I have heard so many things about apple cider vinegar (ACV) recently that I’ve decided to look into it myself. Not knowing enough about something doesn’t deter me from sharing what I find…
I look for excuses to jump into the research and see if there are any significant benefits to everything I might expose myself to! So… Here we go!✓
Here are a few of the health benefits I’ve heard about…and then..whether or not there is evidence to supports it.
Many of you may already know that Type 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance. This means that your body does not react as it should to the insulin your pancreas releases. You make insulin… your body is not sensitive enough to respond to it, so the sugar in your blood…stays there instead of being picked up by your body cells and used as energy.✓
2. So, where does this benefit from vinegar come from? Vinegar makes your body more sensitive to insulin! Research showed a 34% improvement in insulin sensitivity in diabetic participants and a 19% improvement in the control group. So benefits were observed in both diabetics and non-diabetics. Just having some vinegar before bed can even help reduce your morning blood sugar levels. Research has recommended that vinegar be looked into for POSSIBLE adjunct therapy for diabetes (adjunct = besides, to…other diabetic meds). So does this mean you SHOULD add apple cider vinegar to your diet? Why not?
3. Not only can it add to the flavor of your foods, …but if it can also help you maintain your sugar within the normal range, then I don’t see why you wouldn’t.
This DOES NOT mean you should stop your medications and replace them with ACV.
Always mention changes to your diet to your physician, especially when done to affect your health.✓
Weight Loss
Research shows that acetic acid, a component in vinegar … all kinds of vinegar…promotes weight loss in MICE! IT showed decreased food intake and changes in the microbes in the gut (both of which can affect your weight).
One study among obese Japanese participants found that daily vinegar intake reduced weight, BMI, waist circumference, fat around the belly, and blood triglycerides.✓
So… should you add some ACV to your diet to help you maintain or lose weight? Sure.. why not. If food is medicine, then use it to your benefit!
No actual evidence for this was found. The closest thing was a study done on alternative medicine that had vinegar in it, meant to be applied externally and combined with a low-calorie diet. It showed improved symptoms in acne.
However, there were other ingredients in the medication, and it was combined with a lower calorie diet. It’s hard to say the vinegar was the cause of the improvement based on that information.✓
So if you like apple cider vinegar, and since using it, you’ve noticed an improvement in your acne… by all means, continue using it. Suppose you’ve never tried it but want to.. why not. Give it a shot! If applying ACV externally improved your acne.. then be sure to let me know! I’d love to hear more!
Two things can be affected here… oxidative stress (the stress that leads to plaque deposition in your arteries, which then closes them up, preventing blood from getting to the heart, aka causing a heart attack)….and the blood pressure. So let’s talk about those two for a second here.
With regards to oxidative stress… a reduction of oxidation was seen in High Fat Fed RATS. No individual results yet… meaning that these results don’t help us much other than… obese rats benefited. Sure, research usually begins with animal trials and later human trials…but no social study has been released yet.
What about blood pressure?
Evidence supports the effect of Acetic Acid (inside ACV) on blood pressure. It has been shown to lower blood pressure. How? In a way similar to a class of drugs used to treat high blood pressure (Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors, aka ACEI such as lisinopril and captopril, etc.). This drug inhibits the conversion of angiotensin into angiotensin II (which causes vasoconstriction and, therefore, higher blood pressure). By preventing that conversion, you don’t have angiotensin II and therefore don’t have that constricted blood vessels that lead to higher blood pressure.
Acetic Acid has been shown to act similarly. It doesn’t prevent the conversion to angiotensin II… but it does affect renin, which can lead to angiotensin II. So by reducing renin, there is less angiotensin I to convert to angiotensin II. Which has the net effect of lowering blood pressure?
Hopefully, I didn’t lose you guys with all that science!! I know I know I couldn’t help myself!
The only piece of evidence here was conducted in mice where they saw cell death of cancer cells and inhibition of inflammation with the use of COCONUT WATER VINEGAR.
But.. beyond that, there isn’t anything too substantial to support the use of ACV in cancer prevention.
