Apple cider vinegar – a home remedy for weight loss
Apple Cider Vinegar made from dates finds mention in written records of Babylonians of B.C.E. 5000. They used it as a preservative and condiment. The first use of Apple Cider Vinegar or ACV in medicine started with none other than the father of modern medicine Hippocrates in 400 B.C.E. It is used as a throat gargle by one B Boyle a fellow of Royal Society of London in 1703. Ancient Egyptian of Cleopetra’s time used ACV for weight loss as well as antiseptics and preservatives. Tzu – Mu of the times of Sung dynasty mentions it as an essential item even for the poor. By 17 century Europeans discovered the medicinal properties of vinegar and were making a variety of vinegars like antiseptic vinegar, vinegar syrup etc.
When one tries to use old home remedy one finds that what is said to be facts lack scientific bases. This is true about ACV also though small studies have shown some of the medical properties are valid. However, the studies are too small to give credence. Such studies have shown that ACV has properties of reducing weight and controlling type II diabetes. It increases protein digestion and Iron absorption. Both can contribute to weight reduction. Excessive use has deleterious effects.
The most widely accepted recipe is 1cup (8 oz) water, 2 tsp apple juice preferably organic, 2–3 tsp of preferably organic unfiltered and unpasteurized ACV and 1 tsp raw honey basically for flavor and taste. It is important to shake the container of ACV as the sediment has the ‘mother of vinegar’ and contains probiotic bacteria and small quantities of ant oxidants and other minute but essential ingredients. Blend well and adjust water and honey to taste. It is better to drink it with a straw to protect teeth from the acid attack. It is recommended to drink it thrice before meals. The total consumption is limited to 2 table spoons of ACV in a day.
A thumb rule about home remedies is that one size of gloves does not fit all hands. A bit of trial and error to find what suite an individual appears inevitable.