by Beth Fontenot
Apple cider vinegar is an old folk remedy claimed to be beneficial in treating a long list of ailments. Proponents say that it can cure arthritis,
guard against osteoporosis, lower blood pressure and cholesterol,
prevent cancer, destroy infection, assist in digestion and weight
control, maintain memory, and protect the mind from aging.
Vinegar is said to have been used for medical ailments for at
least 10,000 years. The Babylonians first converted wine into vinegar in
5000 BCE using date palms, grapes, and figs, and believed vinegar had
exceptional healing properties. Hippocrates is said to have used vinegar
as an antibiotic. Samurai warriors supposedly used a vinegar tonic for
strength and power. During the U.S. Civil War, soldiers used vinegar to
prevent gastric upset and as a treatment for various ailments including
pneumonia and scurvy. It was used to treat wounds during World War I.
The name vinegar comes from a French word meaning "sour wine."
It is produced by the action of yeast and bacteria on grains or fruit
juices. Vinegars take their name from the material used to make the
vinegar, i.e., apple cider vinegar comes from apples, wine vinegar comes
from grapes.
Apple cider vinegar is made by crushing apples and squeezing
out the liquid. Sugar and yeast are added to the liquid to start the
fermentation process, which turns the sugars into alcohol. In a second
fermentation process, the alcohol is converted by acetic acid-forming
bacteria into vinegar. Acetic acid gives vinegar its sour taste.
"Mother of vinegar" is a term used to refer to the mass of
scum that forms on top of cider when alcohol turns into vinegar, or to
the cloudy substance that sometimes develops in stored vinegar. It is
actually bacteria and yeast cells that have died.
Folk Claims
In 1958 Dr. D. C. Jarvis, a "noted Vermont country doctor," wrote
a book entitled Folk Medicine in which he extolled the virtues of
vinegar. He claimed that Vermonters knew how to cure migraine headaches,
diabetes, chronic fatigue, arthritis, and a variety of other ailments.
They used apple cider vinegar.
Among Dr. Jarvis's
many tenets about apple cider vinegar was his advice to pregnant women
to drink an apple cider vinegar tonic daily to assure that the infant is
born with "an excellent chemical pattern with which to meet its new
environment." He recommended the same tonic for those suffering from
arthritis. Believing that apple cider vinegar would destroy bacteria in
the digestive tract, he advised those with GI problems to consume a
tonic with each meal. He also declared that the regular consumption of
an apple cider vinegar tonic would make body fat disappear because the
vinegar would cause the fat to be burned instead of stored.
His book quickly sold 500,000 copies and is still in print.
Apple cider vinegar is still promoted as one of the chief "natural"
remedies for arthritis.
Those who believe that apple cider vinegar has miraculous
properties attribute its powers to an abundance of nutrients in the
liquid. One company's sales pitch states, "Each golden drop is a natural
storehouse of vitamins and minerals." Marketers point to the trace
minerals, bacteria,. and enzymes present in their product as the
ingredients that give apple cider vinegar its curative characteristics.
Another company suggests that their apple cider vinegar is superior
because it contains pectin, beta-carotene, and potassium in addition to
enzymes and amino acids. Apple cider vinegar is also said to contain an
abundance of complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber. Dr. Jarvis
believed that the healing properties of apple cider vinegar were due in
large part to its rich potassium content.
Some New Twists
Apple cider vinegar is sold today by "health food" companies and
others who claim it has remedial properties. The claims are similar to
those in the past, but some have taken on a modem twist based on more
recent medical research.
Marketers contend that the beta-carotene in apple cider
vinegar destroys free radicals in the body which are involved in the
aging and mutation of tissues and in destroying the immune system. Apple
cider vinegar's beta-carotene is said to be in a "natural, easy to
digest form."
Its use as a remedy for arthritis is based on the notion that
acid crystals harden in the joints and tissues which cause the joints to
become stiff and the tissues to harden. These acid crystals also cause
the body to age prematurely, so the ads state. Apple cider vinegar is
supposed is put these acid crystals in solution so they can be flushed
from the body.