If you like it, and you feel better by taking it. I don’t see why you shouldn’t continue using it. But as for using it specifically for cancer prevention, there isn’t enough evidence to show that it does.
But relax… and consume on…ha!
A study found that applying apple cider vinegar (externally) over the areas affected by varicosities helped improve symptoms such as leg cramps, pain, swelling, itching, leg fatigue, and pigmentation (meaning darkening of the skin).
It even helped reduce the anxiety from social appearance as well as pain perception.
For those who have never had varicosities in their lower extremities, this may not seem like a big deal, but for those who have… this will likely make you want to start applying some apple cider vinegar to the areas affected.
Not only were these results found… they were statistically significant, which is typical lingo means… evidence supports it!
There you have it, guys! Come pretty cool benefits of ACV and other vinegar mainly because of the acetic acid component of vinegar. So choose your vinegar and enjoy it!
Oh.. fun fact…when I was younger, and I would bruise, my mom used to put vinegar on the bruise to improve circulation and decrease the duration of the bruise. Improvements were shown in varicose veins..so why not extend that to bruising? All I know is that it worked! But that’s just anecdotal.
I hope you guys enjoyed this one! Be sure to send me your requests so I can write about things you’re all interested in knowing more about!
Don’t miss Keto Diet Review
Being from Miami, I have my fair share of experiences with category 3,4, and even five hurricanes. They are not pleasant. They are quite scary.
Your emotions can get the best of you, especially if you don’t have family around you.
Right now, yes, at this very moment, as I write this post, I am without electricity because of Hurricane Sally. Just a category two hurricane, but it just so happened to hit Foley, Alabama, and I guarantee this town was not ready for it, so I have no power.
Southeast FL is very well prepared for hurricanes. Their cable lines, their building structures, emergency services, everything. Foley, AL… not so much. So this hurricane maybe just a category 2, but it has felt like a category 3 and 4 because of the nearby damage, loss of power, and severe floods.
This post is not research-based, and it is the first post I will write, which is based purely on my experience with hurricanes.
So, if I forget something or you had a different experience than I did and found better ways to prepare, by all means, share them with me.
Whether you have actual shutters or purchase plywood to hammer over windows, make sure you start early. The winds are the most dangerous early on. Their speeds can go up to 140mph, depending on the strength of the hurricane. Debris will be thrown around. So protecting your windows with shutters or plywood is very important to protect your home and everyone inside it. Not to mention its also labor-intensive and time-consuming. DO NOT underestimate it.
Dehydration is very dangerous. Make sure you buy enough water to last at least a week but plan for more. I know it sounds excessive. But when the electricity goes out, you won’t have A/C or fans to work. You will sweat, and you can get dehydrated. You also don’t know how long you will be out of power.
In Miami, most people have BBQ grills outback. This helps because you can still cook things.. my family did.✓ So make sure you have extra gas tanks. BUT, if you don’t… then you depend on electricity to cook. This means that anything that needs the stove, pressure cooker, or oven.. will not be useful.Buy foods that you can eat without having to cook them.. and foods that don’t spoil easily. Cereals are a good option. Certain fruits are great! It will help you eat healthy even if it’s unintentional!
Bananas, Oranges, Mangos, and peaches. These are a few of my favorite. Peanut butter, Nutella, and bread are also good options.✓ Cans of tuna are also great! Peanuts, mixed nuts, almonds, raisins, and prunes are great snacks too. You can also get seeds: pumpkin, sunflower, flax, etc.
These are just a few ideas. You can also get unhealthy but yummy potato chips, cookies, donuts, etc. But don’t overdo it. Stress can make you change your eating habits. Hurricanes are no different.
When your electricity goes out, it will get very dark. With dark skies and no power, it can get pitch black. So have flashlights and plenty of batteries. If you have kids at home, the darkness is sometimes the scariest part for them. They hear all this noise outside, but they can’t see what is happening around them, giving them light. Those battery-powered hallway lights are great. You know, the ones you press down on, and they turn on and off.
