What You Need to Know Before Starting Your Apple Cider Vinegar Routine

Although most people have started reaping the benefits of apple cider vinegar (ACV) more often in the past few years, it has actually been used for centuries. It contains vitamins and minerals, can help boost your immunity, and can improve digestion. Because it's fermented, it contains probiotics and enzymes that can be beneficial to our health and can help detoxify our bodies.

While ACV may not help you lose weight or protect you against cancer, when taken properly, it could help lower blood sugar levels and aid indigestion and acid reflux. There are even shampoos that contain ACV to help clarify your hair, and remedies that utilize it to help combat things like the flu or sunburns.

When purchasing ACV, opt for a raw, unfiltered, organic, and unpasteurized version in a glass bottle to best take advantage of its benefits. A couple of the most important things to note after buying the right kind of ACV are how much to take in a day and how to ingest it.

How to Consume Apple Cider Vinegar

You can have too much ACV. The recommended allotment of consumption is less than three tablespoons a day. There are a variety of ways to consume ACV, but ingesting it before or during meals tends to be best.

When taken before meals, make sure to dilute it in water. You can mix together a concoction of 8 ounces of warm, room-temperature, or cold water with anywhere from 1 teaspoon to one tablespoon of ACV. I like to warm my water to a lukewarm temperature, add a hint of raw honey, and a squeeze of a lemon to make it taste even better. The lemon lends a hand to heighten detoxifying results, whereas the honey helps boost the immune system. If your digestive system can handle it, this ACV mixture can be taken on an empty stomach, just be aware of how you feel after.

ACV can also easily be incorporated into your diet during food intake, which is one of the best ways to get your daily dose. You can add it to drinks, salad dressings, soups, smoothies, desserts, or a sinus-fighting brew. It's a great addition to several meals and can help you better absorb the nutrients in your food, which is optimal for health.

If you're adding ACV to your food and drinking it before meals, then simply be sure not to exceed three tablespoons a day.

It's important to make sure you consult with a doctor for whether or not it is suitable for you to add ACV to your diet, especially in regard to your health history and current medications.