Read This Before Drinking Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is an ingredient found in most kitchens. It is made by fermentation of apples to acetic acid, using bacteria and yeast. The acetic acid has made several people believe that it is a useful substance for weight loss and other remedies.

However, if consumed in large proportions, Apple cider vinegar can have a number of unpleasant or even dangerous side effects on the body. So let’s learn about these side effects and how you can protect your body from them.

1. Throat and Skin Burns

Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid along with a few other weak acids. Despite being weak, these acids do have the characteristics of acids and that includes being corrosive to the skin and throat.

If you only drink small amounts of apple cider vinegar diluted with a sufficient amount of water, there will be no harmful effects on your throat. However, your throat could suffer from acid burns if you regularly consume undiluted apple cider vinegar.

Some people apply the vinegar to their skin to eradicate moles or blemishes but the risk of burns is very high so it should be avoided; consultation with a dermatologist would be a far better option for moles.

2. Effects on Bones and Teeth  

Being corrosive means that the apple cider vinegar also affects teeth, eroding their enamel, thus causing decay.

The chances of tooth decay are quite high if you drink it every day for weight loss, so it’s better to drink through a straw to reduce the exposure of teeth to it and brush your teeth after drinking. 

Besides teeth, apple cider vinegar can affect your bones in the long term by reducing the amount of potassium in your blood, which can eventually lead to brittle and weak bones.

This is because the body uses minerals from the bones in an attempt to neutralize the acidic environment of the digestive system due to the apple cider vinegar.

3. Reactions with Other Drugs

If you are suffering from any medical condition that requires you to have drugs, you must consult your doctor before incorporating apple cider vinegar into your diet.

This is because the combined effects of your medication and the vinegar can be too much for your body to handle. For example, if you are diabetic and taking insulin, consuming apple cider vinegar can cause your blood sugar to become extremely low which could be dangerous.

Furthermore, diuretics and digoxin reduce potassium in the body, so combining them with apple cider vinegar can be hazardous if potassium falls below the minimum amount needed by your body.

4. Impact on the Stomach and Digestive System

There’s a common belief that apple cider vinegar helps in weight loss. This is because it causes the stomach to become empty at a slower rate, causing the person to feel full for longer.

However, this fullness often results from indigestion, leading to heartburn and nausea. It also reduces the number of nutrients absorbed from the digested food.

These problems are more likely to affect people with gastroparesis so it is suggested that they don’t consume apple cider vinegar without a doctor’s consent.