Apple Cider Vinegar - does it help, or harm?

Read time: 2 minutes.

Like most things on the internet, if you look hard enough, there's an argument to convince the reader either way, and it can be exceedingly difficult to get a straight answer. Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is just one example, so does it help or harm? Although there isn't a lot of research on the subject, my personal experience and the research I have read have led me to form the following opinion…                 

ACV has been used for a very long time in traditional medicine. It’s used for its antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and antioxidant properties, although most of the research to support these claims is laboratory-based and not in living animals.

ACV is usually added to drinking water to 'acidify' the gut; ‘acidification’ promotes an environment in which good bacteria thrive, and harmful bacteria such as E.coli and Salmonella do not thrive; therefore, the acid environment helps to reduce harmful bacteria in the gut. ACV is a weak organic acid; it isn't the best acidifier, but there are few alternatives available on a small scale. Commercial-grade acidifiers (organic acids) come in large volumes, and they are very concentrated acids that would be pretty dangerous to keep in your garden shed - and it's unlikely you'd ever get through a 20-litre drum!

ACV (cold pressed, unpasteurised, unfiltered) with the mother, i.e. the floaty bits, has a number of extra benefits. It contains goodies such as polyphenols (antioxidants), good bacteria (probiotics), amino acids, enzymes, minerals and vitamins… All of this, along with the weak acids, can help to promote better health and improve the gut environment.

In summary, Apple cider vinegar is a weak organic acid and less effective than commercial alternatives. However, it can have beneficial effects on health when used in a cold-pressed, unpasteurized (raw), unfiltered product with the mother. 

For occasional use, I'd suggest using between 20 ml to 40 ml per litre, make it fresh each day, and use it for up to a week

• Please do not use ACV in galvanised (metal) drinkers; the ACV can strip the zinc coating, and there's a risk of poisoning your birds!

• As with anything you add to your birds’ drinking water, always check your birds are drinking as expected - a drop in water consumption can indicate a health problem

• If adding products to drinking water consider that they may not like the taste, if not dilute it, or replace it with fresh drinking water