“SOUR POWER - ACETIC ACID”
THE NAKED TRUTH:
First, WTH is Acetic Acid and what does it have to do with your food?
It’s the acid that’s responsible for the vinegar-y twang in… vinegar, vinaigrette dressings, vinegar chips, balsamic, kombucha, or any probiotic beverage, cheese and pickled vegetables/food. And CRAZY ENOUGH this acid is good for you, too.
You may have heard about drinking vinegars and vinegar tonics as a natural way to cleanse your body. The benefits of drinking vinegar stem from the presence of acetic acid. The good news is, if you want the benefits of acetic acid, but hate the idea of guzzling down vinegar, you can still get those benefits from the list above — a little acetic acid goes a long way to good health!
Acetic acid is used as a sour agent added as a raw material for spice. So the sourness that you taste from vinegar or pickled vegetables is not from the fermentation process alone. Its a natural flavor distinction in acetic acid. Acetic acid is a general preservative inhibiting many species of bacteria, yeasts and to a lesser extent moulds.
SOUR POWER
The health benefits of acetic acid include reducing inflammation, kills bacteria, supports weight loss, lowering blood pressure and keeping blood sugar spikes at bay. Acetic acid also has an alkaline effect, which helps all the systems in your body run smoothly. Suffering from pathogens or candida? Acetic acid can help with that too: it has an antimicrobial effect when you drink it.
F.L.A.V.R. POWER
So how can we flavor these foods and beverages that carries the Sour Power
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Balsamic Vinaigrette
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Detox Apple Cider Vinegar
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Pickled vegetables
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So the next time you break into a bottle of kombucha or relish in that zing from a dill pickle, know that among plenty of other benefits, the acetic acid in these treats is treating your body well.
Artist image credit: (IG) @groehrs