Apple Cider Vinegar for Wart Removal – Does it work?
The wart removal treatment options such as cryotherapy and minor surgery can be so pricey. Fortunately, most of warts resolve spontaneously over time; though some can get worse or cause uncomfortable symptoms such as pain. Some self-care treatments and home remedies are available. How about apple cider vinegar (ACV) – does it help?
Knowing more about ACV (a little bit of history)
All kinds of vinegar (including ACV) are a product of fermentation. ACV is derived from pulverised apples. In the first stage of fermentation, these apples change into alcohol. And any alcohol ‘once exposed to air’ will naturally turn into a substance what we call as vinegar.
The use of vinegar itself has been used since the development of fermented beverages. Some experts believe that people have been exposed to the use of this substance long before recorded history.
Hippocrates (one of the greatest father’s medicine) used ACV and honey for a wide variety of ailments in the year 400 BC. Even the use of vinegar was already familiar in Babylonian’s age in the year 5000 BC.
What do you get from ACV?
Acetic acid is the main substance in any vinegar. However, other essential nutrients such as minerals, vitamins, and other acids can be found.
ACV is loaded with other essential nutrients which some may not be found in other vinegars. It contains a dozen minerals, more than 30 essential nutrients, several enzymes, amino acids, and over half a dozen essential vitamins. It is also rich in pectin – great for the health of your heart.
No evidence
ACV is often thought as multi-functioning home remedy to fight against lots of health problems – from the benefit in improving the health of digestive system to skin & hair growth. Unfortunately, not all of these claims are supported with the evidence.
Like most things in herbs, there is still no scientific evidence to confirm and support the effectiveness of using ACV to treat warts.
You might also like to read some herbal supplements that may work for warts, in here!
However, it may help for wart removal!
While there is still no evidence that ACV works for warts, but in fact some people say that their warts improve after taking topical treatment with ACV. One of interesting stories comes from Bonnie K. McMille, College Health Nurse – the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford
She has an interest in home remedies and self-care measures. She ever had unpleasant experience with the warts; particularly plantar warts (typically appear on the soles of feet) in several years ago.
She loves using vinegar, especially ACV for home remedies since it has come to her rescue for more than once. One day, she got a bee sting while in the garden. It was so painful and she came running & yelling to her family that she’d been stung.
She is the nurse in her family and she should know what must be done to cope with the problem. But at that time, she was so panicky! Her husband told to her that vinegar would make the pain go away.
She knew that vinegar is rich in acetic acid and therefore it could make the problem get worse. But once the vinegar was applied over the affect skin, the pain was completely gone within 15 minutes. Her affected finger also did not swell and the redness that was already appeared went away. Even then she was able to go on with her day comfortably.
The next time, she got plantar warts on the soles of her feet. She didn’t know exactly why and where she got the infection – ‘But it might come from the local locker room floor’ she said.
