Vinegar … an all natural health food and cleaning product. That just sounds wrong. But it’s true. You can eat it, clean with it, disinfect with it, and use it as a home remedy for many ailments. There are so many different uses for vinegar that I felt compelled to write about it. I searched the internet for all the information I could find and came up with some of the most important and interesting information I thought would be useful about this wonder food. This is by no means a complete list of everything vinegar can be used for.
First of all let me tell you that all vinegars are not created equal. There are so many types of vinegar out there it’s almost confusing to try to figure out which one to use. Vinegar can be made from just about any food that contains natural sugars. Some vinegar is more suited to health remedies while others can be used for cooking or household purposes.
Here are just a few of the types of vinegar that you can find…Red Wine, White Wine, Balsamic, Apple Cider, Champagne, Rice, White Distilled, Cane, Coconut, Malt, Sherry, Beer, Raisin, Banana, Pineapple, Raspberry, Sugar, or flavored and seasoned (e.g., garlic, tarragon).
Confused yet?
Balsamic vinegar is the most expensive because it is aged for a longer period of time. The longer it's aged, the sweeter and thicker it gets, and the more expensive too. Red and white wine vinegars are more 'everyday' vinegars. Rice vinegar is the mildest of all, with much less acidity than other vinegars, it can be white, red or black in color depending on the variety of rice used, it has a sweet flavor and is also used for medicinal purposes. Plain distilled white vinegar is made from grain alcohol and has a very sharp, unpleasant taste and very little nutritional value so it is often used for its cleaning, laundering and disinfecting abilities. Coconut vinegar is a somewhat harsh and potent vinegar that has a musty flavor and is rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Apple cider vinegar is perhaps the best known and most versatile of all the different types of vinegar.
Some companies offer Apple Cider Vinegar in tablet form as it is easier for some to take. I personally do not recommend the tablet form since the extra processing required depletes many of the nutrients and lessens its healing capabilities. In 2005 eight different apple cider vinegar tablet products were analyzed by a team of scientists from the Department of Human Environmental Science (Human Nutrition) at the University of Arkansas and they found many labeling inconsistencies and inaccuracies which made them question the quality of these ACV tablets.
Reference: J Am Diet Assoc. 2005 Jul;105(7):1141-4. (Web Link)
The chemical compound that gives vinegar its tart taste and pungent smell is acetic acid.
Although acetic acid is the primary constituent of vinegar aside from water, acetic acid is not vinegar. Vinegar contains many vitamins and other compounds not found in acetic acid such as riboflavin, Vitamin B-1 and mineral salts from the starting material that impart vinegar with its distinct flavor. Most vinegars contain insignificant amounts of some or all of the mandatory nutrients required in nutrition labeling. Nutrition labeling is not required if the product contains insignificant amounts of all of the following components (calories, total fat, saturated fat, trans fats, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, sugars, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron) as outlined in the Chapter 21, Section 101.9(j)(4) of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) Code of Federal Regulations. Most vinegars have less than 3 calories per tablespoon and no fat. Seasoned vinegars may contain more calories due to the added ingredients. Check the label of your favorite vinegar product to determine the nutrition information for that product.
Frequent ingestion of vinegar may cause harm to dental enamel. It is suggested that when taking vinegar by mouth, it is best to always drink it with water, and rinse your mouth out immediately. You can also use a straw to prevent the mixture from coating the teeth.
All vinegars should be stored tightly closed in a cool, dark place. They do not require refrigeration.
I am certainly not a medical professional or a vinegar expert so please use your own common sense and only use these as suggestions not advice. I have not tried all of these ideas and do not want anyone to try something they are not comfortable with. If you have any doubts or questions concerning these ideas please use the brain god gave you and discuss it with you doctor or at least research it further on your own (the internet is filled with amazing information just waiting for you to read it).
How many ways can you use vinegar around your home?
Household uses for vinegar in the kitchen:
(White Distilled Vinegar)(unless otherwise stated)
* To add a zesty new taste to fresh fruits such as pears, cantaloupe, honeydew, or others, add a splash of rice or balsamic vinegar. Serve immediately to prevent the fruit from becoming mushy.
* Freshen wilted vegetables by soaking them in cold water containing a spoonful or two of vinegar.
* When boiling or steaming cauliflower, beets or other vegetables, add a teaspoon or two of vinegar to the water to help them keep their color. This will also improve their taste, and reduce gassy elements. This also works when cooking beans and bean dishes.
