Vinegar

Vinegar is a combination of acetic acid and water made by a two-step fermentation process. First, yeast feeds on the sugar or starch of any liquid from a plant food such as fruits, whole grains, potatoes, or rice. This liquid ferments into alcohol. The alcohol is then exposed to oxygen and the acetic acid bacteria Acetobacter to ferment again over weeks or months, forming vinegar. Early records describe vinegar for medicinal purposes: as a digestive aid, an antibacterial balm to dress wounds, and cough treatment. Today, vinegar is often touted as an all-purpose treatment for everything from minor ailments to chronic diseases. Existing scientific research does not support vinegar as an effective treatment for any of these conditions. However, some animal studies and small human studies have suggested a health benefit from vinegar, which has fueled its popularity in mainstream media.

Type of Vinegar:

Vinegar is made from different fruits, rice, barley, and other high sugar foods. Some examples are rice wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, white distilled vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and fruit vinegar. Depending on the type, they can have different levels of acidity. Different vinegar types are popular in different countries and areas of the world. The one common theme amongst all vinegar is its beneficial properties and antioxidants.

Nutrition and Benefits:

1)    Blood glucose:
In insulin-resistant subjects, vinegar improved post-meal insulin sensitivity by 34 percent, and in patients with type 2 diabetes, insulin sensitivity improved by 19 percent. In another study of eleven healthy adults, the addition of vinegar to a high-glycemic meal significantly reduced post-meal blood sugar.
Two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar at bedtime helped reduce fasting blood glucose levels in eleven patients with type 2 diabetes.
2)    Antimicrobial Activity:
Vinegar is slightly effective at inhibiting the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa on wounds as a surface cleaning solution. However, many experts advise against using vinegar to clean a wound because the acidic solution may do more harm than good to the injured tissue.
In the context of killing microbes, vinegar may be most helpful in cleaning vegetables before food preparation.
Vinegar may help fight candida vulvovaginitis and oral candidiasis.
3)    Weight Management:
Vinegar (apple cider vinegar) may increase satiety feelings, indicating its potential usefulness in weight control. Satiety is a feeling of fullness and satisfaction: the opposite of hunger.
4)    Heart Health:
The acetic acid in vinegar significantly reduced blood pressure and renin activity (associated with blood pressure) in hypertensive rats.
5)    Antioxidant Activity:
Vinegar is a source of dietary polyphenols, which are antioxidants and defend against oxidative stress.
Apple cider vinegar induced a protective effect against erythrocyte, kidney, and liver oxidative injury and lowered the serum lipid levels in mice fed a high cholesterol diet. The authors suggested that it may scavenge free radicals, inhibit lipid peroxidation, and increase the levels of antioxidant enzymes and vitamins in cells.
Grain vinegar and fruit vinegar, both are fermented, possess a variety of beneficial physiological effects, including antibacterial and antioxidant properties and even some anticancer activities.