Vinegar is your good friend in your pursuit of good health

Prevention is better than cure, and a stitch in time saves nine -- the same applies to our health. If we wait till disease strikes before we pay attention to health, it's too late. Focus on prevention can cut down on pain, suffering and medical bills. According to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO), modern medical science can only identify 10% of the symptoms of diseases; the other 90% of disease symptoms are hidden and cannot be identified with our current technology and methods.

There are so many different healthcare products on the market, why choose vinegar? The reason is that vinegar has a broad range of benefits, ranging from slimming, improving metabolism, reducing urea acid, alleviating hangovers, lightening the skin, lessening blemishes, balancing body pH level, etc. Vinegar can quickly return the body to a healthy alkaline level, and help maintain this level, so it promotes cell revitalisation and reduces the chances of contracting diseases.

Chronic diseases strike vegetarians too, albeit at a lower rate than non-vegetarians. Many monks, priests and sages consume large quantities of vinegar to maintain good health as vinegar can aid in the breaking down of grain and vegetable proteins. Especially in those suffering from anaemia due to nutrition imbalance, v inegar can break down the consumed nutrients, so that they can be easily and quickly absorbed by the body . The faster the nutrient uptake, the faster the body's health improves. Vinegar is known as the antidote to an acidic body, and highly concentrated vinegar can effectively protect a person from chronic diseases. Vinegar can be a blessing to your health!

The effects of vinegar are widely acknowledged

3,500 years ago, a few winemakers made a mistake while making wine. The wine turned sour, resulting in the birth of vinegar. Now it is a popular, vinegar has been used as a seasoning for food..

•	The Chinese discovered the goodness of vinegar long ago as a seasoning in food preparation. As vinegar became more widely used, its positive effects on health were quickly established when it was found to improve energy, prevent cold, and relieve aches and gastric pain.
•	The ancient Chinese used vinegar in their secret remedies; other countries in ancient times started using vinegar to maintain health and beauty. The last Egyptian Queen, Cleopatra used crushed pearls in vinegar as part of her skin care regime , and her flawless skin even at the hour of her death is attributed to this amazing concoction.
•	In countries rumoured to be susceptible to plagues and epidemics, people believe that drinking vinegar strengthens the immune system.

In line with the advance of medical science, many countries are progressively researching the medical properties of vinegar. The research results firmly establish vinegar's pharmacological mechanism and its efficacy. There are numerous experts on vinegar in Japan alone, and many well-known pharmaceutical companies around the world such as Roche are actively involved in researching the extraction of the active compounds from vinegar. The benefits of vinegar have stood the test of time, and emerged stronger than ever!

Most people know that consuming vinegar can reduce fatigue, aid digestion, relieve aches, and alleviate body acidity, but not many people understand the mechanism behind this. In 1953, a British scientist, Professor Hans Adolf Krebs won the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine with his discovery that is now called the Kreb's Cycle Theory. This marked the beginning of the understanding of how vinegar can enhance health by improving digestion, breaking down and converting food into energy. According to Kreb's theory, the starch and sugar in the food we eat is converted into glucose, the fats are converted into fatty acids, the protein in meat and beans is converted into more than 20 types of amino acids. All these nutrients must be combined with acetic acid (from vinegar) before they can enter the citric acid cycle. In this citric acid cycle, these nutrients are converted into energy (adenosine triphosphate, ATP) that can be utilised by the body. During the conversion process, the food is continuously converted into citric acid, which is then converted into cis-Acotinate, isocitrate, ά – ketoglutarate, succinate, fumarate, malate and oxaloacetate. The cycle repeats itself when the acids are converted back to citric acid.

Maintaining this citric acid cycle is very important, but the cycle cannot function properly if the body is tired or restricted by an improper diet. When the nutrients are not fully synthesised, the incomplete combustion residue will be converted into pyruvate, which will break down into lactic acid when exposed to hydrogen ion. The accumulation of lactic acid in the body results in muscle aches, pain in the nerves and lethargy. The accumulation of lactic acid in the blood stream results in an acidic body; which is a magnet for chronic diseases.

A person who regularly consumes food that is high in calories and mainly consists of fat and protein, has inadequate physical exercise and high stress levels at work, is likely to have a sluggish citric acid cycle and a huge accumulation of lactic acid in the blood stream. This person is also highly susceptible to obesity, muscle aches, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. He might have to rely on medication if he does not start adjusting his diet, exercise, and lifestyle soon. However, he can easily bring his health back on the right track by improving his citric acid cycle with the introduction of natural acetic acid (vinegar) into his diet.