* Make pasta less sticky and reduce some of its starch. Add just a dash of vinegar to the water as it cooks.
*Give some extra zest to your white sauce by adding 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar.
* To make basic vinaigrette salad dressing use 1 part vinegar to 4 parts oil.
* Make creamy vinaigrette by adding some plain or whipped cream to a mixture of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil.
* Make perfect, fluffy meringue by adding a teaspoon of vinegar for every 3 to 4 egg whites used.
* Perk up any can of soup or sauce with a teaspoon of red or white wine vinegar.
* Eliminate the greasy taste in food cooked in a deep fryer by adding a dash of vinegar.
* If you’ve added too much salt to a recipe, add a spoonful of vinegar and sugar to try correcting the taste.
* Keep molded gelatin desserts and salads from sagging or melting in the summer heat by adding a teaspoon of vinegar for each box of gelatin used.
* When making tuna salad add a dash of any herb-flavored vinegar.
* Turn out great rice by adding a teaspoon of vinegar to the boiling water.
* To make the perfect potato salad dressing combine 1 cup mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
* Olives or pimentos covered with vinegar can be kept almost indefinitely if refrigerated.
* Try cider or malt vinegar instead of ketchup with french fries, that’s how the British like to eat them. Either one is also great on fish or any fried or broiled meat.
* Add moistness and taste to any chocolate cake, homemade or from a box, with a spoonful of vinegar.
* In a 2003 study at the University of Florida, researchers tested disinfectants on strawberries contaminated with E. coli and other germs. They found the vinegar mixture reduced bacteria by 90 percent and viruses by about 95 percent.
* Vinegar's acid helps break down muscle fibers in tough meats. Make a mixture of half vinegar and half broth, and soak tough meat in this solution for up to two hours. (Because of vinegar's ability to tenderize, never leave fish in a marinade that contains vinegar for longer than 20 minutes; otherwise the fish might get mushy.)
* When poaching fish, put a tablespoon of vinegar in the poaching water to keep the fish from falling apart. Vinegar helps the protein in the fish coagulate, and mushiness isn't a problem because fish is usually poached for less than 20 minutes.
* Put a tablespoon of vinegar in the water when boiling eggs. If any eggs crack while dancing in the water, their whites will coagulate and not escape from the shells.
* When a recipe calls for buttermilk and you have none, substitute plain milk and add a little vinegar. Use one tablespoon of vinegar per cup (8 ounces) of milk. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes at room temperature until it thickens, then use it in your recipe as you would buttermilk. Choose mild-flavored vinegar, such as apple cider vinegar, for this purpose.
* When making homemade candy and icing, a few drops of vinegar will prevent the texture from getting grainy.
* Cover peeled potatoes with water and a tablespoon or two of vinegar to keep them from turning brown.
* Simmer a small saucepan of water and vinegar to remove cooking smells from the kitchen.
* Use vinegar to remove berry stains or onion smell from your hands.
* Use vinegar to make pickles or to can vegetables to preserve the freshness of your garden or local farm stand. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) publishes up-to-date information about pickling, canning, and preserving. These instructions will yield tasty pickles and home-canned products that are safe to eat. Check your local state university extension office or the USDA Web site for tips about pickling.
Vinegar for cleaning, disinfecting, odor control, gardening and other household uses: (White Distilled Vinegar) (unless otherwise stated)
* Get rid of the water line in a flower vase by filling it with a solution of half water and half vinegar, or by soaking a paper towel in vinegar and stuffing it into the vase so that it is in contact with the water line.
* Clean out stains and white mineral crusts in clay, glazed or plastic pots by soaking them for an hour or longer in a sink filled with a solution of half water and half vinegar.
* Remove crusty deposits on house planters or attached saucers by soaking them for several hours in an inch of full-strength vinegar.
* Clean a birdbath by scrubbing it often with undiluted vinegar. Rinse well.
* Get rid of rust on spigots, tools, screws or bolts by soaking the items overnight or for several days in undiluted vinegar.
* Neutralize garden lime by adding vinegar to the area.
* Avoid skin problems after working in the garden by rinsing your hands in vinegar.
* Increase the acidity of soil by adding vinegar to your watering can.
* Eliminate anthills by pouring in vinegar.
* Sanitize outdoor furniture and picnic tables with a cloth soaked in vinegar.
* Kill slugs by spraying them with a mixture of 1 part water and 1 part vinegar.
