AppleCider Vinegar - A Healing Elixir for Diabetes?

Apple Cider Vinegar or called acv, short for apple cider vinegar has been used from the beginning of recorded history, Apple Cider Vinegar has been utilized by all ancient civilizations, it is said that for at least 10,000 years Apple Cider Vinegar was used to treat various ailments. It is also reported to have been used as a healing elixir by Hippocrates (the father of Medicine) and has been found in Egyptian urns dating as far back as 3000 BC. The benefits of apple cider vinegar are great! But today we are going to focus on just one spec of apple cider vinegar's healing properties on Diabetes patients.

Latest Research Findings on Vinegar and Diabetes

There has been surprisingly little research about using apple cider vinegar for therapeutic health purposes, given the large number of dramatic claims about it. However, lack of scientific studies is a common problem for many natural and alternative therapies.

Perhaps the most researched and the most promising of apple cider vinegar's benefits are in the area of Type 2 diabetes. Several studies have found that apple cider vinegar may help lower blood glucose levels.

In 2004, a study cited in the American Diabetes Foundation's publication Diabetes Care found that taking apple cider vinegar before meals significantly increased insulin sensitivity and dramatically reduced the insulin and glucose spikes that occur after meals. The study involved 29 people, divided into three groups:

One third had been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.
One third had prediabetic signs.
One third were healthy.
The results were quite significant:

All three groups had better blood glucose readings with the apple cider vinegar than with the placebo.
People with prediabetic symptoms benefited the most from the apple cider vinegar, cutting their blood glucose concentrations by nearly half.
People with diabetes improved their blood glucose levels by 25 percent with apple cider vinegar.
People with prediabetic symptoms had lower blood glucose than the healthy participants after both drank apple cider vinegar, with a blood sugar of 34%
A follow-up study geared at testing apple cider vinegar's long-term effects yielded an unexpected but pleasant side effect: moderate weight loss. In this study, participants taking two tablespoons of vinegar prior to two meals per day lost an average of two pounds over the four-week period, and some lost up to four pounds.

In 2007, another study cited by WebMD involving 11 people with Type 2 Diabetes found taking two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before bed lowered glucose levels in the morning by 4 to 6 percent. But an even more interesting part is when apple cider vinegar was taken with cheese:

Test Results -

Apple Cider Vinegar and Diabetes
The researchers found the average fasting blood glucose levels fell by 2% with the placebo (cheese only) and by 4% with the apple cider vinegar and cheese. - link this:On closer examination of the data they found that those participants with the highest fasting glucose levels benefited the most from the evening apple cider vinegar drink - their fasting blood glucose levels fell by 6%.Conclusions - Apple Cider Vinegar and Diabetes
These results show that apple cider vinegar, taken with cheese at bedtime, can significantly lower the waking glucose concentrations in Type 2 Diabetics.In conclusion drinking apple cider vinegar slows the rise of blood sugar after the consumption of a high-carbohydrate meal. So in essence apple cider vinegar can benefit all of us regardless of whether or not we have diabetes. The benefits of apple cider vinegar range from:
Immunity
Weight Loss
Metabolism
Diabetes Support
Gut Health
Clears up Skin blemishes/acne
Blood Pressure to
Inflammation
Apple cider vinegar is also a powerful alkalizing agent to the body and starting your day with 1-2 teaspoons in 8oz of water will generate incredible health benefits for you. You can get apple cider vinegar at most grocery and health food stores and is relatively inexpensive, just be sure to get one that looks cloudy and says "the mother" on it. We personally use Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar. Stay tuned for a follow up blog on additional benefits of apple cider vinegar!

Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/apple-cider-vinegar?page=2
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/01/22/vinegar-diabetes.aspxhttp://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com/vinegar-and-diabetes.html

www.mercola.com