Vinegar is a liquid solution that contains acetic acid and trace chemicals derived from fermenting ethanol or other sugars by acetic acid bacteria. Different materials make different types of Vinegar.
The word vinegar was adopted to English in the Middle ages from the old French word, vyn egre, meaning ‘sour wine’ which in turn was derived from the Latin word ‘Vinum’ or ‘wine’ and ‘Acer’ or ‘sour.’
According to Wikipedia, the first documented evidence of vinegar making was by Ancient Babylonians who, around 3000 BC started fermenting Vinegar from dates, figs, and beer. It was and still is mostly used for culinary and medicinal purposes.
The Chinese professionalized vinegar production during the Zhou Dynasty. Nobles and royal households had a “vinegar maker,” a position held by a person trained in the art of vinegar making. Many kinds of Chinese Vinegar and their uses for culinary and medicinal purposes were written down in a manual titled Qimin Yaoshu.
Many other cultures adopted vinegar making. The Greeks and Romans frequently used Vinegar made from wine. Columella, the Roman researcher in his research work titled Res Rusticana, described the ingredients and process for making several types of Vinegar in his research work.
During the Middle Ages, many Islamic scholars such as Geber researched on Vinegar. They isolated acetic acid by distilling Vinegar. Vinegar making slowly became a professional in the rest of Europe. The French city of Orléans became famous for the quality of its Vinegar through a formalized fermentation and ageing process later known as the Orléans process.
Today Vinegar is a must-have in most kitchens across the globe. In the Kitchen, Vinegar is used for salad dressings, soups, sauces, hot drinks, etc. Its other uses include cleaning, cooking, hair cleaning, skin toning, disinfecting, food preservation, and, most importantly, medicinal use.
There are different types of Vinegar, for example, rice wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, white distilled Vinegar, balsamic Vinegar, and fruit vinegar. Different types of Vinegar have different levels of acidity.
Here are 75 Medicinal uses of Vinegar:
1. Treating Wounds
From medieval times, Vinegar has been used for the treatment of wounds; its acidic properties act as a disinfectant to sterilize and heal injuries. It is effective at inhibiting the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa on wounds as a surface cleaning solution.
2. Treating ear infection
When Vinegar is diluted percent to a pH of 2, it can be used to effectively treat ear infections, which occur as otitis externa, otitis media, and granular myringitis.
3. Treating Type II Diabetes
Vinegar improves post-meal insulin sensitivity by more than 30%. Improving insulin sensitivity In patients with type II diabetes by 19 percent. When added to a high glycemic meal, it significantly reduced post-meal blood sugar.
4. Disinfecting fresh vegetables
Vinegar can be used to clean vegetables and kill harmful microbes from fresh vegetables even as it acts as a preservative.
5. Treating Human Papillomavirus
In remote areas, Vinegar is used as a mechanism for screening women for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection. When the acetic acid in Vinegar comes in contact with the viral lesions associated with HPV, they are altered, midwives can detect disease with 77 percent accuracy.
6. Treating Genital Warts
The acetic acid in Vinegar is used to rapidly neutralize and treat multiple genital warts in women with an acceptable rate of recurrence of 13.3 percent.
7. Treat Yeast infection
Vinegar may help fight candida vulvovaginitis and oral candidiasis that cause yeast infection in women.
8. Weight Control
Vinegar may increase the feeling of being satisfied. This feeling of fullness and satisfaction curbs the desire to eat, helping manage weight in obese people.
9. Reducing Obesity
A clinical study showed that vinegar intake reduced body weight, body fat mass, and serum triglyceride levels in obese people. A daily intake of Vinegar may be helpful in the prevention of metabolic syndrome by reducing obesity.
10. Managing Hypertension
The acetic acid in Vinegar significantly reduces blood pressure and renin activity associated with blood pressure helping treat hypertension.
11. Antioxidant
Vinegar has polyphenols, which are antioxidants and defend against oxidative stress. Both grain and fruit vinegar have the potential of reducing oxidative damage.
