Vinegar articles - Medical Uses for Vinegar

White distilled grain vinegar should not be used medically because the process of distilling removes nutrients.  Apple cider vinegar or brown rice vinegar should be used for anything personal, both inside and outside of the body.

If you have kidney problems, you should avoid using a lot of vinegar because of the high potassium content.  Vinegar can be set into three categories:

• Antiseptic
• Nutrient supplement
• Digestive help

As an antiseptic, vinegar is helpful in treating infectious or potentially infectious conditions such as boils, acne, minor scrapes and some fungal infections.  It can be used to clean wounds like it was in the early years; however, it burns but does so the job in a pinch.  You can also use it as a preventative medicine, use it to wash your hands after cleaning bathrooms and you can use it to clean up after cutting poultry or fish. 

When you are gardening, if you do not wear gloves especially when you are working with roses or blackberries, your hands can be scratched or nicked.  Put some vinegar in a spray bottle and use it when you get scratches on your hands or legs.  It will burn for a few seconds, but after that you are good as new and you do not have to run in the house every time to clean the wound.  Using vinegar with help eliminate the chance of infection. 

Apple cider vinegar is an excellent supplement that provides potassium, calcium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus and iron.  It has no saturated fat, no cholesterol, and no sodium.  When ever we suffer from indigestion or heartburn, the treatment is sometimes worse than the symptom.  Antacids are not always the best remedy.  Our stomachs produce less acid over time and that causes the same symptoms as too much acid.  The acid in vinegar will help digest your food and over a period, alleviate heartburn if yours is caused by a lack of stomach acid. 

There are also other uses for vinegar in a medical sense.  You can help ease a sore throat with one-tablespoon vinegar to 8 ounces of warm water, gargle every hour, and swallow after gargling.  Alternatively, you can take equal amounts of honey and cider vinegar and stir or shake until dissolved.  Take a tablespoon at a time to cut mucous in the throat.