Vinegar - the firewall against disease

1. Eliminates fatigue & reduces muscle aches

Lactic acid tends to accumulate in the body after strenuous exercises or from consuming too much meat. This build up of lactic acid causes tiredness, fatigue, stiff shoulders, natalgia / sore lower back, inflammation of the joints and shoulders, sciatic nerve pain / pelvic pain, neuralgia / aching nerves, knee neuralgia / sore knees, shoulder neuralgia / spinal aches, etc. Lactic acid also causes poor blood circulation, resulting in blood acidity, which is one of the main causes of neuralgia. Lactic acid combines with protein to form lactic protein, which causes shoulder soreness and natalgia / lower back pain, as well as arterial hardening if it is allowed to accumulate in the blood.

2. Transforms an acidic body

All patients suffering from chronic diseases and cancer have an acidic body, which is also the case for those who consume a large amount of meat in their diet. This is probably why people who consume large amounts of meat are more prone to cancer. The risk of disease is reduced when we reduce acidity in the body. Vinegar might taste sour (acidic) but it becomes alkaline once it enters the body, and taking it frequently will make the blood slightly alkaline which is the body's healthy and natural state.

3. Revitalises cells, supports blood flow

The poly amino acids in vinegar cause red blood cells to be more flexible and able to pass smoothly through narrow capillaries to transport oxygen to all parts of the body, aiding cell revitalisation. Smooth blood flow can help prevent high blood pressure, heart diseases and stroke. It also alleviates oedema and varicose veins that are caused by poor blood circulation.

4. Cleanses blood, prevents arthritic pain

Clean blood is slightly alkaline and lower in viscosity. When we consume a lot of meat, our blood and body fluids become acidic and more waste products are produced during metabolism and energy output. This increase in waste matter puts additional stress on the kidneys and can lead to uremia in serious cases. Arthritic pains happen when there is too much uric acid in the blood stream; the waste increase in the blood also leads to higher blood viscosity which can result in hardened arteries. V inegar helps maintain a healthy alkaline level by preventing uric acid build up and body fluid acidification. It also promotes the excretion of deposited uric acid, reduces the burden on kidneys, prevents gout and solves each kind of fearful cardiovascular disease.

5. Relieves gastrointestinal discomforts

Nowadays, people often suffer from autonomic nerve abnormalities due to extreme pressure. Autonomic nerve abnormality results in an over production of gastric acid which lead to intestinal mucosal membrane injury, stomach wall haemorrhage, and gastric and duodenal ulcers. Acetic acid (also found in vinegar) is mildly alkaline so taking acetic acid can neutralise strong acids and alleviate ulcers caused by excessive gastric juice.

In times of low gastric acid production, the acetic acid in vinegar can play the role of gastric acid and help in the digestion and absorption of food. At the same time, its antibacterial properties promote the healing of the affected areas.

6. Facilitates calcium absorption

The smell, taste and composition of vinegar can stimulate alimentary organs / digestive system and enhance digestion the absorption of nutrients from food. Vinegar also improves the breakdown of food into its nutritious components for easy absorption by the body. For example, calcium and vinegar can combine into calcium acetate that is easily absorbed by the body. In this way, vinegar helps the body absorb more calcium. The citric acid in vinegar enters the body and promotes the full utilisation of calcium by the body; the results are stronger bones, less mood swings, and a better night's sleep.

Most weight loss medications on the market fight obesity by suppressing the absorption of calories, but this can lead to poor nutrient uptake and have adverse effects on health. Consuming vinegar assists calorie burning while maintaining adequate nutrient intake. When food is consumed, the digestion process converts sugar into glucose, oil and fat into fatty acids, and protein into amino acids. These nutrients require acetic acid (available in vinegar) to act as a catalyst before they can enter the citric acid cycle to be converted into energy for the body. In the absence of acetic acid as a catalyst, these nutrients will turn into fat and be stored in our body. Consuming vinegar not only improves digestion and nutrient absorption, but it also boosts metabolism and caloric expenditure for optimised energy – so no excess calories are left to be converted to fat.

8. Eases constipation

Vinegar improves metabolism and promotes the excretion of waste from the body. It also supports intestinal elasticity and the production of carbonic acid that facilitates bowel movement. Some people who consume highly concentrated vinegar are even known to excrete oil from their body during bowel movement, and this phenomenon can be attributed to the ability of vinegar to break down fats.

9. Beautifies the skin and improves complexion

Lipid peroxidation refers to the oxidative degradation of lipids. It is the process whereby free radicals "steal" electrons from the lipids in cell membranes, resulting in cell damage and causing signs of ageing . Vinegar helps prevent lipid peroxidation, promote skin metabolism and prevent the production of brown spots, keeping skin fair, young, and healthy.