Vinegar uses
![Vinegar is a transparent solution made of acetic acid and water. Vinegar is good for lowering blood glucose levels, helping with weight loss and boosting skin health. It also has antibacterial properties.](https://images.medicinenet.com/images/article/main_image/what-is-vinegar-good-for.jpg?output-quality=75)
White vinegar is mainly used as a culinary staple in your kitchen. The main applications of vinegar in the kitchen include making
- Pickles
- Salads
- Marinades and sauces
- Mayonnaise
- Ketchup
- Baked goods
- Cheese (vinegar curdles the milk)
Moreover, from early records, vinegar has been claimed to have several health benefits, which include
- Helping with digestion
- Using as an antibacterial balm to dress wounds
- Treating dandruff and itchy scalp
Today, more and more people are discovering its health benefits and using it as a go-to remedy for everything from minor ailments to chronic diseases.
But to be honest, there is no scientific evidence to back the claims of vinegar’s effectiveness in treating chronic diseases. Always seek your doctor’s advice before usng vinegar as a health remedy. Concentrated vinegar may harm your skin and mouth on direct contact. Vinegar and apple cider vinegar are two distinct solutions.
Some of the possible health benefits of vinegar have been touted recently. These are mostly with respect to the apple cider vinegar. These potential benefits include
- Lowering blood glucose levels: Some human studies have found that apple cider vinegar regulates blood sugar and insulin levels after a meal. However, it shouldn’t replace your regular medications. Adding vinegar as a part of an antidiabetic diet may help control blood sugar levels.
- Helping with weight loss: Researchers have stated that apple cider vinegar helps with weight management, lowers lipid levels and prevents fat deposition around the organs. Some studies also claim that vinegar causes fullness by slowing the rate at which the stomach empties. As a result, there’s a reduced calorie intake and subsequent weight loss.
- Providing antibacterial properties: Vinegar has some antimicrobial properties. Hence, it may be useful for treating nail fungus, warts and ear infections in diluted form.
- Boosting skin health: Vinegar kills bacteria and prevents skin infection, thus enhancing skin health. It should never be applied to the skin in undiluted form.
Apart from these uses, vinegar has a wide variety of household applications. Vinegar can be used to clean the following items
- Countertops except for granite and marble countertops
- Showers and bathtubs
- Toilets
- Floors
- Dishes
- Windows and mirrors
- Coffeemakers
- Laundry (as stain removal)
- Sinks
- Drains
It also serves as fruit fly, house fly and mosquito repellent in diluted form.
While 5 percent acetic acid in vinegar is strong enough to kill most household pathogens, it does not destroy them all. Vinegar shouldn’t be a replacement for commercial disinfectants. Nevertheless, vinegar is an economical, nontoxic, green product that can be useful for certain household chores.
Vinegar also is a handy solution for the following gardening applications
- Killing weeds
- Keeping the cut flowers fresh for a long time
What is vinegar?
Vinegar is a transparent solution made of acetic acid and water. It is made by a two-step fermentation process.
- The yeast ferments natural food sugars from fruits, whole grains, potatoes or rice into alcohol.
- The alcohol is then exposed to oxygen and acetic acid bacteria to ferment again over weeks and months to form vinegar.
- Apple cider vinegar is especially made from fermentation of apples.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved vinegar has
- 4 to 7 percent acetic acid
- 93 to 96 percent water
Vinegar with 20 percent acetic acid is used for agriculture or cleaning purposes and should be avoided for human consumption.
