Marvelous Medicinal Vinegar!

Vinegar is a vital part of my household. I make a point to keep a gallon or two of white vinegar available for various uses such as cleaning, as well as a quart bottle of organic apple cider vinegar for medicinal uses. My grandmother added a teaspoon of vinegar to a glass of water at each meal and swore by its health benefits. As it turns out, she was probably right on target!

Calcium & Osteoporosis: High in acetic acid, vinegar aids the body in absorbing minerals from the foods we eat. This is especially important for women as they get older to avoid the effects of osteoporosis through loss of calcium. 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a 6 oz. glass of water 3 times a day is thought to be ideal. To increase benefits with a natural source of calcium, wash and crush several egg shells into a pint jar. Fill to the shoulder with your vinegar, cap and allow shells to dissolve. Shake or stir before use. Store in the refrigerator.

Diabetes: Several studies have shown that a small amount of apple cider vinegar taken with a meal can reduce the blood glucose and insulin levels by up to 35% in healthy participants! This may go a long way to prove what folk medicine has said for years... That taking a tablespoon of vinegar in a glass of water with meals is helpful for diabetics.

Sore Throat: Gargling with this same mixture can lessen the pain and scratchiness of a sore throat and some say, heal it almost over night.

Fungus: Vinegar works in the treatment of some fungal infections. Soaking affected fingernails or toenails each day in undiluted vinegar for up to two months has gotten excellent results.
Treat Athlete's Foot by soaking feet for 15 to 30 minutes in full strength vinegar once a day for 5 days. To prevent constant reinfection, saturate all socks with vinegar at onset of treatment. Allow to soak for a couple of hours, then wash and dry as usual.
Although considered fungicidal, vinegar not work for all types of fungus. Some it can actually make worse. If yours seems to get worse, stop the treatment.


'Heart Tonic': I've known quite a few folks that swear by a vinegar 'heart tonic' that consists of a quart of apple juice, a pint of (dark) grape juice and 1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar. According to them, drinking a juice glass full of this mixture each day will help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, increase resistance to colds and flu, aid digestion and promote regularity.

Cough Syrup: Mix 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup honey and 1 clove garlic (thin sliced) in pint jar. Stir well and age for a week in the refrigerator. Stir and dose with one tablespoon for hacking coughs that just won't let up.

Sunburns: Daub or spray vinegar mixture (1 cup vinegar to 1/2 cup water) on sunburns to relieve pain and aid in tanning without the blisters and peeling. On a bad sunburn, this will sting like crazy for the first few seconds then works to kill the pain.