Once you know the amazing health benefits of vinegar, you won't be able to stop consuming it
Vinegar is attracting attention for its high health benefits, but what are its characteristics and what types are there?
Next, we will explain its amazing health benefits.
(A video is posted at the end of the article)
The production process and history of vinegar
Vinegar is made by first,
1) fermenting grains or fruits with yeast to make alcohol, and
2) fermenting it with acetic acid bacteria to age it, then breaking it down into acetic acid and water.
In other words, it is a very labor-intensive food product that requires two stages of fermentation.
Since half of the vinegar production process is brewing, it is often said that
"where there is alcohol, there is vinegar."
Therefore, like alcohol, vinegar has a truly long history.
It appears in literature as early as around 5000 BC.
Around 4000 BC, it seems that vinegar was made from wine and beer to pickle vegetables.
The Greek medical sage Hippocrates gave vinegar to patients recovering from illness, and it was also valued as a herbal medicine in China during the Zhou Dynasty.
It was introduced to Japan from China in the 4th to 5th centuries.
During the Nara period, it began to be used as a luxury seasoning among the upper classes.
Vinegar became popular among the common people during the Edo period.
It seems to have been used for pressed sushi and nigiri sushi.
Various types of grain vinegar
According to one theory, there are 4,000 types of vinegar in the world.
In Japan, vinegar is defined as having an acidity of 4% or higher.
Brewed vinegar is divided into"grain vinegar"and"fruit vinegar.""Grain vinegar" involves an additional step (saccharification) using koji mold to break down starch before alcohol fermentation.
Therefore, it is a three-stage process of
saccharification -> alcohol fermentation -> acetic acid fermentation.
Grain vinegar is divided into
"rice vinegar"made from rice, and
"grain vinegar"made from wheat, beans, corn, etc.
"Rice vinegar" is further divided into
"pure rice vinegar"using only rice (white rice),
"rice vinegar"mixed with other grains, and
"black vinegar"using brown rice.
Some black vinegars use only brown rice, while others are mixed with less refined rice or barley.
Please check the ingredient label.
"Xiangcu" (Chinese black vinegar)is also often heard of, but Xiangcu is a black vinegar made using a unique Chinese method.It is characterized by a rich umami flavor.
I want to try all the fruit vinegars too
"Fruit vinegar"also comes in many varieties.
A famous one is"apple cider vinegar"made from apple juice.
It is characterized by a fruity aroma and is also suitable for drinking.
"Wine vinegar"made from grapes comes in red and white, just like wine.
"Balsamic vinegar"is made by boiling down, concentrating, and aging grapes, a specialty of Italy.
It has a high aroma, less acidity, and a sweet taste.
Besides that, there are various fruit vinegars such as pomegranate, blueberry, and acerola.
The aging period for vinegar can be as short as 3 to 4 months, generally around one year, and in long cases, it can be aged for around 3 years.
The longer the aging period, the milder the sourness becomes, resulting in a vinegar with a rich flavor.
Please choose your favorite one according to your budget and purpose.
Vinegar suppresses blood sugar and blood pressure
Various health benefits of vinegar.
First is thefatigue-relieving effect.
The acetic acid and citric acid contained in vinegar lubricate the TCA (citric acid) cycle, which is an important part of energy metabolism.
As a result, it suppresses the accumulation of lactic acid, commonly known as a fatigue substance, and works to recover from fatigue.
Next is the blood sugar suppression effect.
The graph below shows an experiment that examined changes in blood sugar levels when one tablespoon (15ml) of vinegar was consumed with a meal.
Compared to when no vinegar is consumed, it can be seen that the rise in blood sugar levels is more gradual.
Vinegar also has a blood pressure suppression effect.
In an experiment targeting people with high blood pressure, they were divided into two groups to examine changes in blood pressure:
1) A group that consumes one tablespoon (15ml) of vinegar per day
2) A group that consumes two tablespoons (30ml) of vinegar per day.
As a result, it was found that in the group that consumed two tablespoons, the systolic blood pressure decreased by an average of about 15 mmHg and the diastolic blood pressure by an average of about 6 mmHg over 8 weeks.
Vinegar also has a preventative effect against high blood pressure.
Improvement of intestinal environment and cancer suppression effects as well
Vinegar also works to improve the intestinal environment.
Vinegar has antibacterial properties and helps reduce bad bacteria in the intestines.
Furthermore, good bacteria in the intestines increase by using the gluconic acid contained in vinegar as food.
In other words, by reducing bad bacteria and increasing good bacteria, it regulates the balance of intestinal bacteria.
Cancer suppression effect research is also progressing.
Research groups such as those at Kyoto University have clarified the inhibitory effect of vinegar on human cancer cells and its preventative effect on colon cancer in animals, which has also been presented at the Japanese Cancer Association.
Besides that, vinegar can be expected to have effects such as
the effect of suppressing cholesterol levels and lowering uric acid levels
antioxidant effects due to polyphenols contained in vinegar
obesity suppression effect through fat burning
blood circulation promotion effect
inhibiting the growth of pathogenic E. coli such as Candida and O-157
protection of the stomach lining
increasing gastric acid secretion to promote digestion
promoting alcohol decomposition to protect liver function
skin beautifying effects by promoting skin metabolism and suppressing lipid peroxide
working to prevent osteoporosis by helping the absorption of calcium and magnesium
and other such effects.
It's amazing, isn't it?
Vinegar can be expected to have all these health benefits.
It is a food that would be a waste not to consume.
For those who do not use vinegar daily, I recommend taking this opportunity to start consuming it actively.
Actually, three types of 'vinegar' that are not vinegar
The first is Ponzu.
Ponzu is a processed vinegar made by adding seasonings such as 'brewed vinegar' and soy sauce to the juice of citrus fruits like yuzu or kabosu.
If brewed vinegar is added, you can partially obtain the health benefits of vinegar.
However, ponzu itself is not acetic acid fermented, so it is not called vinegar.
The second is Umezu (plum vinegar).
Umezu is the juice or extract that rises due to osmotic pressure when umeboshi (pickled plums) are salted.
Therefore, it is not a fermented food.
The third is Moromi vinegar.
Moromi vinegar is a beverage made from sake lees (moromi) produced during the process of distilling Awamori.
I thought Okinawa also had its own vinegar to be proud of, but it seems I was mistaken.
Summary
Vinegar is made by, first, fermenting grains or fruits with yeast to create alcohol, and then, fermenting it with acetic acid bacteria to age it and break it down into acetic acid and water.
Brewed vinegar is divided into "grain vinegar" and "fruit vinegar."
Among grain vinegars, "rice vinegar" is divided into "pure rice vinegar" which uses only rice (white rice), "rice vinegar" which is mixed with other grains, and "black vinegar" which uses brown rice.
"Fruit vinegar" includes apple cider vinegar, wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and others.
The numerous health benefits of vinegar include:
fatigue relief
suppression of blood sugar and blood pressure
improvement of intestinal environment
cancer suppression
suppression of cholesterol and uric acid levels
antioxidant effects
obesity suppression
promotion of blood circulation
inhibition of the growth of Candida and pathogenic E. coli
protection of the stomach lining
promotion of digestion
protection of liver function
skin beautification effects
prevention of osteoporosis
and so on.
Note that ponzu, plum vinegar, and moromi vinegar are not strictly vinegar because they are not produced through acetic acid fermentation.
I have also uploaded a video regarding the content of this article.
Please watch it as well.