Even if you don’t plan on going anywhere…. Have your car tank full! You never know if you will need to go somewhere to get extra food/water or help a family member. We had to drive to my sister’s house to get water and extension cords. Not a far enough drive to impact out the gas tank, but you never know.
This gas can be used for the car, but also a generator if you have one. Powering a refrigerator with a generator, eats up a lot of gas. So make sure you pack plenty. Especially if you don’t know how long the lack of power will last. We had to pull gas from our car because our extra fuel ran out, trying to power our refrigerator.✓
Lucky for my family back in Miami, we had one. During one hurricane, our power was out for five days. The refrigerator was full of food. But, we had our generator and gas to keep it running and keep all our food fresh. Besides, my nephew is asthmatic, and he started having anxiety attacks thinking that he had no power to use his nebulizer. Some medications also need to be refrigerated, so plan for that as well.
When you’re out of power, loss of A/C can be very dangerous for certain people, such as the elderly. Our wiser generations cannot tolerate heat well. Having portable fans will help keep a room cool and prevent heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
Since the generator uses gas, it throws off fumes. You do not want the generator inside the house! Extension cords will allow you to power your refrigerator safely. You can also plug in lights and charge your phones. We were also able to keep my nephew calm as we had power, and he’d be able to use his nebulizer if he had an asthma attack.
Opening the door will let the “cold” out. If you have no power, you must limit the number of times you open it. This ensures your items stay cool for longer.✓
When the power goes out, cell service also starts to dwindle. If you have many family members spread out, and you lose the ability to communicate with them, it will add tension and anxiety to an already stressful situation. Having as many people as you can with you gives you peace. You know how they’re doing because they’re right next to you. Losing cell service suddenly becomes unimportant, and it reduces stress and anxiety.
Heavy winds will likely break tree limbs, send mailboxes flying, and more. Keeping your cars in the garage will keep them protected. It will also protect them from being flooded, especially if your garage is on an incline. Most garage ways in Miami are made that way for that reason. Not all cars will fit in the garage. So if your parkway is NOT on an incline, I would leave the higher car outside so that if there is flooding, it’s higher off the ground.
During intense hurricanes, windows become quite dangerous. For one, things can fly in, and second, the strong winds create a negative pressure outside your window, and they can be blown out. (yes out, not in). Staying in the room with the least number of windows is safest, and if necessary, even a closet. This becomes more important during category 4 and 5 hurricanes.
You don’t know how long you will be on lockdown. Don’t let your medications run out. Call your doctor early and have those meds filled. For example, oxygen tanks, if you’re on supplemental O2, medications for asthma, epi pends for an allergic reaction, and insulin. These are things your body depends on to survive, so make sure you have enough of them.
If you can stay safe at home, then do so, however, sometimes the hurricane is very strong, and your county will advise you to seek shelter in your area. Find out where those are before you loose phone service or wifi/data. That way, you can get there without needing a GPS, which relies on good cell service.
During heavy winds and rain, many things can fall onto the ground. Floods and puddles will hide whatever is on the ground, especially electric cables. So if you are walking your dog, which I have also done during a hurricane, DO NOT walk through the puddles or flooded areas.
Hopefully, these tips will help some of you plan for future hurricanes. Yes, they can be scary. Planning well is the best way to stay safe. As always, though, this is a health blog… so I had to touch on a few health issues and concerns, including dietary options and chronic medical conditions that rely on refrigeration, a cool environment, and power. Things that often are lost during hurricanes. Be mindful of these things as you plan for a hurricane, and above all, stay safe.
Importance Of Glucose Control In Diabetes: Depending on how high
Diabetes is such a broad topic! I have personally noticed that
Congrats! You’ve matched. What should you expect as First-Year Family Medicine
Now that we’ve given you the basics on the benefits
“From nutrition tips and mental wellness to travel and holistic healing, we deliver science-backed, soul-nourishing content designed to support and inspire your healthy lifestyle.”
“From nutrition tips and mental wellness to travel and holistic healing, we deliver science-backed, soul-nourishing content designed to support and inspire your healthy lifestyle.”
Sign up with email to receive news & updates.
Copyright © 2025 Health Lair. All rights reserved.
