Apple Cider Vinegar & Water Health Benefits

The combination of apple cider vinegar and water is used as a home remedy for all sorts of medical ailments from dermatitis and dandruff to indigestion and bladder infections. Research has been limited, but a few studies have shown drinking apple cider vinegar and water to impart some health benefits. It is not a substitute for traditional medicine, however, so see a doctor if you suspect you're ill.

Aids Diabetics

The combination of vinegar and water may be helpful to those with diabetes. According to a study published in 2004 that appeared in "Diabetes Care," people who drank vinegar with the first meal of the day showed consistent blood sugar following the meal. The participants felt fuller and their blood sugar didn't go up. This may be evidence that drinking vinegar can control insulin resistance and diabetes.

Reduces Inflammation

According to "Folk Medicine: A Vermont Doctor's Guide to Good Health" by Dr. Deforrest Clinton Jarvis, vinegar and water can be used in the treatment of inflammation, wherever it appears in the body. From irritable bowl syndrome to sunburn to dermatitis, apple cider vinegar can ease irritation, kill bacteria and eliminate fungi.

Cuts Back Bad Cholesterol

In 2008, a study was conducted on rats to see if drinking vinegar had an effect on cholesterol. According to the "Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences," the rats that were given vinegar showed improved cholesterol with lowered LDL and increased HDL. Additional studies must be completed before vinegar is recommended for humans as a cholesterol treatment, however.

Burns Fat

According to a study in the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry," published in 2009, Japanese researchers found that mice that ate vinegar and a fatty diet built up less fat in their bodies than mice that didn't drink vinegar at all. The researchers believed the acetic acid in vinegar increased the productivity of fat-burning genes. More research must be done to connect the results on mice to humans.