This Simple Ingredient Has Proven Weight-Loss and Health Benefits

Apple Cider Vinegar, or ACV, has something of a cult following as a diet hero, complete with entire websites devoted to it as a weight-loss elixir. It's used for detoxing, curing stomach ailments and even is known to cure warts. Hippocrates (c.420 BC) used vinegar medicinally to manage wounds. But the most common use today is for weight loss.

So how does apple cider vinegar help people lose weight? According to Healthline, acetic acid is the vinegar’s main active component which is a short-chain fatty acid that dissolves into acetate and hydrogen in your body. Studies have shown a correlation between apple cider vinegar and the regulation of fat and metabolism burn by the increased fat burn and decrease of fat storage from short-chain fatty acids.

Apple cider vinegar appears to speed up metabolism by accelerating the body’s ability to break down nutrients efficiently and quickly, giving your food less opportunity to stick -- and lowering your blood sugar levels.

You can drink a detox tea with it or easily incorporate it into your meals, as a simple salad dressing. Apple cider vinegar consists of both malic acid and acetic acid along with pectin, potassium, and several other minerals, and vitamins, all of which appear to be beneficial to your gut health.

How do you make ACV?

It's a simple two-step process, that's very similar to how kombucha is made.

1. Crush apples and squeeze out the juice, which allows for the alcoholic fermentation process because the liquid is exposed to bacteria and yeast.

2.  Once the bacteria become active, the fermented alcohol turns into acetic acid (the main active compound in vinegar).

While ACV is known for its bitter taste, it goes way beyond that. It can be used to cook almost anything in a pan, like stir fry, pancakes instead of butter or oil. It works to sautee meatless meatballs and ratatouille. Its powerful flavor contrasts well with stovetop foods because it takes away their bitterness. Add it to your vegetable broth for more flavor and tangy taste to your minestrone soup.

Simple Tangy ACV Salad Dressing:

• 1/2 cup of ACV
• 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

Place ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir it together until ingredients combine. If you want a thicker taste, add olive oil as necessary until you are satisfied with the texture.

If you have a special recipe or specific way you like to use apple cider vinegar, email us at info@thebeet.com, we would love to share it with everyone.