Honey, which contains vitamins and antioxidants, is used to cure conditions such as cold symptoms and bacterial imbalances. Vinegar’s acidic characteristics make it effective for boosting stomach acid, facilitating digestion, and regulating blood sugar. The benefits of apple cider vinegar and honey together provide even more in terms of higher immunity, a lower risk of heart disease, and healthier skin. Let’s look at each ingredient individually, then see how this tonic can improve your health and well-being.
Apple cider vinegar and honey benefits
1. Relieves cold and allergy symptoms.
Both apple cider vinegar (ACV) and honey have antimicrobial qualities that make them effective for treating cold and allergy symptoms. Pollen in honey can help relieve seasonal allergy symptoms like runny noses, itchy eyes, hay fever, and sneezing. Apple cider vinegar contains trace amounts of probiotics from its fermentation process, which promote the growth of good bacteria in our gut microbiome and contribute to our immune system.
2. Weight loss
Some research has demonstrated that apple cider vinegar can aid in weight loss. One method it employs is to slow the absorption of sugar in the body, thereby stabilizing blood sugar levels. When this occurs, satiety lasts for extended durations instead of hunger quickly intensifying. There is evidence indicating that apple cider vinegar (ACV) may aid in reducing body fat. Clinical investigations have shown that individuals who consumed ACV lost more weight compared to those who did not. Because honey has a high sugar and calorie content, it’s important to add it sparingly when using it with ACV for weight reduction.
3. Improves heart health
Apple cider vinegar tonics can benefit heart health through three mechanisms. The chlorogenic acid in vinegar may help lower harmful LDL cholesterol levels. Honey has a beneficial impact on blood pressure by lowering it to a healthy range. Honey includes antioxidants that help enhance blood flow and circulation, thereby reducing blood clotting. Additionally, ACV has anti-inflammatory properties that can help eliminate plaque in the arteries. Collectively, these characteristics decrease the likelihood of experiencing a heart attack or stroke.
4. Improves skin conditions
Inflammation, compromised gastrointestinal health, and excessive bacterial growth cause multiple skin conditions. These can be controlled with anti-inflammatory foods like ACV and honey, and they can even be treated topically with the same foods. Mix 1 teaspoon of ACV and 1 tablespoon of honey to create a hydrating and antibacterial face mask. Apply the product to your face for 20 minutes, and then rinse it off with warm water. Honey moisturizes the skin and has antibacterial properties, while apple cider vinegar exfoliates and restores the skin’s pH balance.
5. Helps with acid reflux
The calming properties of honey can greatly benefit acid reflux. Moreover, people use ACV as a home remedy for acid reflux and heartburn. It works in a way that goes against intuition. Often, insufficient stomach acid, not excess, causes acid reflux. As a result, helping to develop enough stomach acid is a component of the therapy to recover from reflux. To boost stomach acid production and enhance digestion, consider consuming sour and/or bitter foods a few minutes before each meal.
It is crucial to dilute apple cider vinegar in water before drinking it. Using vinegar for acid reflux can be harmful due to its acidity, which may cause injury or irritation to the throat, stomach, and esophagus. Prior to consuming honey and ACV for heartburn, it is important to eliminate the possibility of ulcers.
6. Fight cough
In the same way that apple cider vinegar and honey can help with a sore throat, they can also help stop coughing. Add one to two tablespoons of honey and vinegar to a full glass of warm or hot water. Let them mix together. You might also want to add some lemon, ginger, hot pepper, or cinnamon to make it taste and work better. You can drink this liquid all at once or spread it out over the day.
7. Soothe Sore Throat
Apple cider vinegar mixed with honey in warm water is a tried-and-true way to treat a sore throat at home. ACV and honey mixed together in a full glass of water should work. Ensure to dilute the vinegar thoroughly. Both ACV and honey have the ability to kill bacteria in the mouth, which helps ease the pain of a sore throat in the same way that gargling with salt water does. You can also just take honey by itself to make a sticky layer that soothes pain and irritation and lowers inflammation.
How to consume apple cider vinegar and honey?
Putting honey and honey together with water and drinking it as a shot is the easiest way to do it. For a healing drink, you can make it stronger by adding more water, lemon, ginger, and cinnamon.
You can also make a salad dressing by mixing honey, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and spices together. This goes really well with fresh greens like spinach and arugula.
Remember that you shouldn’t eat or drink more than a few tablespoons of ACV and/or honey in a day. If you’re going to be eating it every day, make sure to space out your doses and never eat more than one tablespoon at a time. Consuming honey excessively and frequently can lead to high sugar levels, and if you don’t dilute ACV enough in water, it can damage tooth enamel, burn the throat and stomach, and potentially cause illness.
It’s always best to start slowly. Take small amounts for a few days and see how you feel. If you need to, you can always raise it based on your tolerance.
Is Honey Cider Vinegar Good For You?
Adding apple cider vinegar to honey may be beneficial for your health in a variety of ways. Before we talk about them, though, let’s look at honey. Despite its health benefits, it’s important to consume raw honey sparingly and wisely.
Raw honey, for instance, contains polyphenols and antioxidants that can combat oxidative stress resulting from free radicals and aging. Failure to stop this stress can result in illness. Honey can also help wounds heal faster and soothe sore throats right away. However, honey also contains pure sugar, specifically fructose. Eating fructose by itself, especially in large amounts, can raise blood sugar and put stress on the liver. That being said, honey does contain some vitamins and minerals, but not as many as some lower-sugar vegetables.
The bottom line
Apple cider vinegar and honey both have many health benefits on their own. They work well together to make a strong and tasty drink that can be used in many ways. Adding apple cider vinegar and honey to your diet can lower your blood pressure, keep your blood sugar stable, help you lose weight, improve your digestion, and get rid of cold and allergy symptoms. Both ACV and honey should be used in moderation; if you take them too much or the wrong way, they can be bad for you. Always have small amounts mixed in water, and if you’re not sure, talk to your doctor.
