Why Vinegar Based Medicines are Good for You
BY AMY LUPTON
Spring is a great time to naturally support your body in a gentle detox, and vinegar tonics are a great way to do that in a nourishing and effective way.
Vinegar based medicines, especially ones made with apple cider vinegar (ACV) have a long history in folk & herbal medicine, as well as some amazing benefits for health and well being.
History of Vinegar Medicinal Use
Many cultures have been using vinegar for health purposes for thousands of years, but the first account of using ACV was Hippocrates. Hippocrates used vinegar mixed with honey (aka oxymel) to treat a wide range of ailments. He prescribed it for coughs, colds, wounds, and infections… believing it helped detoxify and purify the body.
Now we understand the value of honey and vinegar together, they are a powerhouse of nutrients! 😊
Babylonians (around 3000 BCE) were making vinegar from dates and fruits (including apples) and used it as both a preservative and a healing substance. Ancient Egyptians used it to cleanse wounds. Romans drank a mix of vinegar and water called posca—used by soldiers for hydration and digestion, and possibly to ward off illness.
Old folk spells use ACV as a base to infuse herbs for love, like rose, cinnamon, and basil.
Sprinkling vinegar around a home or adding it to floor washes was believed to cleanse negative energy and protect the household. And now we know what an effective cleaner it is!
Wise women made "Four Thieves Vinegar" (a mix of vinegar, garlic, rosemary, and other herbs) to ward off illness, curses, and evil spirits. It was said to protect against the plague during the Black Death!
Why Liferoot Loves Vinegar Extractions
Apple cider vinegar extracts minerals from many herbs better than water or oil, and a very close second to alcohol extraction.
It’s nonalcoholic, which a bonus for many people, and even children. You can take away much of the taste and wang of vinegar with fruit juice, so this can be a great option for kids.
Vinegar is a Natural Preservative & Extractor
Vinegar pulls out the medicinal compounds from herbs (like alcohol in tinctures, but not alcoholic).
It preserves the herbs naturally, which gives the tonic a long shelf life without refrigeration.
Acetic Acid in Vinegar is Good for You 😊
The acetic acid in vinegar is what gives it health benefits:
Vinegar kills harmful bacteria, and lowers the pH of its environment (makes it more acidic). Your stomach loves acidity! Most harmful bacteria (like E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria) prefer a more neutral pH. Acidic environments slow their growth or kill them off. When you have proper acidic digestive juices, less harmful bacteria can thrive.
Improves insulin sensitivity (helps balance blood sugar). Studies show that vinegar before meals can lower post-meal blood sugar spikes, which is awesome for preventing crashes and stabilizing energy.
Vinegar Gives You a Gut Health Boost
Raw, unfiltered organic vinegar contains the “mother”—a colony of beneficial bacteria. These can support your microbiome, similar to probiotics, helping digestion and immune health. And that is a great thing!
ACV and vinegar helps digestive fire, making the nutrients more bioavailable.
Vinegar is Anti-Inflammatory & Detoxifying
Vinegar supports liver function and detox. The gut and liver are tightly linked. ACV can help balance the gut microbiome and reduce inflammation, which lowers the overall toxic burden on your liver.
When vinegar is combined with other herbs such as turmeric or garlic, it can help lower inflammation and support your body's natural detox pathways.
How to Incorporate Vinegar into Your Daily Routine
ACV is pretty inexpensive and almost everywhere! Liferoot always advocates for choosing organic, and preferably raw to get the most benefits.
A Few Quick Tips:
Always dilute ACV for both drinking and topical use. It’s very acidic and can irritate or burn skin/tissue if used straight.
A common mix for a drink: 1–2 tsp ACV + 8 oz water (optionally with lemon, honey, or ginger). See our fave ACV recipe below.
You can use it topically (and we use it in several of our Liferoot Beauty Products… Balance Boost Toner is our most popular choice), as it balances the pH on the skin to brighten and clear up puffy complexions. For a toner: Mix 1 part ACV with 3–4 parts water (test a small area first!). You can also make an herbal tea (our fave is peppermint), add 1 tbs of ACV to 4 oz water and add to spray bottle.
Liferoot ACV Boost Recipe!
1 tbs ACV
4 oz water
Pineapple Juice to taste (we usually add about an ounce)
dash of cayenne pepper
Mix together and shoot! Helps with digestive fire, cleansing and blood circulation. A win for a gentle spring cleanse.
Liferoot’s Vinegar Tonics & Oxymels
Radiance Tonic
Radiance Tonic is a blend of herbs infused in vinegar tailored for women’s health and vitality. The herbs combined help support hormonal balance, energy, and gentle detoxification.
We infuse a sacred blend of radiance herbs: Nettle, Raspberry Leaf, Horsetail, Red Clover, Rose, Alfalfa and Dandelion. This combination is then combined with raw honey (a small amount) to help it assimilate properly and add minerals and vitamins.
Citrus Fire Cider
Fire cider is a spicy, tangy herbal tonic made by infusing apple cider vinegar with ingredients like garlic, ginger, horseradish, hot peppers, turmeric, and honey.
Some of the benefits of fire cider are allergy and cold relief, immune system support, digestive aid, circulation support and energy boost.
The blend of herbs gives your sinuses a kick too! We blend with citrus and honey for a rounded flavor.
We hope you can incorporate some ACV into your lifestyle this spring!
Organic Bone Broth, Eggs, Honey, Sourdough, & more!
