Cider Vinegar for Arthritis Pain
There are many myths and misunderstandings about the causes and effective treatments for the various forms of arthritis. Many are mere flights of fancy but there are some old wives tales and archaic remedies that have more substance to them than many realize. Few have as much weight behind them as cider vinegar as a potential remedy and even a cure for some forms of the disease.
So what is it about this very ordinary liquid that is found in many kitchens as a food flavoring, salad dressing or cooking additive that makes it such a potent ally in the fight against rheumatoid arthritis in particular as well as some other forms of the disease?
What Causes the Disease?
Many people believe that the rheumatoid form of this condition (as well as gout) is an auto-immune illness. They believe it occurs when the body's own defences are out of balance and attack the joints, causing inflammation and pain, with long term crippling damage being the unhappy result. This is also the belief held by many medical practitioners.
Far be it for me to challenge the knowledge and respect of the medical profession. But what I do know is that the medical profession does NOT have a cure for this disease. They can only treat the symptoms using powerful anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which come with some extremely nasty side effects.
I may not be a doctor, but as a former sufferer of rheumatoid arthritis, I can speak with some first hand experience in this matter. The drugs often made me feel worse than the painful symptoms they were supposed to be treating. Often the pain would not go away completely and return with a vengeance after a few hours. I developed gastric problems that started as indigestion and escalated to a full blown stomach ulcer. Nice.
Uric Acid
I read with great interest a small book by Margaret Hills called "Treating Arthritis the Drug Free Way" that was given to me by an elderly friend who claimed he was cured by following the methods outlined in that book. For a man in his 80s, he was remarkably agile and showed absolutely no signs of the arthritic joints he claimed he suffered with in his 50s.
The method outlined in that book basically entailed taking cider vinegar three times a day with honey and molasses, while altering the diet to eliminate acid forming foods such as red meat, dairy produce and citrus fruit.
The reason for this was to combat the excess uric acid that was present in the blood stream. This excess uric acid had accumulated I the joints, attacking the synovium (soft membrane) which is responsible for protecting and lubricating the joints. The acid forms a hard shell which causes friction, leading the immune system to believe it is a foreign invader to the body and it reacts accordingly to fight it off. This is the resulting inflammation and pain that is experienced.
Cider vinegar contains malic acid which breaks down the uric acid deposits in the joints. The process would be long and frustrating at times, but perseverance and determination were necessary traits to beat this disease.
Fighting Fire with Fire
The first reaction to taking an acid to fight an acid is that of disbelief. How could this be possible? What actually happens is that malic acid upon being consumed and processed by the body actually becomes alkali, as do some other foods such as lemons. The properties of malic acid allow it to neutralize the deposits of uric acid. It also helps to flush the acid from the joints.
This is not a quick remedy by any stretch of the imagination, but a soild, long term, natural remedy for arthritis pain. The road is long and slow and can be hard going at times. But the gradual, positive effects slowly begin to appear and the condition can indeed be completely cured as long as it has not been allowed to progress too far at the outset.
Yes, I was cured by this method too. And twenty years on, I have no joint pain in my body and enjoy full mobility. You can find out more about Margaret Hills and the clinic she created to treat people using her methods here: www.margarethillsclinic.com