What’s the Deal with Drinking Apple Cider Vinegar?

When you’re stuck at home with a cold, what do you do? You might drink tea, sleep a little more, and maybe take some medicine to make the whole process go a little faster. But have you ever tried downing a glass of raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar?

A couple weeks ago, my brother had a bad cold and I told him to do just that. He looked at me strangely and rightly questioned my suggestion. Honestly, I didn’t have a great explanation for him. I just muttered something about having tried it based on a friend’s recommendation. But have you tried this trick when you’re sick, and does it actually work?

Raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar contains the “mother” of vinegar, which is a form of cellulose and bacteria. It’s those wispy-looking strands you might see in a bottle of vinegar. Those strands give the vinegar that characteristic sour taste. Historically, this “mother” is also thought to have many health benefits.

According to various health sites and Bragg’s website, raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar has a variety of different health benefits, including soothing a sore throat, maintaining healthy skin, and removing toxins from the body.

The only real negative that I’ve come across is that drinking a ton of apple cider vinegar, or any vinegar really, might be bad for your teeth.

I can’t say for sure if drinking vinegar will definitely clear up your skin or make that nasty cold go away for good, but I can say from experience that I find it totally delicious, and it does make me feel better when I’m sick with a head cold. It relieves some of that pressure and eases a runny nose. If anything, you can’t underestimate the power of a good placebo.

If you can’t drink apple cider vinegar straight, there are a few simple recipes that feature the vinegar. Some of my friends just add it to water when they drink it, while other people go all out with fancy drinks like this fire cider concoction.

Get the recipe: Fire Cider

Have you ever tried drinking raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar? Did it make you feel better, or did it just taste interesting?