Vinegar and Heart Disease

There are many claims about the benefits of vinegar, especially apple cider vinegar, as a cure for almost every disease under the sun, including heart disease.

• Apple cider vinegar

History

• Archeologists and researchers on ancient folk remedies have found references to apple cider vinegar (ACV) as far back as the time of the Babylonians, Phoenicians and the early samurai warriors, who believed it gave them strength.

Identification

• ACV is made from fermented apple cider. Once mixed with yeast, the cider is left to stand and natural sugars turn into alcohol. This undergoes a second fermentation period, converting the alcohol into an acetic, acid-forming bacteria. This occurs due to prolonged exposure to air. The alcohol then turns sour, creating vinegar.

Function

• The potassium in apple cider vinegar benefits the heart because potassium is an electrolyte mineral that helps regulate blood pressure.

  Apple cider vinegar is also reputed to thin the blood; this also assists blood pressure. If the blood flows freely, blood clots cannot form, which assists in stroke prevention.

  High cholesterol is also a risk factor in heart disease. Lowering cholesterol levels is beneficial to heart patients. Apple cider vinegar contains a water-soluble fiber called pectin that absorbs fats and cholesterol, allowing it to be excreted from the body instead of being absorbed.

  ACV is reputed to promote healthy veins and capillaries. This is also a benefit to preventing heart disease.

Other Benefits

• According to the Ageless Wonder Herbal Newsletter, apple cider vinegar assists in losing weight because it aids in the metabolism of food. ACV may also curb appetite.

  Excess weight places extra stress on the heart. A person with a heart condition would do well to lose weight, as less stress on the heart promotes better heart function.

Misconceptions

• The FDA has issued warning letters to nutraceutical companies selling apple cider vinegar products and making unsupported health claims (i.e., that ACV reduces cholesterol levels, prevents hardening of the arteries, lowers risks of heart diseases, strokes or heart attacks). Also the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has not found any studies to support these claims.

Warnings

• Do not replace your prescribed medication with any product that claims to affect a cure. Seek advice from your family doctor if you want to use apple cider vinegar to cure a disease or ailment.

  Most common, commercial apple cider vinegars brands have been pasteurized, filtered, refined or distilled; this extra processing destroys many of the enzymes, a source of the health benefits of vinegar. Look for ACV made from cold-pressed, organically-grown apples that have no chemicals or preservatives.