12. Reducing Cholesterol
Chlorogenic acid found in the Vinegar helps prevents LDL cholesterol particles from becoming oxidized, helping to lower LDL levels and cholesterol. Apple cider vinegar significantly reduces hemoglobin A1C (and lowers low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides and increases high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
13. Aids Digestion
Consumption of Vinegar with food increases the number of minerals and vitamins absorbed from food because several vitamins and minerals are better absorbed at lower pH, which is higher acidity.
14. Helps manage Dementia
This study found that Vinegar helps in the production of proteins like HspA1A, a protein that helps reduce amyloid formation in the brain. A study found that vinegar consumption might improve cognitive function and support in managing Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
15. Help reduce esophageal cancer
A case-control study demonstrated that vinegar ingestion was associated with decreased rates of esophageal cancer. A study done on mice showed that Vinegar stimulated cytotoxic activity (toxicity) in natural killer cells and stopped tumour growth.
16. Helps treat Leukemia
A study also showed that certain types of Vinegar stimulated natural killer cell cytotoxic activity against human leukemia cell lines. The antitumor effect of Vinegar can induce apoptosis in human leukemia cells.
17. Helps treat Colon Cancer
A study also showed that certain types of Vinegar stimulated natural killer cell cytotoxic activity against colon cancer cell lines. vinegar containing ethyl acetate inhibited azoxymethane-induced colon carcinogenesis.
18. Help treat Lung Cancer
A study also showed that certain types of Vinegar stimulated natural killer cell cytotoxic activity against Lung Cancer cell lines as well as inhibit the proliferation of the cancer cells
19. Help treat Prostrate Cancer
A study also showed that certain types of Vinegar stimulated natural killer cell cytotoxic activity against Prostrate Cancer cell lines.
20. Promotes a healthy gastrointestinal tract
The acetic acid in Vinegar has beneficial effects. It alters metabolism in the gastrointestinal tract and the liver.
21. Food Preservative
Vinegar is an active food preservative. It makes food more acidic, which deactivates its enzymes and kills any bacteria in the food that may cause spoilage.
22. Eliminate body odour
Many people mix Vinegar with water and cleanse parts of bodies that sweat mostly to eliminate bad body odour. It acts as a natural deodorant. It can also be combined with water and Epsom salts to make a foot soak, which helps kill bacteria and gets rid of bad odour from your feet.
23. Treat Sore Throat
Vinegar is a natural remedy for sore throats; its antibacterial properties are believed to kill oesophageal bacteria that cause sore throat. Vinegar is mixed with warm water and gaggled to clear the infection. Caution should be exercised though, too strong, and may damage the throat.
24. Cleaning Agent
Vinegar can be used as an all-purpose home cleaning agent. It’s a popular natural alternative to commercial cleaning agents. its antibacterial properties kill most of the harmful disease-causing bacteria in the home.
25. Reduce Wrinkles
Vinegar is diluted in water and applied on the face to help tone the skin and treat skin infections, including reducing wrinkles. It acts as an anti-ageing cream.
26. Cleaning pesticides from fruits and vegetables
Pesticide residues are a significant concern for many people. Washing fruits and vegetables before consuming or cooking them help clean off the pesticides and herbicides, making them safer to eat.
27. Trap Fruit flies
Fruit flies are a nuisance to fruit farmers and can be a severe economic setback when they cause thousands of fruits to rot. Mixing Vinegar and soap makes a natural fruit fly trap.
28. Cleaning Hair
Rinsing your hair with a solution of vinegar will help to remove product buildup, detangle, and add shine to your hair. The answer should be left for a while before washing. It helps to get rid of dirt, bacteria, and dandruff.
29. Cleaning Dentures
Cleaning dentures can be quite hectic, getting the right solution daunting, Vinegar comes in quite handy, it’s cheap and not corrosive and will leave dentures all shiny and sparkly.
