Why Urbanites Love "Eating Vinegar"
Fruit vinegar contains a high amount of natural aromatic substances and organic acids, and is rich in vitamins, minerals, and more. Regularly drinking fruit vinegar has many benefits.
Preventing Hypertension Fruit vinegar, especially apple cider vinegar, contains a large amount of potassium ions, which can counteract excess sodium salts in the body, thereby reducing sodium levels; at the same time, the acidic components of apple cider vinegar can help clear and soften blood vessels and aid in the elimination of toxins from the blood. Therefore, people with high blood pressure might consider drinking some apple cider vinegar, with about 250 ml per day being beneficial for increasing calcium intake.
Beneficial for Calcium Absorption In a certain acidic environment, calcium ions in bones are easily released, which undoubtedly increases the solubility of calcium and aids in its absorption. Therefore, adding a little vinegar to your daily diet is quite beneficial for supplementing calcium. For example, adding vinegar when cooking shellfish like clams can make the minerals in the shells more easily dissolve into the broth, and adding vinegar when cooking fish helps with the absorption of calcium from the fish.
Helps Lower Blood Sugar A study by Arizona State University in the United States found that fruit vinegar is beneficial for controlling blood sugar and enhancing insulin sensitivity. People who drank 20 grams of fruit vinegar with their meal had a 35% lower post-meal blood sugar level and reduced hunger compared to those who did not. This is because acetic acid can inhibit disaccharidases, lowering the food's glycemic index, with an effect similar to that of glycosidase inhibitors and metformin.
Sobering Up and Preventing Drunkenness Drinking a glass of fruit vinegar before drinking alcohol can inhibit its absorption, and drinking a glass after can help sober you up and prevent drunkenness, quickly clearing the mind, with an "immediate" effect.
These People Should Best Avoid "Eating Vinegar"
People with gastric ulcers and excessive stomach acid should not drink fruit vinegar. Fruit vinegar is highly acidic, and long-term consumption can have a corrosive effect on the gastric mucosa. Therefore, people with poor gastrointestinal health, especially those with existing gastric ulcers, should drink less or no fruit vinegar. Even healthy individuals should not drink more than 250 ml of fruit vinegar per day, and it's best to consume it after a meal. Eating some soda crackers while drinking fruit vinegar can reduce stomach irritation.
Not suitable to drink fruit vinegar when taking certain medications. Acetic acid can change the pH of the body's internal environment, rendering some medications ineffective. It is not advisable to drink fruit vinegar when taking alkaline drugs such as sulfonamides, sodium bicarbonate, magnesium oxide, or gastric soothing agents; it is also not advisable when using antibiotic drugs such as gentamicin, kanamycin, streptomycin, or erythromycin; and it is not advisable when taking traditional Chinese medicines for "releasing the exterior and inducing sweat," such as Compound Yinqiao Tablets.
Contraindicated for those with low blood pressure or during fracture recovery. Vinegar can cause allergic reactions in the body, so those who are sensitive to vinegar should consume it with caution. Patients with low blood pressure may experience adverse reactions like headaches from consuming fruit vinegar, as it can lower blood pressure. Elderly individuals should avoid vinegar during the treatment and rehabilitation of fractures because vinegar can soften bones and cause decalcification, which can affect fracture healing. Additionally, fruit vinegars with high sugar content are not suitable for diabetics to drink.