Annie Steel
To investigate the medicinal use of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) and the possible/practical use of medicinal plant extracts using Apple Cider Vinegar to replace alcoholic tinctures
Abstract
A questionnaire was given to 50 practising herbalists to give an indication of the current use of ACV by medical herbalists, for what condition they use it, and, whether they use any ACV extracts or would like to, if these were available.
An attempt was made to assess scientifically whether it was practical to use ACV for extracts by comparing home made tincture with ACV extracts using the same batch of herb. Tests were carried out to assess keeping qualities through microbiological analysis. A tasting was carried out to assess palatability and the effects that each had on the body. It was impossible to do this blind because there was no way of disguising the different tastes.
The majority of herbalists had used ACV in its own right but rarely as a medium for making tinctures although many said they would consider using it as such. Generally, when compared to the list of conditions treated by ACV, use by the medical herbalists was very limited, and it would be beneficial if a broader use of ACV could be considered by the medical herbalism profession. There were ten conditions mentioned overall, but the majority just used it for arthritic conditions.
Only one herbalist used ACV extracts internally, which was a vinegar tincture, so it was impossible to draw comparisons between problems associated with alcohol in tinctures and problems associated with use of ACV in extracts.
Quite a few were reluctant to use it because of not knowing how many of the active constituents came through in the vinegar, yet for these people who had a problem using alcohol, they used teas, which are going to have different constituents than an alcohol tincture.
In conclusion I consider that there is a place for wider use of ACV in medical herbalism and a possible use as extracts in place of alcohol tinctures both for home use and as a commercial enterprise. Further research work is needed as there is a noticeable lack of research into the properties of ACV; the use of different herbs extracted in ACV; the testing of their subjective effects in the body; the manufacture methods to minimise bacterial counts to extend keeping qualities and chromatographic development work to ascertain the constituents in the ACV extracts.