* Keep rabbits from eating your plants. Put cotton balls soaked in white distilled vinegar in a 35mm film container. Poke a hole in the top and place in the garden.
* Soak a paper towel with vinegar and place it in a smelly lunchbox overnight to remove those hard-to-get-rid-of odors.
* Spray vinegar on weeds between cracks using spray bottle to kill them.
*Spray a little amount of vinegar on stainless steel fixtures and clean with a soft cloth to give them a sparkling shine.
* Soak your silverware in the mixture of 2 teaspoons baking soda and 20ml vinegar for one or two hours. Then rinse them and clean with a soft cloth to make them shine like new.
* Wipe down the blades of your scissors with a soft cloth dipped in vinegar to make them clean.
* Clean your wooden and leather furniture with a cloth after spraying small amount of vinegar to revitalize them.
* Vinegar removes mineral deposits and shines ceramic tiles.
* It works as a disinfectant and very effective in cleaning bathtubs and sinks.
* When you feel congestion by cold or sinus infection, add ¼ cup vinegar to water in steam-vaporizer to get immediate relief.
* Apply a few drops of vinegar to your eye glasses and clean with a soft cloth to make them spotless. This works for TV and computer monitors also.
* Treating plants with apple cider vinegar is a solution for almost all plant diseases.
* Mix two tablespoons vinegar and two tablespoons sugar to the vase water to keep cut flowers fresh longer.
* Give acid-loving plants like azaleas, rhododendrons, hydrangeas and gardenias a little help by watering them with a vinegar solution now and again. A cup of vinegar to a gallon of tap water is a good mixture.
Vinegar for beauty and personal care: (Raw, Organic apple cider vinegar with “the mother”)(unless otherwise stated)
* Stop insect stings and bites from itching by dabbing them with a cotton ball saturated with undiluted white distilled vinegar.
* Soothe sunburn with a spray of white distilled vinegar, repeating as often as you like. Ice-cold white distilled vinegar will feel even better, and may prevent blistering and peeling.
* For cuts and scrapes, use white distilled vinegar as an antiseptic.
* Get rid of foot odor by washing feet well with antiseptic soap daily, then soaking them in undiluted cider vinegar for 10 minutes or so. Remember that cotton socks aid odor control more effectively than wool ones.
* Clean a hairbrush by soaking in a white distilled vinegar solution.
* Tone facial skin with a solution of equal parts apple cider vinegar and water.
* Make nail polish last longer. Wipe fingernails with cotton balls dipped in white distilled vinegar before putting on nail polish.
* Clean your hair with 10ml vinegar after shampooing and rinse thoroughly to give a natural glow to your hair.
* For dandruff mix equal parts vinegar and water (½ cup each) together with two tablespoons of lemon juice. Gently massage the mixture into your scalp with your fingertips. Rinse with warm water after 30 minutes.
* Spray a little vinegar under each arm after bathing and let it dry. This protect from perspiration odor.
*Wipe cold sores with a cotton ball dipped in vinegar three times a day to ease the pain the swelling.
* Fill a bowl with undiluted vinegar. Soak your fingers and toes in it to make the cuticles soft and protect against fungus.
* Use it as a powerful astringent
* Use a mixture of equal amounts of cider vinegar and water for acne.
* It is a powerful home remedy for warts. Apply apple cider vinegar with a cotton ball or soak a cotton ball and tape it onto the effected area. Try to avoid contact with non effected areas of the skin.
* Adding a cup or two cups of cider vinegar to bathing water relaxes you from aching muscles.
* You can use it as a mouth wash. Mix one tablespoon apple cider vinegar and ½ table spoon salt in a glass lukewarm water and gargle with it for a fresh breath. This works for a sore throat too. Apple cider vinegar and honey mixed in equal amounts helps clear the congestion in the throat.
* Dab age spots with a cotton ball saturated in apple cider vinegar twice a day. Within a month or two they should be faded.
* Apple cider vinegar can help treat athlete’s foot, by changing the ph levels in the skin.
Vinegar for your health: When using vinegar for it’s curative and health benefits I suggest only using raw organic apple cider vinegar with “the mother”.
Prior to trying any home remedy however, you should consult with your medical practitioner as it may conflict with or result in a reduction of the medication you are currently taking.
BLOOD PRESSURE: Take 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon of honey in a glass of water twice a day to help lower blood pressure. The high potassium values in both natural healing substances helps to balance out sodium levels in the body, which aids in maintaining blood pressure within healthy limits. Apple cider vinegar and honey also contain magnesium, a mineral that works to relax blood vessel walls and thus lower high blood pressure.
