As the gastrointestinal motility and digestive fluid secretion of the elderly weaken, consuming vinegar in moderation can help prevent and treat indigestion and promote health.
However, the elderly should not drink vinegar directly; it is best to add it to dishes during cooking. Because vinegar is acidic, consuming it undiluted can damage the gastric mucosa, causing acute gastritis and gastric ulcers, and in severe cases, even major bleeding in the upper digestive tract.
Adding a little vinegar when making bone soup can help dissolve more calcium into the broth; adding vinegar when eating seafood like crab and shrimp can help with seasoning and sterilization; adding vinegar when cooking kelp can soften it. However, it is not advisable to add vinegar when cooking green vegetables, because the magnesium ions in the chlorophyll of green vegetables can combine with vinegar to form a dull, non-lustrous pheophytin, thereby reducing the nutritional value of the vegetables.