Which Brand of Apple Cider Vinegar Should I Buy?

The Many Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

I have been drinking apple cider vinegar (ACV) for a while now and feel more energetic and healthy. For me, one of the major benefits is that I feel better able to digest my food, and as a result, my stomach feels better. I have also made conscious choices to eat healthy food and exercise regularly.

For centuries, apple cider vinegar has been used as a miracle tonic. Proponents say it can cure many health issues, including high blood pressure, diabetes, skin ailments, heart ailments, and high cholesterol, as well as problems with the digestive and immune systems. It may also be effective for weight loss, hair loss, and youthful and glowing skin. Research suggests that drinking it daily may help lower blood sugar levels in those with Type 2 Diabetes.

How to Choose the Right Brand of Apple Cider Vinegar

When selecting the right apple cider vinegar, consider the following factors to make an informed choice:

1. Raw or Unpasteurized:

   • Look for apple cider vinegar labeled as “raw” or “unpasteurized”. These varieties contain the “mother”, a product of fermentation that includes beneficial bacteria and enzymes.
   • The “mother” is thought to be responsible for many of apple cider vinegar’s health benefits, including potential weight loss support, improved cholesterol levels, and better blood sugar control.
   • Raw, unpasteurized ACV may not suit everyone, especially pregnant women. It’s essential to dilute it and consume it responsibly.

2. Organic Choice:

   • Whenever possible, opt for organic apple cider vinegar. This minimizes exposure to pesticides and ensures a higher-quality product.
   • Organic ACV is made from organically grown apples and is free from synthetic chemicals.

3. Trusted Brands:

   • Choose a reputable brand known for its quality and authenticity.
   • Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, for instance, is raw, unfiltered, and unpasteurized. It’s USDA organic and non-GMO, making it a versatile choice for various uses.

As your preferences and tolerances may vary, find what works best for your body. Dilute apple cider vinegar properly, and enjoy its potential benefits in dressings, sauces, or even plain water.

Best Apple Cider Vinegar Brands With the Mother

Six friends and I tried each of these. Each one had a distinctive taste and aroma. So, while they're all the same thing, they definitely don't all taste the same. You'll likely need to try a range and decide which one tastes the best to you.

• Bragg's
• Vitacost
• Fleischmann's
• Dynamic Health
• Eden

Bragg

As one of the oldest brands of apple cider vinegar on the market, Bragg is also one of the most trusted brands to buy. Based on my survey (see the survey at the end of this article), most of my readers have voted for Bragg.

The California-based company says that 100% of its apples are sourced from within the United States. Because of this, they have better control of their quality. They use organic apples only and claim that they're free from arsenic and pesticides. They also claim to use wooden barrels, which "boosts its natural fermentation qualities."

Founded by Paul C. Bragg, an advisor to many Olympians, the brand is now supported by Paul's daughter and nutritionist, Dr. Patricia Bragg.

• Features:
  • Made from organically grown apples.
  • Unfiltered, unheated, and unpasteurized.
  • Contains the “mother” of vinegar, which occurs naturally as strand-like enzymes of connected protein molecules.
  • Certified organic by Organic Certifiers and Oregon Tilth.
  • Non-GMO certified.
  • 5% acidity.
  • Rich in enzymes and potassium.

How Does It Taste?

While this one smells sour, the taste is mild and goes down quite well. This would be my second favorite choice.

Recommended

Doctor Highlights 3 Irresistible Raw Cheese Finds at Costco and People Are Here for It

Vitacost

While Bragg is specifically known for its apple cider vinegar range, Vitacost is a widely known company for health products in general. Apple cider vinegar is just one of the products they sell.

In fact, Vitacost is also a retailer of other brands of vinegar, including Bragg and Dynamic Health.

• Features:
• • Vitacost claims their apple cider vinegar is the fermented juice of fresh-pressed 100% organic apples.
  • It is unpasteurized and contains the “mother”, which is the nutrient-rich sediment responsible for the amber/brown color and cloudy, string-like appearance of natural apple cider vinegar.
  • No added sugar, artificial flavors, or colors.
  • Kosher and suitable for vegetarians.

