneficial vitamins and minerals in the ACV:
- Potassium – helps in muscle contraction, important for heart health, maintain electrolyte balance within the body.
- Calcium – important for bone health.
- Iron – helps transport oxygen throughout the body
- Zinc – promotes healing
- Sodium – maintains fluid balance
- Phosphorus – essential for strong bones
- Vitamin A – eye health
- B-vitamins – nervous system functioning, healthy hair and skin, proper cell functioning, red blood cell formation
- Vitamin C – a vital antioxidant that aids in strengthening the immune system and helps in prevention of diseases.
In addition, ACV contains pectin which helps digestion.
ACV is probiotic which means it has friendly bacteria that eliminate harmful bacteria and yeasts which cause diseases in pets and humans.
It also is a powerful cleansing agent and detoxifier that removes piled up toxins which have accumulated over the years.
See my post Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar for a complete list of benefits.
Why is ‘mother’ in apple cider vinegar important?
Mother in the apple cider vinegar is the cobweb like sediment substance that contains concentrated amounts of healthy nutrients mentioned above.
The mother enzyme is what contains the probiotic elements of vinegar which help fight harmful microbes from the human body.
You might feel ‘turned’ off seeing the sediment in your ACV bottle but it is mainly a result of specific processing that helps retain the natural enzymes and nutrients of apples throughout the fermentation process.
In short: if you are looking to use ACV for healing any condition; you must ensure that it has the ‘mother’ enzyme intact.
What is the best brand of ACV?
There are many reputable brands of ACV in the market. One brand stands out and is synonymous with ACV – No products found..
Bragg apple cider vinegar has been around for nearly 5 generations. Since establishment, all Bragg children have received ACV and they also feed it to their kids and grandkids. Millions of people have used Bragg ACV all around the world.
Bragg apple cider vinegar is made from organic, fresh apples that are crushed and matured in wooden barrels.
The taste is smoother and it is much healthier than other vinegar.
It is loaded with potassium, vitamins and minerals and has helped millions of people regain good health and well being.
Here are some noteworthy achievements of Paul C. Bragg who is the Founder of the Health Movement in America:
- Bragg originated, named and opened the first healthy food store in the USA.
- He introduced juice therapy in the USA and was the first in the country to introduce pineapple and tomato juice.
- Bragg also opened the first health restaurant and first health spa in the USA.
Things to keep in mind before purchasing
Acidity
Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid that is formed naturally during the fermentation process.
A brief chemistry lesson here: the pH value of a solution is the measure of acidity or alkalinity of that solution. Water has a neutral pH of 7 on a scale of 0 to 14 with 0 being highly acidic and 14 being highly alkaline.
Apple cider vinegar pH measures approximately 2.8.
It is this acidity that adds the curative powers to ACV.
When you consume ACV, it produces an alkaline environment in the body.
An alkaline environment is very good for the human body because it curbs inflammation and heals the damage caused by free radicals and toxins.
Taste
Some people find the taste of apple cider vinegar extremely daunting.
The typical sour and harsh smell of the vinegar tends to put people off. When you add ACV to your soups, sauces and stews; the flavor and taste is enhanced.
However, if you are planning to drink ACV directly for its million health benefits, then you may want to dilute it first.
Always, start off with a small dosage first. In the beginning, drink only one tablespoon of ACV. Slowly increase it to two tablespoon.
Some people add apple juice to mask the tangy, harsh taste. Others add honey or orange juice to it. You can also dilute it with a glass of water and drink up.
These days, many brands of ACV come pre-mixed with honey, ginger and other healthy ingredients to make the taste palatable and also enhance the health benefits.
You can also use apple cider vinegar pills if you hate the taste of the liquid.
Other factors to consider when buying ACV is that it should be raw, unpasteurized and with the Mother enzyme.
This means you should never buy filtered ACV. Top brands always mention the words: organic, raw and unpasteurized on their bottles and these are the brands you should go for.
The best Apple cider vinegar
1. Bragg organic gluten free ACV
Naturally, Bragg tops our list of best organic apple cider vinegar with mother. It is raw, unfiltered and completely natural.
Thousands of people have rated Bragg ACV with 5-star rating. Bragg ACV is also No products found.
2. Lucy’s raw apple cider vinegar with mother
Lucy’s organic apple cider vinegar is easy to swallow and it contains the mother culture. Lucy is a family owned business, so their prices are decent and their products are trusted by thousands of people.
Excellent flavor and taste, this ACV may actually be a little stronger than other ACVs you have tried.
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Viva Naturals organic ACV comes in a recyclable glass bottle that preserves the taste and also is good for the planet.
This is a certified pure product and their facility is free from allergens like soy, tree nuts, and eggs.
Viva ACV is made in the USA using top apple varieties like Gala, Jonathan and Gavenstein.
Use Viva ACV in tea, salads and soups, as a household cleaner, on your hair and pretty much everywhere you need cleaning, detoxification or a boost or health.
4. Dynamic Health organic, raw ACV
This is a great apple cider vinegar for a decent price. It comes in 3 different sizes and the packaging material changes accordingly.
The 128 oz size comes in plastic can while the smaller sizes are in glass bottles. Nevertheless, this is a completely organic product.
It is unfiltered so you get a decent amount of ‘mother’ enzyme threads in it. Healthy, organic apples, kosher, non GMO, non gluten and vegan are some of the other features of this great ACV.
5. Kevala apple cider vinegar organic
This certified organic, raw and unfiltered ACV is diluted to 5% acidity.
It contains mother vinegar and is also certified kosher by cRc.
Many fans of Bragg apple cider vinegar have become fans of Kevala raw ACV as the taste and quality are very close.
Kevala vinegar comes in plastic BPA free bottles. Its price is much lower compared to other organic ACV brands.
6. LuckyEats organic apple cider vinegar with mother
LuckyEats organic apple cider vinegar with mother is certified organic and verified non GMO.
It is kosher, gluten free and will add great flavor to sauces and salads.
Take a shot of this vitamin-rich vinegar daily to enhance health and well being. On the downside, it comes in a plastic bottle.
7. Swanson organic Apple cider vinegar
Swanson organic apple cider vinegar comes in BPA free plastic bottles. It is unfiltered and unpasteurized with mother.
Price is decent and the product is manufactured as per GMP guidelines set forth by the FDA.
8. TNVitamins organic apple cider vinegar
TNVitamins makes certified, organic, raw and unfiltered apple cider vinegar.
It is naturally fermented from healthy, pesticide-free organic apples and contains the mother in abundant amount.
When you choose TNVitamins, you are assured of having all natural enzymes and minerals not destroyed by fermentation process.
9. Vermont Village raw organic apple cider vinegar
Being a small, family owned company, Vermont Village makes smaller batches of apple cider vinegar. So you can be assured that the product you get is completely raw, natural and unfiltered.
It is also gluten free and can be used for health as well as cooking purposes. Brighten your smile, freshen your breath, deodorize feet and armpits, make your skin acne free and your hair shinier and smoother with this wonderful all-natural apple cider vinegar.
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White House organic raw apple cider vinegar is completely natural and unfiltered. It is USDA certified and non GMO verified.
In addition to the mother enzyme which is packed with beneficial yeast and bacteria, this wonderful apple cider vinegar also contains lemon juice for an antioxidant boost.
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Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar
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We put hours of research into each post that features product recommendations to save you time. Before suggesting recommended products, we consider at least three times as many products as featured in the final post. We research different brands, manufactures and read both positive and negative user reviews. We condense all this information into an easy to read post that helps you make an informed choice based on your individual needs.
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