BONE HEALTH: Due to its mineral content, Apple cider vinegar helps to sustain bone mass and fight against osteoporosis. The important minerals involved include manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, and silicon.
Take the general apple cider vinegar tonic (2 or 3 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) to boost the body's supply of these minerals.
CANCER PREVENTION: Apples and apple cider vinegar contain numerous substances that protect against many types of cancer. They contain beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant, and phytochemicals such as flavonoids and polyphenols that are also protective against cancer formation. Plus they both contain pectin, a soluble fiber, which binds certain cancer causing compounds in the colon and speeds up their elimination from the body. So eat an organic apple a day and take the general apple cider vinegar tonic home remedy (2 or 3 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) to maximize these benefits.
CHOLESTEROL REDUCTION: It is thought that the water soluble fiber pectin, found in apple cider vinegar, absorbs fats and cholesterol and eliminates them from the body. And at the same time, the amino acids present in apple cider vinegar neutralize some of the harmful oxidized LDL cholesterol.
COLDS: At the first sign of a cold, take 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in half a cup of water several times a day. The body becomes more alkaline during a cold and the vinegar will help to rebalance the body's acid level. If you have a chest cold, a long-standing home remedy calls for soaking a piece of brown paper in vinegar then sprinkling one side of it with black pepper. Place the peppered side of the paper on the chest, cover with a towel, and relax for 20 minutes.
DIABETES: A daily tonic of apple cider vinegar (2 or 3 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) supplies dietary fiber and other ingredients, which are beneficial in controlling blood glucose levels. As well, the acids and enzymes promote better digestion and nutrient absorption, which is impaired in many diabetes sufferers. This home remedy has been the subject of new research that shows that apple cider vinegar can help lower blood sugar levels. Click here for more details.
DIARRHEA: Pectin, the water soluble fiber in apple cider vinegar, will help to absorb water in the intestines and provide more bulk for the stool. Also, intestinal bacteria transforms pectin into a protective coating which soothes the irritated lining. The well known over the counter diarrhea preparation, Kaopectate contains pectin. So take the natural healing apple cider vinegar tonic (2 or 3 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) to help eliminate diarrhea.
DIGESTION: As we age, it is common for people to produce less stomach acid (hydrochloric acid) which can lead to digestive problems. Taking the apple cider vinegar tonic home remedy (2 or 3 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) before a meal will enhance the action of your stomach's acid and digestive enzymes.
EAR INFECTIONS: Use an ear syringe (found at drug stores) to squirt a vinegar solution into the ear and let it sit for a minute or so, then turn your head and let the liquid drain out. The vinegar solution can be a 50/50 mixture of ACV and pure water, a 50/50 mixture of ACV and rubbing alcohol or a solution consisting of one-third vinegar, one-third pure water, and one-third rubbing alcohol.
GALLBLADDER FLUSH (GALLSTONES): Along with the apple cider vinegar tonic (2 or 3 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) before meals, take 6 ounces of organic , unfiltered apple juice for 1 week. This natural home remedy has been reported to help purge small gallstones that could grow to larger ones that would require conventional medical treatment to remove. A more extensive gallbladder flush is outlined by Patricia Bragg on page 29 of her book called
" Apple Cider Vinegar: Miracle Health System".
GOUT: Although not yet backed up by scientific testing, many people have found that gout home remedies using apple cider vinegar are very effective.
The procedure involves either ingesting an apple cider vinegar tonic or applying ACV to the affected area. Click here for detailed information on gout and how to use apple cider vinegar as an alternative home remedy for gout.
HEADACHES: Research has shown that people have slightly more alkaline urine when they have a headache. An apple cider vinegar tonic will help restore your body's acid/alkaline balance. According to one home remedy, inhaling the vapors from a small bottle of apple cider vinegar can also help or if you have a vaporizer, add about 2 tablespoons cider vinegar to the water and inhale the vapors for five minutes.
SOURCES:
http://www.versatilevinegar.org/index.html
http://busycooks.about.com/od/quicktips/qt/vinegartips.htm
http://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com/types-of-vinegar.html
http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/how-vinegar-works1.htm
http://www.vinegar-home-remedies.com/types-of-vinegar.html http://expectus.hubpages.com/hub/Can-regular-vinegar-be-used-for-home-remedies-that-recommend-cider-vinegar
http://www.vinegartips.com/Scripts/pageViewSec.asp?id=5
