Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, in 400BC treated his patients with apple cider vinegar for its powerful cleansing, healing and germ fighting qualities.

Well before Hippocrates' time, apples were cultivated for cider making since Neolithic times in Britain and later in other cool climates in Europe and the Mediterranean region. From apple cider, vinegar is produced by simple aeration in a process we call fermentation. The end result is vinegar with its acidity due to acetic acid.

Melrose supplies a choice of two Apple Cider Vinegars made from whole ripened apples: our double strength Apple Cider Vinegar with 8% acetic acid and our Organic Apple Cider Vinegar with 6% acetic acid.

Unlike commercial vinegars, our Apple Cider Vinegars are unpasteurised and unfiltered in order to preserve nutritional value. Natural sediment is the true sign of raw, unfiltered vinegar. (The sediment can be broken up by shaking the bottle).

Apple Cider Vinegar contains pectin, trace minerals, potassium, beneficial bacteria and enzymes. Commercial apple cider vinegar is filtered and pasteurised which destroys any enzymes present.

Apple Cider Vinegar is rich in enzymes and potassium. Its acidic content is the reason it acts as a germ fighter and is used in many foods as a natural preservative against spoilage. People with upset stomachs benefit from the extra help Apple Cider Vinegar gives in digesting food. Whether this is because of the extra acidity or help from enzymes is uncertain.

If poor digestion is occurring, your body has to call on other processes and thus diverts energy from other activities. This is why some people feel tired after a meal. Their bodies are having great difficulty digesting what they have eaten and energy is being diverted.

If digestion is incomplete, the body becomes sluggish, leading the way to an overweight condition, and lack of physical and mental energy.

What's the new research?
The first was a 2005 Swedish study that looked at how vinegar affected digestion. When taken with a meal, vinegar helped keep blood sugar and insulin levels lower after the meal. Lower blood sugar and insulin levels means that dangerous peaks and troughs don't form; these can lead to type II diabetes, and also are associated with high blood pressure and high cholesterol. This is great news for diabetics or people with hypoglycaemia. These peaks and troughs in blood sugar lead to cravings, so taking vinegar with a meal is ideal for slimmers. The study also found that vinegar increased satiety, or your level of fullness. So sipping some vinegar mixed with water will help to stop you having that second helping or piece of cake!

The second was a study performed in Arizona, USA, where volunteers consumed high GI (Glycemic Index) meals of bagels and fruit juice, with a dose of vinegar. The glucose response to these meals was significantly reduced by taking vinegar. Your body will treat a high GI meal like a low GI meal if you take vinegar at the same time.