If you are looking for a less-expensive quality brand, then Vitacost is an option to consider.

How Does It Taste?

This one was almost wholesale voted the worst tasting. For most of the group, this one was too acidic.

Fleischmann's

You can also consider buying Fleischmann's apple cider vinegar. California-based Fleischmann began making vinegar in the 1920s when they decided to use the alcohol produced by the bakers' yeast growth. With advances in technology, the production of bakers' yeast reduced the production of alcohol. They then entered the specialty vinegar business. Fleischmann's seems especially hard to find. I couldn't find it in any retail stores when I looked for it. Any retailers that seem to claim that they sell it online are out of stock. I reached out to the company directly about acquiring a sample and never heard back from them.

Dynamic Health

Founded in 1994, Dynamic Health provides a range of health supplements and products which are kosher, halal-certified, organic, and available in liquid as well as capsule form.

Dynamic Health's apple cider vinegar is price competitive, but they give you great value for the money.

How Does It Taste?

This one had the best flavor, smelled the least potently, and was quite smooth going down. If you're going to drink it straight, this is the one I'd prefer. In my tasting group, several people said this one had the faint aftertaste of citrus.

Eden

Eden started in the 1960s as a group of people coming together to get what they couldn't find elsewhere: organic health food. What started as a small group of like-minded people quickly blossomed into much more. Eden's products are now sold in many co-ops and health-food stores in the U.S. Eden is committed to sustainable practices, organic macrobiotics, and locally sourced food. The company's commitment to its values is quite impressive.

How Does It Taste?

This brand was pepper and stung going down. The smell was also very pungent, even for ACV. The flavor is very harsh and tangy. This version appeared to be pretty divisive: either people loved it or hated it. For me, it was too tangy and foul-smelling. For others, it tasted citrusy and was fairly smooth.

What Makes Good ACV?

So what should you look for when searching for the perfect ACV? You want to find a brand that is all three of the following criteria.

• Unpasteurized: Your apple cider vinegar should be unpasteurized. Pasteurization is a heating process that's used to kill harmful bacteria. Unfortunately, the heating process will kill good bacteria as well. That's why we need unpasteurized. We want the good bacteria.
• Unfiltered: Unfiltered ensures that it contains the "mother" of vinegar. The mother is the grainy, muddy, strain-like substance you will see settled at the bottom of the bottle. If you shake the bottle, it will float. The mother contains the enzymes that you want to reap the health benefits of.
• Organic: While this is not a must, it is good to know that we are buying vinegar made from certified organic apples. An "organic" label means that they are pesticide-free. At least one study has shown that "the bacterial microbiota for the industrial production of organic apple cider vinegar is clearly more heterogeneous than the bacterial microbiota for the industrial production of conventional apple cider vinegar." In plain English: organic ACV features a more diverse cast of microbes than nonorganic, suggesting that the organic ACV has more health benefits to offer than the conventional.

Now that we know that we want to look for organic, unfiltered, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, let's review the most common brands and see which are the best. When picking a brand, remember that more expensive brands are not necessarily the best brands. In fact, cheaper brands offer value for money.

Let's look at the top brands and see which are both reliable and easy on your wallet.

Purported Health Benefits

Many people claim that drinking ACV has the following benefits; however, it's worth noting that many of these studies were either done with small sample sizes or on nonhuman subjects. Most of the results of these studies are more implications rather than scientific facts. I've provided links to studies so that you can draw your own conclusions. As ever, please consult your doctor if you have any questions.

• Lowers blood pressure
• Reduces cholesterol and helps weight loss
• Improves digestion
• May help prevent osteoporosis
• May reduce the itchiness of psoriasis
• Soothes tired muscles; removes stiffness of muscles
• Strengthens bones and teeth
• Builds a strong immune system
• Gives shine to hair, removes dandruff, and promotes hair growth
• Provides nourishment to plants

Should I Take Apple Cider Vinegar as a Liquid or Pill?

