Health Benefits of White Vinegar (Sirka)
White vinegar ‘sirka’ is utilised as an acid for cooking or as a preservative. It is also known as spirit or distilled vinegar and offers potential health benefits. Standard white vinegar contains 93 – 96% water and around 5% acetic acid.
There are several different types of white vinegar, each one differing in the manner in which they are produced, their flavour, and their potential uses. Historically, distilled white vinegar is made by fermenting foods such as potatoes, sugar beets, or molasses.
Nutrition Facts
White vinegar is known to be low in calories and contains small quantities of selenium, magnesium, calcium, copper, manganese, potassium, sodium, and phosphorus. It does not contain fats and proteins. Vinegar also contains few bioactive products such as caffeic acid, gallic acid, epicatechin, and catechin.
One cup of white vinegar offers 43 calories, 0.1 gm of carbohydrate, 14.3 mg of calcium, 9.5 mg phosphorus, 2.4 mg of magnesium, 1.2 mg of selenium, and 0.1 mg of manganese.
Potential Health Benefits of White Vinegar
1/6. Regulates blood sugar
1. White vinegar has an excellent ability to control blood sugar levels. Intake of vinegar enhances the glycemic control by reducing both the insulin and blood sugar levels after meals. The acetic acid content of white vinegar also helps regulate blood sugar levels.
Acetic acid stabilises blood sugar levels by delaying the emptying of the stomach. It also decreases the absorption of carbohydrates and sugar by altering the effects of various enzymes involved in metabolism.
2. Vinegar promotes insulin activity thus, preventing complications of diabetes.
2/6. Treats high blood pressure.
The acetic acid component of vinegar produces an antihypertensive effect thus reducing high blood pressure.
3/6. Fights cancer
The acetic acid in white vinegar kills and stops the growth of cancer cells. The antioxidants present in vinegar helps in dismantling cancerous cells.
4/6. Fights oral bacteria
The antimicrobial properties of white vinegar help control the spread of oral bacteria in the mouth thus, preventing several diseases caused due to oral bacteria.
5/6. Reduces cholesterol levels
The acetic acid content of vinegar is beneficial in lowering total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Both, total cholesterol and triglycerides are risk factors for heart disease. Thus, a range of heart diseases can be prevented with the reduction of total cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
6/6. Other possible benefits…
White vinegar is quite effective in various health conditions. apart from those mentioned above, it is also effective in few more conditions such as, relieves acid reflux, treats hiccups, promotes pH balance, treats and soothes a variety of skin burns, improves gut health, reduces acidity, promotes weight loss, kills bacteria, possesses anti-fungus properties, treats dandruff, inhibits the growth of bacteria, fights yeast infections,helps in bloating and heartburn.
White vinegar also helps indecreasing food allergies, treat urinary tract infections & kidney stones, improve the cognitive function, boost brain health, prevent Alzheimer’s disease, useful in arthritis and varicose veins, and effective in the skin, hair, nails, and teeth conditions.
Ideally, organic white vinegar should be utilised as an acid for cooking or as a preservative and to maximise its health benefits.
How to use white vinegar?
White vinegar is a common component of several recipes. It is used in the following ways:
- In boiling eggs.
- Added to sauces.
- In salad dressings.
- To marinate meats.
- To glaze vegetables
- To make condiments.
- In baking cakes, breads, and pancakes.
- To pickle fruits, veggies, meat, fish, and eggs.
How to make white vinegar at home?
Take 1-litre water and boil it in a big vessel. When the water boils, switch off the heat.
After 2-3 minutes, put 2 tsp of citric acid and 30 ml of acetic acid in the boiled water.
Let the mixture cool down completely. After it cools, strain it and fill it in a glass bottle.
Your white vinegar is ready to use.