Great product. But I question the claims about ACV in general
I'm giving Bragg's 5 stars because this is truly a quality product. I never have to think twice before buying Bragg's and the same is true for their apple cider vinegar (ACV). So my problem isn't with Bragg's, or even ACV itself, but rather with the miracle-working powers ascribed to ACV. After having tried it, and reading many of the reviews, I'm seriously wondering whether I'm just the most unlucky, unloved person in the world. Let me explain.<br /><br />I tried drinking ACV &#34;shots&#34; a couple of months ago (yes; it was Bragg's), hoping to lose a few pounds. One tablespoon in the morning, with lemon juice. I'll spare you a diatribe about the taste, etc. The only effect I experienced was that almost immediately my nails became much harder. I already had strong, healthy nails, so this wasn't a needed effect. Despite being so hard they seemed to break more easily. I suspected they just weren't as flexible; the slightest accidental move and they would simply snap. Not a problem; my nails grow quickly anyway. After a couple of weeks I just sort of gave up on it. If my system became more alkaline and therefore more resistant to disease, I didn't know it.<br /><br />Fast forward a few months. I visit my sister and mother who have taken up drinking ACV with water everyday and swear it's helping them lose weight. I could see my sister's girth was about 50% reduced from the last time I'd seen her and even my normally cautious mother was swearing she now fits easily into clothing she couldn't before. Naturally, I returned home determined to glean these same benefits for myself. I reasoned that I probably hadn't been taking enough of the ACV before and that's why I'd seen no effects. I immediately embarked on a regimen of 2 tablespoons a day - one in the morning, one in the evening - in a full glass of water, and waited eagerly for the pounds to begin melting off, like so many others had experienced. Here's what did happen:<br /><br />- Though I've been sleeping well I have been tired all the time. As in, I sleep 10, 13, 16 hours, and am still perpetually tired. I've looked for other things to blame it on, but can't come up with an explanation that seems logical. I certainly did not experience the bursts of energy reported by many.<br /><br />- Uber-strong nails again! Completely unnecessary, but what the heck.<br /><br />- I seem to have a perpetual, mild sore throat, and I sneeze everyday, even though I do not have a cold.<br /><br />- The weather here in Seattle turns my hair into straw and though I tried valiantly, I never found any product or method to remedy this. Out of sheer desperation one night I added it to my spray bottle and sprayed it in my hair. To my surprise, it made my hair soft and full of body. It's been great. I will keep using it this way because for once I don't look like a Fraggle.<br /><br />- I think my skin looks so much nicer. In fact, about a week into it, a complete stranger walked across a restaurant just to tell me how beautiful my skin was. I would totally keep taking just for this effect, if I could (read on).<br /><br />- As a runner, I typically run between 6 and 12 miles at a time. In the first couple of days after starting the ACV, I found myself struggling to make it to 3. My muscles just seemed like they couldn't handle it. And they ached in a way I had never experienced before. I did some vigilante doctoring and determined that the ACV had probably depleted my potassium resulting in significant muscle weakness. So I picked up a bottle of potassium tablets and away I went. I did much better having added the potassium, but if I forgot to take one I couldn't run. Plus it obviously wasn't a real fix; two days ago I ended up running 2.5 miles back home with muscle cramps in my right leg, another thing I'd never had to deal with before. I suspected ACV, and decided it wasn't worth it. But I read some more reviews and thought maybe I just needed to give it more time.<br /><br />So did I lose weight? Nope. I've gained 4 lbs in the week and a half I've been drinking ACV, though I'm careful about what and how much I'm eating. As of my last weigh-in this morning, I've decided it's time to quit ACV. The hundreds of reviews were compelling but, given my experience, I wonder whether the weight loss people experienced was more a result of them drinking more water, rather than an effect of the ACV itself. It's conventional wisdom that drinking water, especially before meals, helps reduce the amount a person would consume, leading to weight loss. I could be wrong, and probably am, since I'm completely outnumbered, but it doesn't make sense to me otherwise. Since the ACV was the only significant change I've made before experiencing these symptoms, common sense tells me it's likely the cause of them, so I will stop. And I will probably always wonder why it worked wonders for everyone else but me.
Rating: 5 stars