Apple Cider Vinegar: Nature's Amazing Cure-All

The old adage that an apple a day keeps the doctor away definitely rings true for the apple's cousin, namely Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV). For a while when I had first taken up running I started suffering from painful Charlie Horses that would wake me up in the dead of night. When I told my mother about these awful leg craps, she suggested that I might be deficient in potassium and that I should consider taking ACV a few times a day mixed with water to boost my potassium levels and get rid of the cramps. It worked!

Not only did the ACV help me get rid of painful leg cramps, but I noticed that after a month of taking it I was starting to lose weight. I have never been a fan of dieting so I was pleasantly surprised that I was shedding some unwanted pounds before my upcoming trip to model in Japan. After doing further research about ACV I found out that it not only helps with muscle pain but is also a natural diuretic reducing water retention, increasing metabolic rates and aiding to break down fat from the foods we consume. The more I researched the more I knew that I wanted to keep ACV as a regular part of my diet.

The health benefits of adding ACV to your diet are seemingly endless. ACV has also been touted as a natural cure-all for centuries in Europe. It can be used to reduce the inflammation and infection in insect bites, eczema and acne when used as an astringent and applied with a cotton ball several times a day. When applied to the scalp it can eradicate embarrassing dandruff, and if you mix 50% water with 50% ACV and used as a foot soak it can kill the fungus associated with Athlete's Foot.

I also discovered that ACV is not only useful as a remedy for skin problems, but when taken as a tonic before each meal can reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels. The pectin fiber found in ACV helps bind excess fat in your body while flushing it out, it also contains high levels of potassium and magnesium which help relax blood vessel walls thus lower blood pressure. Amino acids in the ACV can also help lower dangerous LDL cholesterol.