The more I seek alternative remedies for health issues, the more I think herbal remedies are one of the key things to try. Herbs come from the earth and each one has it’s own set of healing properties and nutrients. I tend to favor kitchen herbs and spices like ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, basil, oregano, etc. as they are more familiar. One of my new remedies is Fire Cider. Fire Cider is a spicy, fermented, apple cider vinegar based tonic. It was created by herbalist Rosemary Gladstar in the 70’s.
The base recipe contains a powerhouse of ingredients: apple cider vinegar, garlic, horseradish, ginger, onion, cayenne pepper and honey.
You fill a jar with those ingredients and let it sit for 3 – 4 weeks, strain it and the liquid left is the fire cider.
The recommended dosage is 1 – 3 tablespoons per day.
The ingredients on their own all have health benefits:
- apple cider vinegar is great for helping lower blood sugar. It’s also antibacterial shown to kill MRSA and e-coli bacteria and helps improve cholesterol.
- garlic is nature’s antibiotic. It’s also great for the heart.
- horseradish is spicy and is helpful for colds/flu, clearing sinus congestion.
- ginger is helpful for digestive issues and reducing inflammation.
- onions are from the same family as garlic. It contains Vitamin C and may help with certain cancers.
- cayenne pepper is great for circulation and also helps clear congestion.
- honey has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties and is full of antioxidants. It’s great for coughs. Taking a spoonful of raw, local honey is supposed to help with allergies.
I haven’t made Fire Cider myself, but may give it a try at some point. There are a bunch of people who make it on Etsy. Each crafter seems to have their own unique recipe. I bought mine from a company called Wildfire Elixirs in Oregon. They have a few different varieties, including a very potent one called The Fighter, which is the one I bought. In addition to the base ingredients, it is full of medicinal herbs to “support immune function, digestive health, detoxification, reduced inflammation, vitality and balance”. The maker created this blend while very sick and it is the same formula that helped heal her. It’s spicy and very garlicy, but tastes really good. I’m not sure it’s helping heal anything for me, but it certainly can’t hurt to use for prevention.
Challenge:
Give Fire Cider a look and see if it may be right for you to use as a health remedy.
Resources:
https://www.almanac.com/how-make-fire-cider
https://www.marthastewart.com/1514670/fire-cider
https://greatist.com/eat/fire-cider-benefits#recipes
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/fire-cider-benefits#benefits
https://scienceandartofherbalism.com/what-is-fire-cider/