30. Cleaning Dentures
Vinegar is a natural mouthwash that helps deal with bad breath and leaves teeth sparkling white.
31. Cleaning Toothbrush
To have clean teeth, it’s worth considering how clean your toothbrush is. Vinegar can use it as a homemade cleaner for your toothbrush. Make your toothbrush cleaner by mixing Vinegar with, Leave the head of your toothbrush in the mix for 30 minutes.
32. Treating Acne
Dabbing small amounts of diluted Vinegar onto pimples helps get rid of them. However, note, undiluted Vinegar is strongly acidic and putting it directly onto your skin can cause burns
33. Teeth Whitener
vinegar is acidic, some people like to use it to remove stains and whiten their teeth rinse out your mouth thoroughly afterward, as the acid can damage the enamel on your teeth
34. Remove Skin Moles
Dip a piece of cotton in vinegar, place it on the wart, skin tag or mole, cover it and leave overnight.
35. Skin Cleanser
For the same reasons, people like using Vinegar as a homemade facial toner, they also like using it in the bath as a skin cleanser.
36. Skin Warts
As with acne, Vinegar is a natural agent for getting rid of warts due to its acidic nature. However, be aware that this method is painful.
37. Keeping pets free from fleas
Vinegar will help your pet from getting fleas. Spraying a mixture of 1-part water, and 1-part Vinegar to your pet kills the insects.
38. As a Facial Mask
Make a natural face mask by mixing and water and rubbing on your face while Adding honey, If your skin is dry, rinse with warm water.
39. Remove Makeup
Vinegar and water mixture can be used to swipe and remove makeup.
40. Treating Dandruff
Use diluted apple cider vinegar and massage it into your scalp may get rid of dandruff.
The acid in the Vinegar helps stop the growth of the fungus Malassezia, which contributes to dandruff.
41. Dish Detergent
Rinsing your dishes in water mixed with Vinegar helps kill bacteria while keeping them clean. Some people add Vinegar to their dishwashing water, while others put in the dishwashing machine.
42. Skin Softener
Soaking in bathwater mixed with Vinegar makes the skin soft and tender.
43. Cleaning Menstrual cups
Wash your menstrual sponge in Vinegar and water mixture mixed in soap lather.
44. Treating Sunburn
Soak a piece of cloth in a vinegar solution and place it on the sunburnt area. Vinegar helps Takes the sting out and reduces the redness.
45. Ant Control
Ants avoid Vinegar like its poisonous it to clean surfaces under attack.
46. Cleaning Humidifiers
Vinegar can be used to clean humidifiers, simply Remove the filter and rinse with water. Then add Vinegar to the tank of the humidifier and let sit for 30 minutes, swishing around occasionally. Rinse and dry.
47. Boosts Chicken immunity
Vinegar in chicken drinking water boosts their protection against viral diseases.
48. Treating Pet Conjunctivitis
You can manage your dog’s Conjunctivitis with Vinegar Dab, a piece of cloth in the vinegar mixture, and apply BELOW the eyes keep reapplying every few hours.
49. Breaks down carbohydrates
Vinegar helps slow the breakdown of carbohydrates this helps in controlling diabetes.
50. Relieve Arthritis pain
Arthritis can cause severe pain in a patent’s joints, drinking water mixed with Vinegar helps relieve the pain.
51. Prevent Mastitis
Drinking vinegar mixed with water on a daily basis helps prevent mastitis
52. Manage blood glucose levels
Drinking water mixed with Vinegar helps control and manage blood glucose levels
53. Managing Polycystic ovary syndrome
To regulate polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS as is commonly known, drink water mixed with Vinegar after meals.
54. Managing PMS Cramps
PMS Symptoms and cramps can be excruciating. Vinegar helps with PMS symptoms, mostly cramps.