The other constituents of vinegar include
- Mineral salts
- Amino acids
- Polyphenolic compounds (e.g., gallic acid, catechin, caffeic acid and ferulic acid)
- Nonvolatile organic acids (e.g., tartaric, citric, malic and lactic)
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
Medscape General Medicine
Harvard School of Public Health
Top What Is Vinegar Good For Related Articles
20 Benefits of Drinking Apple Cider Vinegar
By now you have probably heard about some of the health benefits or uses for apple cider vinegar. More and more people are discovering it's multipurpose benefits and using it as a one-stop-shop for daily needs. Here are 20 uses for apple cider vinegar (ACV) that will inspire you to incorporate it into your daily routine too.Apple Cider Vinegar: Myths and Facts About Benefits and Remedies
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has health benefits for weight loss, blood sugar regulation, and other concerns, but it is ineffective for other things. Consume a few tablespoons of vinegar diluted in water to protect your health. An acetic acid-forming bacterium Acetobacter helps make ACV.Body Blood Sugar Levels
High blood sugar can be a sign of diabetes or prediabetes. The drugs that treat it sometimes cause low blood sugar too. WebMD helps guide you through the effects of both.High Blood Sugar (Hyperglycemia)
Hyperglycemia or high blood sugar is a serious health problem for diabetics. There are two types of hyperglycemia, 1) fasting, and 2)postprandial or after meal hyperglycemia. Hyperglycemia can also lead to ketoacidosis or hyperglycemic hyperosmolar nonketotic syndrome (HHNS). There are a variety of causes of hyperglycemia in people with diabetes.Symptoms of high blood sugar may include increased thirst, headaches, blurred vision, and frequent urination.Treatment can be achieved through lifestyle changes or medications changes. Carefully monitoring blood glucose levels is key to prevention.
Is Bleach or Vinegar Better to Kill Mold?
Both vinegar and bleach are practical and powerful to kill mold growth around the house. However, both have their advantages and disadvantages. Vinegar is a safer choice than bleach.Why Is Red Wine Vinegar Good for You, and How Is It Different From Vinegar?
Red wine vinegar is known to be beneficial mostly due to two of its ingredients: resveratrol and acetic acid. These ingredients and its color set it apart from other types of vinegar and also give it unique, useful properties.Is Vinegar a Good Bug Repellent?
Vinegar is one of the best ingredients to make a pest control spray. It is effective in repelling ants, mosquitoes, fruit flies, and many others. Creating a mix is quite simple and is considered safe for humans and pets.Normal Blood Sugar Levels In Adults with Diabetes
People with diabetes can manage and prevent low or high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia) by keeping a log of your blood sugar levels when you are eating and fasting and eat foods that are high in carbohydrates and sugar, for example, buttered potatoes, candy, sugary desserts, and fatty foods.
Blood tests, for example, the hemoglobin A1c test (A1c test) and urinalysis can diagnose the type of diabetes the person has. Diabetes during pregnancy, called gestational diabetes, should be managed by you and your OB/GYN or another healthcare professional.
Extremely high levels of blood glucose in the blood can be dangerous and life threatening if you have type 1, type 2, or gestational diabetes.
If you or someone that you are with has extremely high blood glucose levels, call 911 or go to your nearest Urgent Care or Emergency Department immediately.
To prevent and manage high blood glucose levels in people with diabetes keep a log of your blood sugar levels, eat foods that are high in carbohydrates sugar, for example, buttered potatoes, candy, sugary deserts, and fatty foods that you can share with your doctor and other healthcare professionals.
Diabetes: What Raises and Lowers Your Blood Sugar Level?
Want to lower your blood sugar? Learn to better control your glucose levels by preventing blood sugar spikes and swings to avoid neuropathy and other diabetes complications. Find foods that lower blood sugar, and identify foods and activities that raise high blood sugar risks.How to Lose Weight Fast: Easy Weight Loss Tips
Here are the best ways to lose weight. From calories to fitness, learn these weight loss tips and win your battle with losing weight.Weight Loss Quiz
Are you trying to lose weight? Take this quiz to see what you can add to routine to get on the right track for results!What Foods Will Lower Blood Sugar Quickly?
Diabetes or diabetes mellitus is a long-term health condition that is characterized by high blood glucose levels. While there are no foods that bring down blood sugar levels quickly, adding the following to your diet can help keep your diabetes under control.What Is a Good Balsamic Vinegar?
Balsamic vinegar or aceto balsmico is a kind of dark, concentrated, and intensely flavored vinegar produced from the must of grapes that are stored in wooden barrels for several years. Authentic balsamic vinegar is made from the reduction of pressed Trebbiano (white) and Lambrusco (red) grape varieties in the Modena and Reggio provinces of Italy.