Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar and Cinnamon
Cinnamon and apple cider vinegar are two flavors that are popular during the Fall season, but did you know they are beneficial to our health? Many people add apple cider vinegar into salad dressings or into their tea or water, and cinnamon is a bold spice that has been a staple flavor for centuries. So, why should you consider incorporating these into your diet?
Apple cider vinegar has been found to improve blood glucose levels, which is imperative for those who are at risk for developing diabetes or those who already have it. Apple cider vinegar contains something called acetic acid, a major component in vinegar which has been found to delay gastric emptying and increase glucose uptake from the blood and into skeletal muscles. Its ability to delay gastric emptying helps to keep you fuller for longer, resulting in decreased food intake. By moving glucose from the blood and storing it in muscles to be used for energy, it helps to decrease fasting blood glucose, which helps to delay the progression of diabetes, or mitigate the effects for someone already dealing with it. Along with improving blood glucose levels, apple cider vinegar also helps cardiovascular health, a problem that has become increasingly worse in the United States specifically. It does so by improving total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in the blood, while also increasing HDL cholesterol levels (the “good” cholesterol)!
Similar to apple cider vinegar, cinnamon also has been found to decrease blood sugar levels and slow stomach emptying. It also helps to improve LDL and total cholesterol levels, which was shown in a study regarding patients with type 2 diabetes. This was seen when patients took either 1 gram, 3 grams, or 6 grams of cinnamon. Researchers have found that cinnamon has similar effects of insulin by increasing glucose uptake and increasing glycogen storage, which is the storage form of glucose. The more glucose that is stored, the less that is circulating in the blood.
If you are looking for ways to incorporate apple cider vinegar and cinnamon into your diet, many people have mixed it into different kinds of tea or hot water. One thing to note about apple cider vinegar specifically is that it is sour, so many people have found that it helps to also add some honey in to make it have more of a sweeter taste instead of bitter. Next week’s blog is going to be about the benefits of butternut squash, another fall staple! Be sure to check back soon!