Vinegar can be made from a variety of fruits.
Some people believe that "raw," or unpasteurized, apple cider vinegar increases metabolism, alleviates heartburn and lowers blood pressure, among other health benefits. Raw vinegar can be purchased at regular supermarkets and health food stores.
How Vinegar Is Made
Vinegar can be made from almost any kind of fruit. The fruit is fermented with yeast. Bacteria turns the alcohol into acetic acid. Whether or not vinegar is "raw" depends on how it is treated after fermentation.
Identification
Pasteurized vinegar is sterilized before bottling. Unpasteurized vinegar, commonly known as raw vinegar, contains some of the bacteria used to produce the vinegar.
Benefits
Alternative medicine enthusiasts raw apple cider vinegar can reduce allergies and aid digestion. Proponents of the "raw food" diet raw vinegar contains beneficial nutrients that can be lost during the vinegar pasteurization process.
Warning
Unpasteurized vinegar contains bacteria. In an article published by eMedTV, Arthur Schoenstadt, M.D. says that raw vinegar is not recommended for pregnant women, nursing mothers and those with compromised immune systems, because potential harm caused by consuming unpasteurized vinegar outweighs the product's benefits.
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