Apple Cider Vinegar: Pros and Cons

Warning: This post shall start out possibly with TMI. You have been warned.

All my life, well, at least since I was in intermediate school, when it was my time of the month, I would be miserable. Thankfully, I didn't get too bad of cramps. But my mood would be super irritable and it would be super heavy.

And it would last forever. Like the average is, what, 3-7 days? Mine sometimes would last a week and a half.

But I could always count on when it would arrive. Every month. Never changing up even the slightest. If I couldn't count on anything else, I could count on that.

Then early March two years ago, there was nothing.

For someone who has always had super predictable periods, when I didn't have one it freaked me out. My first reaction was "what if I'm pregnant?" Then I laughed because if I were, it would be the next baby Jesus.

So I did some research and read that sometimes stress causes that to happen. And it was my last semester of college and life overall was pretty stressful, so I figured I'd found the culprit.

Then it happened again (or didn't happen again) the next month. And in May it was super late, but at least it wasn't a skip. I was graduating, so I figured when I got home and life returned to a constant state of little to no stress then everything would fall back into place.

Only, it didn't.

Over the next three months, I had my period for two days. As nice as it was to not have to deal with it, the whole situation was beginning to freak me out. So I went to the doctor.

Mid-July I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Although I didn't (and don't) have any of the characteristic cysts, I did have a major hormone imbalance. It was discovered early enough that hopefully I'll be able to avoid any of the bigger issues that are often problems with it.

Because of the hormone imbalances, PCOS can invariably cause insulin resistance and weight gain. Which can lead to Type 2 Diabetes. Now, I wasn't quite to the point that my doctor was worried about Diabetes, although there is a family history of it on both side, but my weight was in the process of seriously spiraling out of control. I was nearing 200 lbs.

So, my doctor prescribed me to start taking Metformin. That is normally a medication taken for Diabetes, but it has been increasingly common to be given to people with PCOS.

It did what it was supposed to but I HATE having to take medication, especially on a daily basis even when it doesn't have side effects. This one did. Not as badly as some people, like after the second month, it didn't upset my stomach (especially since I learned to eat things with high protein prior to taking it).

This medication made my mood constantly shift. Like it was bad. Anything could upset me enough to start crying. I get rejected for a job? Sob. I get a job? Sob. I get told I was doing something wrong? Sob. Hathor do something adorable? Sob. It was ridiculous.

I couldn't do it anymore. Crying over every little thing that happened was just too much for me. Some people do that naturally, but they've had that their whole lives so they are used to it. I wasn't.

So I began the search for alternate things. Within minutes practically, I ran across an article that dealt with Apple Cider Vinegar.

With all of the positive things I read about this stuff, I just HAD to test it out especially since it is praised as a sort of "miracle cure-all" natural thing.

Just for reference, I used Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar with Mother. It is easily found at Walmart and HEB with the vinegars. Some Krogers and Targets have it, but I've realized that is either hit or miss.

The Pros and Cons are ones that I personally noted. Although the first month I was still taking Metformin, most of the Pros didn't start until about halfway through month three.

Pros:
-Helped maintain insulin levels
-Helped with digestion
-No more Period problems
-Healthier glow according to some people
-Curbed my appetite, so I wasn't constantly hungry
-Boost in Energy

Cons:
-Taste. It tastes disgusting. I know there are "recipes" on how to make it taste better, but of all the ones I tried, none ever worked.
-Acidic. It is NOT good for teeth enamel. If you decide to give it a try, then be sure to brush your teeth around 20 minutes after. Note: don't brush them immediately, because that can do more damage than letting it sit.

According to research, there are quite a few other pros and cons, but I didn't noticeably experience them. Here are a few links to some of the articles I found informative.

DivaPCOS
Superhumancoach
TheAlternativeDaily
Yahoo! Answers (I know not necessarily the most reliable, but the first post has multiple outside links)

Despite the taste, I am going to start drinking it again to see if the Pros were truly occurring or if it was actually just remnants of the Metformin.

Have you ever tried Apple Cider Vinegar? Are there any other "miracle cures" that you've heard of and tried?

Until next time,
Shelby Hild

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