If you are interested in natural cures, natural beauty remedies or basic preventative medicine, then you simply must have a bottle of apple cider vinegar in your kitchen and bathroom. Apple cider vinegar is inexpensive, readily available and comes with a host of health and beauty benefits. The list of benefits is so extensive in fact, that entire books have been written about the many uses of apple cider vinegar (ACV).

It is important to note that there is a very distinct difference between the clear vinegar you find in your grocery store and raw, unfiltered and un-distilled apple cider vinegar. The vinegar you buy in a grocery store has been extensively processed to create a clear, more saleable product, but unfortunately has lost most of its health benefits in the process. Raw, unfiltered ACV will be cloudy or murky and have filaments floating in it which is known as “the mother” and means that the vinegar still contains it’s miraculous health giving properties, enzymes and nutrients that pasteurization and processing destroy.

Some of the many nutrients that ACV contains are calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium and phosphorous. ACV also contains pectin which reduces cholesterol, lowers blood pressure and eases constipation. The potassium in ACV provides better hair, teeth and nails, prevents cramps and helps detox the body. The antioxidants in ACV also provide a host of anti aging and disease fighting benefits. Many people take ACV daily and have lowered their cholesterol levels more than they ever did with dangerous statin drugs. The malic acid in ACV is anti fungal and anti bacterial and also helps remove uric acid from the body which helps to alleviate joint pain and arthritis. The manganese, magnesium, silicon and calcium in ACV helps to maintain bone mass and prevent osteoporosis.

Users of ACV report that it has reduced or eliminated their allergies, skin conditions and acne, flu, candida, acid reflux, arthritis, gout and more. Other people that take ACV every day, swear that their skin and hair has never looked better. Many people take ACV daily as part of their anti-aging beauty regime.

Another notable benefit of ACV is weight loss because it helps break down fat, controls blood sugar levels and helps stabilize appetite. Many people claim that their weight began to drop off with daily intake of ACV. In addition to losing weight more easily, many advocates claim a significant increase in energy as well.

ACV is safe for pregnancy, can help reduce acid reflux, morning sickness and leg cramps and is an excellent way to obtain additional food based vitamins and minerals for proper fetal development. Some people also believe that it can help prevent varicose veins when taken internally or applied externally as a poultice. ACV is also believed to assist the body’s blood clotting ability so taking ACV daily while pregnant may help to prevent hemorrhage during childbirth.

Due to the fact that ACV has anti bacterial, anti fungal and anti viral qualities, taking ACV daily may help you from catching colds or flus that are passed around by improving your immune system and you may also be able to reduce the severity of the illness by bumping up your daily ACV dose after the onset of symptoms. Some even believe that taking large, frequent and regular amounts of ACV can reduce the viral load of HIV patients.

There are many ways to take ACV. The standard ACV cocktail is simply one to two tablespoons of raw ACV with one to two tablespoons of raw honey in a glass of water up to three times daily. Ted from Earthclinic.com recommends taking two tbsp of ACV with some baking soda in a large glass of water 1-3 times a day for five days and then taking two days off. He recommends this solution to manage the PH level in your body without becoming too acidic from the ACV. Other people use ACV to rinse their hair, wash their face, add it to their bath or they use it for enemas or douches. The easiest way to incorporate ACV into your routine is to use ACV and oil in lieu of store bought salad dressings.

The only real drawback to be aware of when drinking undiluted vinegar is that the acid can be harsh on your teeth and may begin to destroy tooth enamel. To avoid damaging your dental enamel, dilute the vinegar in water, drink your ACV cocktail within five to ten minutes to minimize time spent in contact with your teeth, add baking soda to help neutralize the acid, rinse with plain water or gently brush your teeth after drinking your ACV cocktail to help remove the acid from your teeth. You should also skip the apple cider vinegar tables which may not even contain apple cider vinegar and may cause other health complications.

If you are looking for a safe, natural, inexpensive way to a more youthful body, easier weight loss, improved immune system, healthier blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, improved detoxification, energy, digestion and healthy skin, hair and joints then why not give a daily ACV cocktail a try? Virtually everyone can benefit in some way from apple cider vinegar, there are no known side effects from it and you cannot overdose on it. Most people need more vitamins and minerals, not less so the more ways you choose to take apple cider vinegar the better.

Buy Apple Cider Vinegar by Bragg, 32 ounces