Apple Cider Vinegar

[Dave]

What is in raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar that is better? I've always heard that but never seem to find the answer. Just wondering.

[wildbird]

Filtering takes the health benefits out of it.

[Dave]

wildbird, do you have more information on that?

Part of the health benefit of vinegar is to get the pH of the drinking water down to 6.0, or so I've been told. Disease causing bacteria prefer high pH. Again I've been told that.

So my question is: what is there about unfiltered vinegar (as compared to filtered) that promotes health.

You can lower the pH of water with vinegar or citric acid or even by straining it through peat moss.

From being a commercial flower grower, I know that if the pH of the water is below 6.2, then some of the calcium is lost as well. I'd guess that if you use vinegar for your birds, the solution should be tested so you're not offering water at, say, pH of 5.0.

[DamonIRB]

wildbird, do you have more information on that?

Part of the health benefit of vinegar is to get the pH of the drinking water down to 6.0, or so I've been told. Disease causing bacteria prefer high pH. Again I've been told that.

So my question is: what is there about unfiltered vinegar (as compared to filtered) that promotes health.

In short, the natural enzymes in ACV created by the fermentation process are the key to the health benefits. The pectin in the apple is probiotic, antimicrobial, and antibacterial. All of this is present in the apple itself (thus the cliche, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away") but the fermentation process that turns raw apple juice into vinegar intensifies it much further. There is some of the 'good stuff' in the liquid itself, but the vast majority of it is in the small particles of pectin floating around in it. Those particles settle on the bottom of the bottle, thus Sally's statement above to shake the bottle before using it - you need to get the good stuff back into suspension within the liquid. Filtering removes all of these particles, thus removing nearly all of the health benefits of ACV.

There is a ton of info on ACV at the Bragg's website, but here is one specific page about the origins...

Bragg's ACV Info

[Dave]

DamonIRB, thanks!

Does anyone have info on the proper pH of the bird's drinking water, then? Coca Cola Classic is 2.5 (wow!) but I don't think we'd want to go that low. https://www.reference.com/science/ph-le ... 9307c54460

I wonder if you drive the pH of drinking water below 6.2, does that remove some of the calcium from the water? I know that is true with plant irrigation water.

I am very sure that we shouldn't just 'add a teaspoon' because we all have different water supplies and we'll all end up with different pH levels. The stuff that DamonIRB talks about will be in there, but the pH levels will likely be wildly different.

[DamonIRB]

DamonIRB, thanks!

Does anyone have info on the proper pH of the bird's drinking water, then? Coca Cola Classic is 2.5 (wow!) but I don't think we'd want to go that low. https://www.reference.com/science/ph-le ... 9307c54460

I wonder if you drive the pH of drinking water below 6.2, does that remove some of the calcium from the water? I know that is true with plant irrigation water.

Lower mineral levels are a fact with acidic water regardless of its use. That's just the science of it... my tomatoes love an acidic soil and acidic water, which is naturally low in calcium, magnesium and sulfar, so I supplement it with bone meal and epsom salt (magnesium sulfate). The acidic water helps keep the soil pH down and the supplements get the plants the basic minerals they need to stave off things like blossom end rot and bud drop.

When it comes to birds, it's the same thing. If the water is too acidic, calcium levels and other minerals will be low, so it needs to be supplemented with liquid calcium and a good water-soluable vitamin mix. To the best of my knowledge, the ideal range is between 6.5 and 7.2. Pretty much the same as us. You certainly don't want it too alkaline, but getting it too low will cause mineral deficiency that might not be overcome with supplements, which could lead to health issues, especially if you are breeding the birst.

Personally, I use ACV in all of my pets water; not to do anything with the pH, but for the benefits from the fermented pectin. I drink 1 tbls in 8 ounces of distilled water each day myself.