Vinegar Too?

-Avoiding this acid, will improve your health
-Vinegar worsens heartburn

by Royce Bailey M.D., M.P.H., F.A.A.C.

The name VINEGAR, comes from the simple compounding of two words by the French and probably not uttered pleasantly. When a cask of wine got a crack in it and became exposed to air, they most likely uttered ......vin ..aiger ....which means ..sour wine. So how does this work? First the sugars from the fruit (usually grapes or apples/cider) must change to alcohol. Then airborne (aerobic) bacteria turns the alcohol into acetic acid.

What To Do About Our Love Of A Tart Taste

But I’ve changed you say, so many of my ‘favorite’ destructive dietary habits to be more healthy and now you want me to give up using vinegar too? You must read the labels, vinegar is in more than you may think. Vinegar is an ingredient in many prepared foods, from salad dressings and baked beans, to pickles, green stuffed olives and even some commercial breads. Meals are more satisfying and enjoyable when they include a variety of flavors, including tart flavors, but these should come from natural, wholesome tart foods. Naturally tart foods would include lemons and limes. Citrus, though acid to the taste, metabolize to an alkaline ash in the human body; so citrus actually increases the alkaline reserve of the blood, rather than reducing it as vinegar does. Lemon or lime juice is excellent on salads, much better than vinegar. Lemon or lime juice may be used in the preparation of most foods, such as baked beans, where vinegar was used in the past. Orange segments or juice may be added for the sweet/sour effect, and a little of the grated rind (zest) may be added for extra flavor and nutrients.

Too Acidic

Some of my patients say they cannot eat citrus because it worsens their heartburn. This is because their body’s acid/base balance is so far out of balance (too acidic). They will be able to eat citrus once again if they eat a plant based alkaline diet daily and avoid acid producing fried, low fiber, high sugar, high carbs Great American type diet.

So why is vinegar so bad?

Prevents The Break Down Of Carbohydrates

“Vinegar contains acetic acid. The same fermentation process by which alcohol is produced results in acetic acid when the process is carried a little farther. Vinegar is much more irritating to the digestive organs than an alcoholic liquor of the same strength. Even in a small quantity it completely prevents the action of saliva on starch.” J.H.Kellogg, “The Home Book of Modern Medicine,” 1893:289.

Prevents The Break Down Of Protein

“Vinegar also lowers the alkaline reserve of the blood, is said to aid in destroying red blood cells, hinders the digestion of protein, and is an active agent in the liver damage (cirrhosis).” Julius Gilbert White, “Abundant Health,” 1932:131. A lack of an alkaline reserve causes osteoporosis (thin breakable bones). Acidic vinegar worsens heart burn and reflux symptoms.

Fermentation Causes Impurities

“The salads are prepared with oil and vinegar, fermentation takes place in the stomach, and the food does not digest, but decays or putrefies; as a consequence, the blood is not nourished, but becomes filled with impurities, and the liver and kidney difficulties appear.” Ellen G. White, “Counsels On Diet And Foods,” 345.

Why Have Vinegar In Your House?

Buying distilled vinegar in a gallon bottle is very economical. It cleans, deodorizes and sanitizes almost as well or better than anything on the market.