This is a common question. I have been using ACV in liquid form, and I wouldn't want to switch over to pills. Some brands like Vitacost, Aztec, and NOW Foods offer ACV pills. There are benefits to both forms. Let's explore the pros and cons, and then you can decide what's best for you.

• Enzymes: When you drink ACV, you benefit from the raw, unfiltered enzymes present in the liquid. However, it is difficult to know whether ACV pills contain the enzymes needed to give us those health benefits.
• Evidence: There's not much evidence to support the benefits of pills. Melissa Wdowik (Ph.D., RDN, FAND, assistant professor at Colorado State University in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, and director of the Kendall Reagan Nutrition Center) claims that "[as for] apple cider vinegar pills, there is no research to support their value. These supplements are not regulated, so you cannot know what or how much you are getting, and there is evidence that some do not even contain vinegar. In short, save your money." When looking for research about the efficacy of pills, I wasn't able to find any research that was from a reputable medical establishment.
• Taste: ACV can be hard to swallow—literally. ACV has an incredibly pungent taste. If you take the pill, you don't have to taste the strong flavor; however, you could be exchanging that for all of the benefits it offers. So you might not be doing yourself any favors by trying to skirt the flavor by using pills.
• Potency: Most ACV pills are between 400 to 500 milligrams per pill. Most recommendations, including those from WebMD, seem to be for about two tablespoons of ACV per day. The concentration of these doesn't seem comparable to me. But, to be fair, I couldn't find research about how many milligrams are in a teaspoon of ACV.
• Risks: Consuming large amounts of ACV, which is presumably easier to do if you take the pill, can be harmful. Reported complaints include reduced bone density and skin burns. It also may contribute to tooth erosion, throat irritation, and ulcers.

While I have my preference, hopefully, this information helps you make your own informed decision about what's best for you.

The Pros and Cons of ACV Liquid vs. Pills

Is There a Difference Between ACV and White Vinegar?

Yes, apple cider vinegar is not to be confused with the regular white vinegar found in most kitchens. White vinegar is used in cooking. It's also an effective kitchen and bathroom cleaner and is good for washing. White vinegar, however, is refined and does not have the health benefits of apple cider vinegar.

Apple cider vinegar is a type of vinegar made from apple must. You get apple must when you crush whole apples, including the skin, stem, and seeds. This apple must is then taken through the process of fermentation and oxygenation. This process converts the sugar in apples to alcohol. With oxygenation, this alcohol gets converted to acetic acid. Studies suggest that this acid has anti-infective properties, positive cardiovascular effects, can help with blood-glucose control, and can hamper tumor growth.

All four brands mentioned here are good. They reportedly use freshly-pressed organic apples and sell raw, unfiltered, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar. They all contain "mother," the live culture that transforms apple cider into vinegar.

None of these brands need to be stored in a refrigerator. Avoid direct sunlight, though. Also, you should preferably buy them in glass bottles instead of plastic bottles.

How to Use Apple Cider Vinegar

Are you all excited about using apple cider vinegar for weight loss, silky hair and smooth skin? You are not alone. Millions around the world are doing the same to improve their overall health.

If you are unsure about how to use apple cider vinegar, just drop in a comment below, and I will be happy to answer your questions. Also, if you have used any of these brands and have any feedback (good or bad), leave a comment for the benefit of all readers. Would you like to recommend any brand that I haven't mentioned here? Let me know as well.

P.S. Did you know that when mixed with water and applied to hair as a conditioner, apple cider vinegar helps in stopping hair loss, removing harmful chemicals and dandruff from the scalp, and giving us shiny hair? Try it out!

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and does not substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, and/or dietary advice from a licensed health professional. Drugs, supplements, and natural remedies may have dangerous side effects. If pregnant or nursing, consult with a qualified provider on an individual basis. Seek immediate help if you are experiencing a medical emergency.

© 2014 Alana Niall