By Dr. Colin Michie FRCPCH
Vinegar can be found in most diets, commonly in fruits or as an additive. Since ancient times, vinegars have been employed in kitchens and medicine chests. Vinegar delivers several health benefits.
Vinegar, acetic or ethanoic acid makes itself, all too easily, from the fermentation of alcohol. Its Old French name, “vyn egre”, describes sour or sharp wine. Vinegars from fruits, berries, vegetables, grains, wines, beers and honey have contributed to a rich diversity of food flavours. They are the eternal condiments, found in ketchups, mustards, Worcester, soy or jerk seasonings for instance, as well as in the great majority of wines. Vinegar as food additive E260 is crucial to pickling and preserving onions, habaneros, chutneys, cornichons or Japanese vegetables. Its acidity and antioxidant capacities make it an excellent base for salad dressings or for making dishes such as Caribbean souse or Korean kimchi.
Bacteria – mainly species of Acetobacter – drive the fermentation of alcohol to vinegar. These bacteria tolerate the high acid concentrations by forming a “mother” – a film or gel, built from cellulose produced around their colonies. Many other microbes typically collaborate in vinegar “mothers”, depending on the botanical sources of the brew. Symbiotic combinations of bacteria and yeasts, or SCOBY, break down sugars too, and can themselves be used to bake breads and gluten-free products. In some specialised vinegars, such as the Italian balsamic products from Modena, with curative balmy healing built into their name, the fermenting organisms are also found in the wooden barrels used to age these vinegars.
“Mothers” may be complex. Kombucha mothers that ferment teas do not tolerate the high levels of acetic acid found in vinegar SCOBYs, but analysis from different regions of China found 197 indigenous yeast and bacterial strains contributed to the range of these products. A genetic analysis of a Zambian honey vinegar recently identified five bacterial and nine different fungal genera in this product. Vinegars can therefore bring together wide varieties of culinary fire-power.
Vinegar or acetic acid itself is a short chain fatty acid – a food. Your gut microbes are likely to make some acetic acid in your lower bowel as you read this article, from the fermentation of dietary fibre. Acetic acid is an energy sources for cells lining the colon and helps maintain a healthy gut lining. It is also taken up into the bloodstream and used by many other cells. Acetate reduces inflammation and therefore lessens symptoms from cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes or degenerative changes in the brain or joints.
Fermented vinegars are complex mixtures, often containing phenolic and flavonoid molecules derived from their mothers and the riches of their botanical origins. These can include antioxidants such as gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid and anti-inflammatories such as catechin. Rice vinegars often contain a bioactive lactone capable of benefiting glucose metabolism.
Research into vinegar intakes shows numerous consistent, small health benefits linked to its regular consumption. Vinegar slows stomach emptying and reducing glucose surges after food. This has been measured in most healthy subjects and also those with type 2 diabetes. Over longer time periods, most studies find reductions in the HbA1c, the glucose bound inside red cells too, suggesting improved glucose control. Individuals differ in their responses to vinegar – it works better for some!
Regrettably, no large studies have compared distilled vinegars with raw products that contain some of their creative mother. It stands to reason, however, that these are likely to be more powerful. Vinegars are usually marketed containing 5-15% acetic acid. Although they do not meet requirements as disinfectants, they have many applications as antimicrobials. The nursery rhyme describing Jack and Jill climbing a hill explains that Jack dressed his injured head with vinegar and brown paper – a centuries-old poultice.
Vinegars are recommended by many mothers as a drink and a dressing to help manage mastitis. Vinegar has traditionally been used to help treat head lice and to manage infections of the outer ear canals. It can be applied to remove cradle cap in infants, or warts in older patients. It is commonly applied to the skin to treat fungal or candidal infections such as napkin dermatitis or thrush. Vinegars may help treat your pets to help eliminate fleas.
Should you wish to bring contrasting tangy flavour profiles to roasted vegetables, meats, slaws or creamy dishes; perhaps reduce saltiness in a fish dish or prevent browning in salads or fruits, reach for a vinegar. This is a particularly healthy choice. And vinegar may be more common than we imagine in our universe. Infrared scans made by the James Webb Space Telescope recently identified acetic acid in interstellar space around new stars. On planet earth, this organic acid could improve health and innovate your menus in 2025!
Dr. Colin Michie specializes in paediatrics, nutrition, and immunology. Michie has worked in the UK, southern Africa and Gaza as a paediatrician and educator and was the associate Academic Dean for the American University of the Caribbean Medical School in Sint Maarten a few years ago.