• It is a natural way to get rid of ants and other insects.
• It kills unwanted bacteria such as E Coli. Michael Mullen a spokesperson for the Heinz corporation says that straight 5% vinegar will kill 80% of the germs and virus’. Heinz says they can’t make the claim on the bottle that it kills bacteria because of the EPA laws.
• Toothbrushes can be boiled for a minute in vinegar to kill the germs.
• Vinegar relieves itching from mosquito or bug bites, soothes sunburn pains and jelly fish stings.
• Keeping a spray bottle of straight 5% distilled vinegar is useful to clean, disinfect and sanitize many things like your cutting board, microwave or refrigerator. Place 1 cup of apple cider vinegar in a glass and set it in your refrigerator. Within 2 days, any smell will be gone!
• Try spraying vinegar on hard to clean kitchen appliances, that have many nooks and crannies, that come in contact with bacteria. Spray it on door handles, and all the bathroom fixtures to disinfect them.
• To kill grass or weeds on sidewalks and driveways, spray full strength white distilled vinegar on it.
• You can also kill molds and fungus with vinegar. Spraying your feet helps prevent athletes foot.
• Vinegar dissolve warts: Mix one part vinegar to one part glycerin into a lotion and apply daily to warts until they dissolve.
• Stubborn rings resulting from wet glasses being placed on wood furniture may be removed by rubbing with a mixture of equal parts of white distilled vinegar and olive oil. Rub with the grain and polish for the best results.
• Window washer: Simply wash with a mixture of equal parts of white distilled vinegar and warm water. Dry with a soft cloth. This solution will make your windows gleam and will not leave the usual film or streaks on the glass. Brass, copper and pewter will shine if cleaned with the following mixture. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of white distilled vinegar and stir in flour until it becomes a paste. Apply paste to the metals and let it stand for about 15 minutes. Rinse with clean warm water and polish until dry.
• Bathtub film can be removed by wiping with white distilled vinegar and then with soda. Rinse clean with water.
• Rub down shower doors with a sponge soaked in white distilled vinegar to remove soap residue.
• To wash no-wax floors, add ½ cup of white distilled vinegar to a half-gallon of warm water.
• For spot less china or glasses: Pour 1 ½ cup to 2 cups white distilled vinegar in the bottom of dishwasher, along with regular dishwasher soap. Wash full cycle.
• Stubborn stains can be removed from the toilet by spraying them with white distilled vinegar and brushing vigorously. The bowl may be deodorized by adding 3 cups of white distilled vinegar. Allow it to remain for a half hour, then flush.
• In hard water areas, add a cup of vinegar to a gallon of tap water for watering acid loving plants like rhododendrons, gardenias or azaleas. The vinegar will release iron in the soil for the plants to use.
• Keep cut flowers fresh longer. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons white vinegar in a 1-quart vase of water. Trim stems and change water every five days.
• Remove bumper stickers by repeatedly wiping the sticker with white distilled vinegar until it is soaked. In a few minutes, it should peel off easily. Test on a small invisible area of the car to ensure there will be no damage to the paint.
• For those winter mornings when there is frost/ice on the car window, wipe the windows the night before with a solution of one part water to three parts white distilled vinegar. They won’t frost over.
• If you have a worn DVD that has begun to stick or suffers from the occasional freeze-frame, wipe it down with white distilled vinegar applied to a soft cloth. Ensure the DVD is completely dry before re-inserting in the DVD player. (Note: This only works on DVDs that are scratched or dirty through normal wear.)
• The addition of 1 cup of white distilled vinegar to each load of baby clothes during the rinse cycle will naturally break down uric acid and soapy residue leaving the clothes soft and fresh. This works for cotton and wool blankets and other fabrics too. Deodorant and antiperspirant stains may be removed from clothing by lightly rubbing with white distilled vinegar and laundering as usual. -For dandruff relief after shampooing, rinse with a solution of ½ cup vinegar and 2 cups of warm water.
• How to build a volcano: First, make the “cone” of the volcano. Mix 6 cups flour, 2 cups salt, 4 tablespoons cooking oil and 2 cups of water. The resulting mixture should be smooth and firm (more water may be added if needed). Stand a soda bottle in a baking pan and mold the dough around it into a volcano shape. Do not cover the hole or drop dough into it. Fill the bottle most of the way full with warm water and a bit of red food color (can be done before sculpting if you do not take so long that the water gets cold). Add 6 drops of detergent to the bottle contents. Add 2 tablespoons baking soda to the liquid. Slowly pour vinegar into the bottle. Watch out – eruption time!

If you want the best health possible remember, not for internal use!