LGR Holistic Wellness

Unrefined, unfiltered and unpasteurized apple cider vinegar is considered to have the most health benefits. Quality vinegar like this contains what is known as the mother. The appearance is dark brown with strands resembling cobwebs. As it is unfiltered the product may appear cloudy or contain some sediment at the bottom of the container.

The mother itself is a rich, natural, health boosting protein. The gut- friendly bacteria, enzymes and acetic acid of the mother help keep the digestive system working efficiently. It has a neutralizing effect on stomach acid and is known to be very effective in fighting harmful bacteria.

The Health Benefits of Unpasteurized Apple Cider Vinegar

The healing restorative properties that are formed through the fermentation process of apple cider vinegar remain intact when the vinegar is raw, unfiltered, unpasteurized and contains the live mother.

This ability is considered by some to be the most important property of this versatile health food. The wide range of health problems that are helped by the use of this very popular apple cider vinegar is indeed amazing.

The raw unpasteurized apple cider vinegar contains pectin, a prebiotic which is a great aid to digestive disorders.

Increasing evidence implicates an imbalance in gut flora (where harmful bacteria exist in unnatural amounts) as causing and contributing to a large range of health problems, from relatively minor to very serious. Imbalance in the body is believed to be the cause of numerous problems affecting the health of many people.

The inclusion of unpasteurized apple cider vinegar in the diet has been proven to have the ability to bring balance back to the body. The beneficial effects of apple cider vinegar in helping neutralize these pathogens cannot be over-emphasized.

Studies have found unpasteurized apple cider vinegar containing the mother helps lower blood sugar levels, and has the ability to aid the recovery process if you are sick.

The Process of Making Apple Cider Vinegar

Two steps are involved in the making of apple cider vinegar. The process begins with yeast being added to apple cider so that the sugars ferment, turning some of the cider into alcohol.

This alcoholic solution is then further fermented by the addition of bacteria. The result is acetic acid, the main active constituent of unfiltered, unpasteurized vinegar containing the “mother”.

Filtered or Unfiltered

Made from apple juice, apple cider vinegar comes in two varieties, filtered or unfiltered. The filtered and pasteurized variety that refines the clear apple cider vinegar removes the sediment and the vinegar mother.

The clear sparkling appearance of filtered, pasteurized apple cider vinegar is more visually appealing to those consumers whose purchasing decisions are driven by aesthetics. Many of these people have been led to believe the misconception that when a product is labeled ‘filtered and pasteurized’ it is safer and healthier for you.

However with apple cider vinegar, at least, nothing could be further from the truth. As a result of the pasteurizing and filtering process the healing health giving properties of raw unpasteurized apple cider are also removed.

In Summary

The beneficial properties of healthy enzymes and nutrients are filtered out or destroyed by heat during the processing of natural apple cider vinegar.

It is the murky-appearing collection of acetic acid, bacteria and roughage (the mother) that is retained when it is unfiltered and unrefined. It is believed that the live mother in this unfiltered, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar is the reason it has enhanced health giving properties.

To achieve the maximum health benefits of apple cider vinegar, make sure the label states that the product is both unfiltered and unpasteurized.