It could help strengthen your bones, researchers say. University scientists in Ebetsu, Japan, suggest vinegar increases the extraction of calcium from food. Calcium, in turn, plays a vital role in building healthy bones. The researchers say they found feeding laboratory animals a diet containing 1.6 percent vinegar for 32 days increased their absorption of calcium. Another study showed adding vinegar to boiling broth could boost the amount of calcium in chicken stock by 40 percent.
Scientists say they believe the acetic acid in vinegar liquefies minerals in bones and shells.
Experts say boosting calcium intake in this way could help prevent osteoporosis, the bone disease that often afflicts elderly women. Join the discussion. Your complete, authoritative guide to herbs and supplements. Unsubscribe from this newsletter. Browse all our newsletters at the ThirdAge Newsstand.