Trying Apple Cider Vinegar
After testing whether cherry supplements had any effect on my uric acid level, I did a poll on some Facebook groups (detailed below) and Reddit to see which natural gout remedy people would recommend (but I limited the choices, since there are a lot of scammers out there). The winner, hands down, was apple cider vinegar.
The apple cider vinegar I will use for my experiment, with the "mother" just to be safe.
The important thing, of course, is to find out if apple cider vinegar (ACV) has any bemefits for gout sufferers. And in reality, that means lowering uric acid. Ideally letting me eat whatever I want instesd of just vegetables (which do lower the UA reading, the measurement of uric acid in my blood).
NO CURE FOR CANCER
Nowadays, apple cider vinegar is supposed to be a cure-all, especially if it includes the gucky part that assembles at the bottom, which is made up of dead yeast cells and bacteria (and some live ones). The opinion often voiced by believers is that this would have some probiotic effect. This guck is called the mother. The amount of nutrients and vitamins apple cider vinegar provides is negligible, according to Wikipedia, and there does not seem to be any clinical studies validating any if the claims of its benefit. Of course, that means there are no studies disproving them either, which the "everyone is different" crowd is sure to sieze as evidence that since nobody have proven that it works, nobody has proven that it does not work, so that must mean it works.
The originators of one of the biggest brands claimed apple cider vinegar was a cure, among other things for cancer, which is not correct. So as a supplement, it has a dubious history.
The originators of one of the biggest brands claimed apple cider vinegar was a cure, among other things for cancer, which is not correct. So as a supplement, it has a dubious history.
WHO KNOWS IF IS GOOD? YOU DO!
So how can I figure out whether it is a good idea to use apple cider vinegar (ACV) against gout? The easiest way is to ask a few people who know.
So I did a poll in a few gout support groups I am a member of, and here is the result, listed in mo particular order. As usual in these types of forums (long before they were called social media, but were just media and social) there is a very high lurker-to- contributor ratio, That is, there are a lot of people who want free advice, but very few giving it. Voting seems to draw them out though. And here are the results:
So I did a poll in a few gout support groups I am a member of, and here is the result, listed in mo particular order. As usual in these types of forums (long before they were called social media, but were just media and social) there is a very high lurker-to- contributor ratio, That is, there are a lot of people who want free advice, but very few giving it. Voting seems to draw them out though. And here are the results:
I have tried to explain more about why gout happens and what you can do about it in my book, "Gout Simply Explained".
Reddit r/gout: Apple cider vinegar (ACV) 37, first runner-up vitamin C with 25 votes.
Facebook Gout & Arthritis: Apple cider vinegar (ACV) 9 votes, first runner up celery seeds with 2 votes.
Facebook Gout Support Group: 29 votes for Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV), first runner-up celery seeds (5 votes).
Facebook The Gout Support Group of America: Apple cider vinegar (ACV) 15 votes, first runner-up vitamin C with 6 votes.
Facebook Gout and uric acid sufferer support group: Apple cider vinegar (ACV) 8 votes, first runner-up celery seeds with 4 votes.
Facebook Gout Sufferers Group: Apple cider vinegar (ACV), 9 votes. Runner-up: Celery seeds, 1 votes.
Reddit r/gout: Apple cider vinegar (ACV) 37, first runner-up vitamin C with 25 votes.
Facebook Gout & Arthritis: Apple cider vinegar (ACV) 9 votes, first runner up celery seeds with 2 votes.
Facebook Gout Support Group: 29 votes for Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV), first runner-up celery seeds (5 votes).
Facebook The Gout Support Group of America: Apple cider vinegar (ACV) 15 votes, first runner-up vitamin C with 6 votes.
Facebook Gout and uric acid sufferer support group: Apple cider vinegar (ACV) 8 votes, first runner-up celery seeds with 4 votes.
Facebook Gout Sufferers Group: Apple cider vinegar (ACV), 9 votes. Runner-up: Celery seeds, 1 votes.
Reddit r/gout: Apple cider vinegar (ACV) 37, first runner-up vitamin C with 25 votes.
POPULAR APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
That was a pretty conclusive result. Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is the most popular option. Despite my neighbors throwing it away, it evidently has magical properties, because if you are to believe what is written about it on a number of different websites around the Internet, it can cure anything from warts to fatty liver.
If it really works, there would either be a lot fewer doctors or a lot more people drinking it. But if it does not work, there are a lot of people who are mistaken and believe in something without proof. That would not be the first time it happened. So I will try for myself.
If it really works, there would either be a lot fewer doctors or a lot more people drinking it. But if it does not work, there are a lot of people who are mistaken and believe in something without proof. That would not be the first time it happened. So I will try for myself.
HOW TO FIND THE HEALTH EFFECT
How can I find out whether apple cider vinegar (ACV) has any effect on my uric acid level?
I will be using the same protocol that I did for cherry supplements (except in this case, taking capsules may cause burns in the esophagus, so I will dilute the liquid in water and drink it). The recommended daily dose is 2 teaspoonfuls in a big glass of water. It is not clear who recommends it, and how it was arrived at. But since I am a big guy, and apple cider vinegar diluted in water has no known bad effects, I will take 4 teaspoonfuls in a 30 cl glass of water at breakfast every morning.
I will try for 14 days, which should be long enough to see any effects. While I do so, I will measure my uric acid every day to find out if there is any change, using my UASure uric acid meter. I will continue to eat the same diet as I usually do, which means my UA should be somewhere between 7 and 10 (it was 6.5 the day I started). If the UA goes down further or stays at a level around 7 I will consider the test a success, as I will if I lose more than 1 kg per week (which is doable on a reasonable diet). Since apple cider vinegar is supposed to induce weight loss too.
I will be using the same protocol that I did for cherry supplements (except in this case, taking capsules may cause burns in the esophagus, so I will dilute the liquid in water and drink it). The recommended daily dose is 2 teaspoonfuls in a big glass of water. It is not clear who recommends it, and how it was arrived at. But since I am a big guy, and apple cider vinegar diluted in water has no known bad effects, I will take 4 teaspoonfuls in a 30 cl glass of water at breakfast every morning.
I will try for 14 days, which should be long enough to see any effects. While I do so, I will measure my uric acid every day to find out if there is any change, using my UASure uric acid meter. I will continue to eat the same diet as I usually do, which means my UA should be somewhere between 7 and 10 (it was 6.5 the day I started). If the UA goes down further or stays at a level around 7 I will consider the test a success, as I will if I lose more than 1 kg per week (which is doable on a reasonable diet). Since apple cider vinegar is supposed to induce weight loss too.
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