Producers also claim that apple cider vinegar can lower
cholesterol and blood pressure. These assertions are based on the
assumption that people naturally crave acids when eating animal proteins
in order to lessen the thickening influence of "heavy proteins and
fat." Apple cider vinegar supposedly thins the blood so it can
circulate. more freely. Thick blood, they say, puts a strain on the
heart and up goes the blood pressure. Another source states that the
pectin present in apple cider vinegar works its way through the
digestive system, binding to cholesterol and removing it from the body.
Apple cider vinegar is also available in tablet form. One
brand is merchandised as a "digestive aid for vegetarians." The
manufacturer of this product alleges that the tablets help acidify the
stomach and help digest protein. Another tablet, which contains apple
cider vinegar as one of its components, is sold as a fiber supplement
and supposedly assists in weight loss. Still other companies add herbs
to their apple cider vinegar "so people see relief from even more
ailments."
The rubbery mass of goo called the mother of vinegar" is
reputed to have magical healing properties as well. Nibbling on a bit of
this moldy slime every day is purported to prevent most infectious
diseases and keep germs and parasites from invading the body.
One company's advertisement for organic, raw, unfiltered,
unheated, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar is particularly alarming.
This company's ad maintains that "there is nothing in this wonderful
natural apple cider vinegar that can in any way harm your body!"
Apparently, they have never heard of the danger of E. coli 0157:H7 in
unpasteurized fruit juices. Normally vinegar is too acidic to support
bacteria. However, should the acidity weaken (pH reaching 4.6 or
higher), then pathogens will survive and grow.
Jogging in a Jug
In 1985, Jack McWilliams, an Alabama farmer, concocted a potion
he called "Jogging in a Jug." It consisted of apple cider vinegar
combined with a variety of fruit juices to give it a more appealing
taste.
Acetic acid, claimed McWilliams, was lacking in the modem
diet, and this deficiency was the root cause of many health problems. He
claimed that the potion had cured his arthritis and heart disease, and
it could reduce the risk of cancer in the internal organs. McWilliams
marketed his product through the media, receiving extensive coverage in
small community newspapers and broadcast outlets. He reportedly sold $9
million worth of his potion in one year.
The FDA, however, did not look kindly on Mr. McWilliams's
vinegar product and its advertised claims. The federal government
seized the product in 1994 due to the unproven health claims.
In 1995, thousands of bottles of the potion were ordered
destroyed because the product was considered an unapproved new drug due
to the claims made by the producer. Subsequently, Mr. McWilliams's
company, Third Option Laboratories, Inc., paid the Federal Trade
Commission a $480,000 fine to settle charges of false advertising.
"Jogging in a Jug" is still on the market today with a new label that
meets FDA guidelines.
The Real Story
There is no scientific evidence that apple cider vinegar has any
medicinal properties. While the folksy anecdotes from those who claim to
have benefited from apple cider vinegar tonics may be amusing to read,
they are simply that -- anecdotes.
Apple cider vinegar is anything but a storehouse of nutrients.
A nutritional analysis of one tablespoon (more than the one or two
teaspoons suggested to make a tonic) reveals that the golden liquid
contains less than a ram of carbohydrate: minuscule amounts of calcium,
iron, magnesium, sodium. copper, manganese, and phosphorus; and a mere
15 mg of potassium. The fiber, vitamin, and amino acid content is zero.
The Arthritis Foundation calls vinegar a harmless, but unproven, arthritis remedy. It points out that arthritis symptoms come and go, and that a person using an unproven remedy may think a remedy worked simply because they used it at a time when symptoms were going into natural remission. Such is undoubtedly the case for many of the "cures" connected to vinegar.
Beth Fontenot is a nutrition consultant and freelance nutrition writer in Lake Charles, LA. She serves on the adjunct faculty at both McNeese State University in Lake Charles and Lamar University in Qrange, TX.
COPYRIGHT 1997 Prometheus Books, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group
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