Raw Apple Cider Vinegar Health Benefits

Raw apple cider vinegar is a time-tested folk remedy. It's made with raw apple juice in a two-step fermenting process. The pasteurized apple cider vinegar available in grocery stores is a pale imitation of raw apple cider vinegar, because it lacks the enzymes and many of the micronutrients in raw apple cider vinegar. Use apple cider vinegar on salads, diluted for a healthful tonic or even on irritated skin.

Antimicrobial Properties

The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends apple cider vinegar as a remedy for food poisoning symptoms. Although apple cider vinegar has not been scientifically scrutinized, it probably has antimicrobial properties that counteract the effects of bacteria responsible for foodborne illness. Add 2 tsp to a cup of warm water, and drink it a few times a day, suggests UMMC.

Controlling Blood Sugar

A 2007 pilot study found that two tbsp. before bed time controlled regulated walking glucose levels in diabetics, according to the American Diabetes Organization. A 2004 study found that drinking 20 grams of apple cider vinegar before a meal could "significantly improve postprandial insulin sensitivity in insulin-resistant subjects." The acetic acid in the vinegar may act in the same way as metformin and acarbose, two prescription medications for insulin sensitivity.

Weight Loss

Apple cider vinegar is a component in several diets because it may speed digestion and metabolism. A glass of water with a little apple cider vinegar added after a meal can help ease or prevent indigestion. Mix it with warm water and honey for a tea, add to salad dressings and meat marinades, or use it for pickling vegetables.

Arthritis and Joint Pain

Taken internally once or twice a day, raw apple cider vinegar is an old folk remedy for arthritis and joint pain. Because of its mineral content, it may help fight osteoporosis. It can also be used as a liniment for sore joints--saturate a warm towel with apple cider vinegar and wrap it around the affected joint.

Topical Uses

Because of its antimicrobial properties, apple cider vinegar can soothe and disinfect minor skin rashes, sunburn and animal stings. Soap and water can make your skin too alkaline, and a spray of apple cider vinegar mixed with water after a shower or cleansing your face may correct the natural pH balance, leaving your skin healthier. Some people tout raw apple cider vinegar, applied once or twice daily, as a very effective acne remedy.