55. Build Immunity
Vinegar tea made from cinnamon, Honey, Vinegar, and water helps build the Immune system
56. As an Energy Drink
A teaspoon of vinegar in water. With a tablespoon of honey, a splash of lemon juice, and a dash of ground ginger. Mixed and drank before every meal is an excellent energy drink
57. Lower Cholesterol
Vinegar helps Lower cholesterol. The acid is an excellent fat burner and stabilizes sugar levels in the body to help keep low your cholesterol.
58. Balancing PH
Vinegar Can also help regulate your body’s pH, which can is a good thing since it improves your body’s immunity and helps you to fight diseases.
59. Dealing with Heartburn
Pregnancy induces Heartburn, which may be severe, Vinegar helps in fighting pregnancy-induced Heartburn.
60. Indigestion
Indigestion and upset stomach can be managed by drinking flavoured water mixed with a tablespoon of vinegar daily.
61. Toenail Fungus and Ring Worms
Soaking your feet in warm vinegar solutions helps kill toenail fungus and treat ringworm infection.
62. Managing Candidiasis
Candida develops on the skin, causing infection. This condition known as candidiasis affecting the skin is called cutaneous candidiasis. It causes a red, rashes that itch most appears commonly in the folds of the skin. Vinegar solution helps get rid of candida growth.
63. Treating Dermatitis
Dermatitis has many causes, it occurs in many forms. usually involving itchy, dry skin, or a rash on swollen, reddened skin. Or it may cause the skin to blister, ooze, crust, or flake off. Washing with a vinegar solution helps treat dermatitis.
64. Clearing blocked Sinusitis
Sinusitis causes swelling of the tissue lining the sinuses when sinuses become blocked they fill with fluid and allow germs to grow which causes infection Boiling a mixture of Vinegar with water and inhaling the vapor, helps clear sinuses.
65. Common Cold and Fever
Vinegar mixed with honey, lemon, cinnamon, and sometimes garlic is a perfect remedy for the common cold.
66. Treating Baby Diaper rash
Diaper rash affects little babies. It appears as bright red spots on the baby’s bottom. Diaper rash is often related to wet or infrequently changed diapers, skin sensitivity, and chafing. Drops of Vinegar in baby’s bath water helps soothe and treat diaper rash.
67. Treating Thrush in babies
Thrush, also is known as oropharyngeal candidiasis, is a medical condition that affects babus mouths. A yeast-like fungus called Candida albicans grows in the mouth and throat to clear baby’s thrush mix water and Vinegar and swab the nipples before breastfeeding the baby.
68. Preventing gallbladder blockage
Drinking A tablespoon of Vinegar before every meal will keep your gallbladder healthy.
69. Treating Nausea
Drinking Vinegar mixed in water with honey helps relieve nausea symptoms and prevents vomiting.
70. Treating Bursitis
Bursitis is a condition that affects the small, fluid-filled sacs called bursae that cushion the bones, tendons, and muscles near the joints. Bursitis can occur when the bursae become inflamed. Common locations affected by bursitis are the shoulders, elbows, and hips drinking two tablespoons of Vinegar in warm water to help treat bursitis.
71. Natural Antihistamine
Vinegar is a natural antihistamine that helps combat allergic reactions.
72. Treating cradle cap
Cradle cap is a scaly rash that appears on young infant’s heads. It generally appears within the first 3 months of life and is mostly safe. It rarely causes the infant any discomfort. Applying vinegar solution kills bacteria that causes cradle cap.
73. Managing Fibroids
You can help fibroids to Shrink by drinking vinegar solution in warm water.
74. Treat Earache
Earaches can affect one or both ears, however, it mostly affects one ear. Pains can develop from ear infections, or injury drops of diluted Vinegar is a natural home remedy for earaches.
75. Relieves Respiratory Problems
Vinegar is an excellent remedy for respiratory problems like colds, asthmas, bronchitis, etc. put it in the mix it with distilled water and put in the humidifier.
These are by no means the only diseases and conditions treated by Vinegar. Vinegar helps to manage, relieve, and help treat myriads of sicknesses illnesses and conditions, its a wonder solution for everyday use.
