Apple cider vinegar has been in the health spotlight for a long time as its anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties have made it a popular home remedy for general well-being.

Apple cider vinegar is a type of vinegar that is made from fermented apple juice. It is produced by crushing apples and extracting the juice. After it undergoes a fermentation process, it yields a sour-tasting liquid that possesses a golden brown to amber shade of color.

Its potential impact in the fight against diabetes has increasingly become the subject of many studies and researches. As the evolution of modern lifestyles has led to a perceptible increase in the incidence of this dreaded disease, man has started to look for different ways to battle it. The sumptuous carbohydrate-rich diet of modern men consisting of bread, pasta, pizza and grains is said to be one of the major causes of the prevalence of diabetes.

This search for cures and preventatives has led to rediscovering the health benefits of such natural remedies as apple cider vinegar.

The healthy properties imparted by apple cider vinegar have been recorded throughout the ages. Hippocrates, known by many as ‘the father of modern medicine’, recommended this sour liquid for various ailments thought to be caused by bacteria such as coughs and colds. Military leaders have also prescribed applying vinegar to wounds for disinfection and cleaning.

In the modern world, diabetes has become one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Diabetes is an ailment where wayward elements of the body’s defense mechanisms attack the pancreas. As the pancreas produces the sugar-regulating hormone insulin, any attack renders it incapable of defending against sugars that normally accumulate in the system. If blood sugar levels increase at a rapid pace and remain unregulated, these can damage blood vessels and vital organs like the brain. Once these vital parts are damaged, secondary diseases and ailments may develop and these are typically considered as ‘diabetes complications’.

There are two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes is also called ‘juvenile diabetes’ and is the case where the pancreas is not able to produce adequate amounts of insulin. It is normally treated via insulin management. Type 2 diabetes is also called adult onset diabetes and is the case wherein the body is no longer responsive to insulin produced by the pancreas. It is treated in a variety of ways.

Preliminary studies conducted in the United States have found that taking apple cider vinegar may help lower the rise in blood glucose levels after food intake. It is said that the high acetic acid content in apple cider vinegar may help slow the digestion of starch thereby reducing the glycemic or glucose index of starchy foods.

Indeed, a small study made by Arizona State University researchers and published in the Diabetes Care journal showed that people who took apple cider vinegar with their food before bedtime showed remarkably reduced glucose levels in the morning.

Advocates of taking apple cider vinegar to help in the efforts against diabetes reminded people to look for the raw, unfiltered, unpasteurized version, as opposed to processed ones that are normally available in big stores and supermarkets.

Analysts also say that vinegar dietary supplements in capsule or tablet form may not be as effective for managing blood glucose increases after meals as they don’t contain acetic acid, the primary agent for controlling it. It is still best to use the raw vinegar for this purpose.

People who use the apple cider vinegar to control diabetes say that it is best to start on the regimen slowly and gradually work their way up. The typical way of consuming this home remedy is to pour two teaspoonfuls of the vinegar in a tall glass of room temperature water and then drink before meals. This is said to help control the sugar spike when food is taken in.

Diabetes patients need to inform their doctors if they plan to use apple cider vinegar as a way to help control their ailment. There might be some medications that have been prescribed by their doctors which might have counteracting effects with the vinegar.

There are also debates raging as to whether the long-term use of apple cider vinegar is healthy for people’s bones. The vinegar reportedly drains calcium stores in the body and this result in brittle bones in the long run. Advocates of apple cider vinegar answer that it comes already with calcium and so it doesn’t need to “drain” the body of this trace mineral. More research is needed in order for this question to be fully resolved.

Suffice to say that it appears many of the answers to the ailments and diseases afflicting the citizens of the modern world can be found in natural remedies used throughout the centuries. The wisdom of the ages appears to still be highly relevant in today’s world and it is all up to us whether we choose to heed all the valuable knowledge found therein.

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