Apple Cider Vinegar As a Cure for Allergies

Apple cider vinegar has been used for years as a folk remedy. With the publication of Dr. D.C. Jarvis' book, "Folk Medicine: A Vermont Doctor's Guide to Good Health" in 1958, knowledge about the therapeutic uses of apple cider vinegar soared. Today, it is still used to treat many health conditions, and apple cider vinegar has gained a reputation for helping eliminate and allergies among long-time sufferers.

Components

• Apple cider vinegar is made by crushing sweet apples, typically the fall and winter varieties; then, through a process called yeast fermentation, the sugars in the apples are converted into alcohol. The alcohol is then converted into acetic acid through further fermentation, and it is this acid that is believed to give apple cider vinegar its strongest healing properties.

  Some of the other beneficial ingredients in apple cider vinegar include various enzymes, vitamins C, E and A, and vitamins B-1, B-2 and B-6, as well as such healthful minerals as magnesium, chlorine phosphorous, sulfur and calcium.

How It Works

• Apple cider vinegar may work on allergies by correcting body pH levels, aiding digestion and improving blood circulation. It is also thought to help with inadequate immune-system responses. In addition, by improving the digestive system, environmental toxins that can lead to allergic reactions are more easily removed from the body.

How to Use It

• A standard dose to ease allergic symptoms involves drinking 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar mixed with 4 oz. of water, three times a day. You can begin the regimen when you start experiencing symptoms, or take it one to three times on a regular, daily basis. Sweeten the vinegar-water mixture with honey to make it more palatable.

Common Colds

• Taking apple cider vinegar is thought to actually inhibit the histamine response in the body, so drinking the vinegar mixture may help deal with the common cold.