A new health trend is finding its way to California Baptist University, and while some of its benefits are yet to be medically proven, some find it to be more than just the folklore professionals see it as.
Apple cider vinegar is bitter to drink, but with it come interesting health kicks.
Benefits from drinking, at most, one shot of apple cider vinegar per day has been found to aid in clearing skin, cleansing the digestive tract, boosting immunity and even clearing the throat before a vocal performance.
According to WebMD, vinegar is made from a process in which sugars in a food are broken down by bacteria and yeast. In the first stage of fermentation, the sugars are turned into alcohol, and if the alcohol ferments further, it produces vinegar.
Haley Harrington, senior psychology major, researched apple cider vinegar and has taken it every day for the last five months.
“It helps with different things,” Harrington said. “It’s just like anything that’s popular in health now. It may work for some, and it may not work for others.”
Medical professionals like Melissa R. Christiansen, CBU’s on-campus nurse practitioner, is not convinced.
“It’s really a lot of folklore … but people swear by it,” Christiansen said.
Although there is no clinical evidence to back it up, some of the claims that Christiansen has heard from those that take apple cider vinegar is it has been used for various remedies.
“It makes you feel fuller,” in regards to those trying to maintain healthy eating habits, “it can be used to treat a jellyfish sting” and “it can be used to make hair shinier … what it does is it takes the gunk out from shampoos and conditioners left in your hair,” Christiansen said.
She warns that “less is more,” as apple cider vinegar is acidic and may cause other concerns such as “lowering the levels of your body’s potassium,” which is a key component to being a healthy individual, Christiansen said.
As if in agreement to Christiansen’s warning, Harrington said, “Everything’s good in moderation. If you’re overdoing it, it’s going to be unhealthy for you. I don’t take a lot of it. I just take a tablespoon of it with two tablespoons of olive oil.”
