Apple cider vinegar
Vinegar made from fermented apple juice
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Related on Lably
Through Preservative, Sugar and Ethanol
There is no high-quality clinical evidence that regular consumption of apple cider vinegar helps to maintain or lose body weight, or is effective to manage blood glucose and lipid levels.
History
Vinegar has historically been made with whatever sort of foods are available, and vinegars using fruits commonly available in the North Atlantic became popular in the early nineteenth century. One 1810 cookbook includes recipes for apple cider vinegar, gooseberry vinegar, and raisin vinegar.
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Production
Apples are washed, crushed, and pressed to extract the juice. Autochthonous or inoculated yeasts, mainly Saccharomyces cerevisiae, initiate alcoholic fermentation, converting the sugars in the juice into ethanol and producing apple cider. The apple cider is then inoculated with either a pure culture of acetic acid bacteria or a proportion of 'mother vinegar', resulting in a secondary acetic fermentation which then converts the ethanol in the cider to acetic acid, yielding apple cider vinegar. The "mother" is a cellulose-rich biofilm of acetic bacteria that may remain in unfiltered vinegar.
Nutrition
Apple cider vinegar is 94% water and 5% acetic acid with 1% carbohydrates and no fat or protein. In a 100 gram reference amount, it provides 90 kilojoules (22 kcal) of energy, with negligible content of micronutrients.
Health effects
Evidence for apple cider vinegar having any health effect is poor, such as for weight loss, glycemic control or skin infections. Its use is not recommended for any therapy in medical guidelines of major public health organizations or regulatory agencies.
Safety concerns
Moderate consumption of apple cider vinegar is safe, particularly if it is diluted, and the chance of side effects when it is consumed as directed and in the recommended amounts appears to be low. Reported adverse effects include esophageal damage due to incomplete swallowing of apple cider vinegar tablets, tooth enamel damage due to swallowing excessive quantities of apple cider vinegar, and increased frequency of burping, flatulence, and bowel movements. Consumption of vinegar can increase dentin hypersensitivity. Irritation and redness are common when the eyes come into contact with vinegar, and corneal injury can occur. Using vinegar as a topical medication, ear cleaning solution, or eye wash is hazardous. Although small amounts of apple cider vinegar may be used as a food flavoring, it may be unsafe for use by pregnant and breastfeeding women and by children. Different commercial brands of apple cider vinegar were found to have inconsistent acid levels, with some contaminated by molds and yeast.
If used as a homemade cleaning agent, apple cider vinegar, like any kind of vinegar, should not be mixed with chlorine bleach, the combination of which may release chlorine gas and irritate airways, eyes, nose and throat.
People with allergies to apples may experience allergic reactions to apple cider vinegar. Topical use of apple cider vinegar to treat skin diseases may cause burns. The use of apple cider vinegar may cause untoward interactions with prescription drugs, such as insulin or diuretics.