With the Covid era finally marking its exit, it has left people with lighter hearts and one heavy lesson; to always keep your health and immunity strong. To achieve that, people have been looking for various natural home remedies.

One of them is the usage of a fire cider. No matter how popular and attractive fire cider sounds, it is still a very controversial and convoluted topic to talk about especially when it comes to health benefits.

It is hard to deny that fire cider is considered to be the alternative medicine that helps in strengthening your immune system and combating cold. However, it did not fail to be critically scrutinized under the skeptics’ eyes.

Before, saying anything else, let us first understand what is fire cider and what are the health benefits it heralds.

What is Fire Cider?

As mentioned earlier, fire cider is used to boost your immune system and also ameliorate the circulation of blood in your body.

Similar to all the other spicy tonics which had been used in the field of medicine for centuries, fire cider was first invented in the late 1970s by Rosemary Gladstar. Rosemary Gladstar was a herbalist and also the founder of the California School of Herbal Studies.  

Fire cider includes the following ingredients: fresh garlic, fresh ginger, horseradish, onion, and cayenne pepper. As all of these ingredients are mixed, fire cider tastes hot, sweet, sour, and pungent all at the same time.

To make a fire cider drink, you need to soak all these ingredients into apple cider vinegar for at least four to five weeks and then add honey before you drink. Fire cider can also be bought commercially from all the food manufacturers.

If possible, you can also add some other ingredients to spice it up a little bit more and reap maximum health benefits. Other ingredients such as turmeric, rosehip, lemon, orange, jalapenos, etc. can also be included.  

After the drink has been made, you can consume at least two to three tablespoons of fire cider daily to boost your immune system. You can also dilute this water if the drink is too spicy or has too strong a flavor for you.

If you want, then fire cider can also be utilized with other recipes along with soup, sauces, marinades, and meat dishes.

What Are The Health Benefits Of Fire Cider?

Here are some primary health benefits of fire cider. However, due to a lack of research and evidence, one cannot opt for fire cider solely based on the benefits it entails.

1. Strengthens the immune system

One of the primary benefits of fire cider is the improvement in the immune system. However, some also claim that hyperactivity in the immune system is also an illness and therefore not desirable in terms of being healthy.

Moreover, there has been no research claiming a positive relationship between fire cider and amelioration in the immune system. Be that as it may, some studies do claim that the ingredients used in the drink can help you improve your immune system.

When it comes apple cider vinegar, has antibacterial properties which help in strengthening your immune system and obliterate all the harmful bacteria that are stored in your body. Contrarily, some research also claims that apple cider vinegar does not fight off the bacteria and viruses that cause colds, flu, or diseases.

Now, garlic is one of the most effective ingredients which has been used to treat colds and reduce its systems for centuries. In addition to garlic, honey also has some antimicrobial properties which are used for the treatment of cold and help in reducing the symptoms of it. Honey also helps in improving a sore throat.

Cayenne Pepper is added to fire cider because it contains capsaicin, which is one of the main bioactive components of cayenne pepper. Capsaicin is believed to possess antibacterial and antiviral properties which help in strengthening the immunity of an individual. However, extensive research is still needed in this area.

When cayenne pepper is mixed with horseradish, it helps in soothing nasal and chest congestion. Be that as it may, substantial studies have not been done on the ingredients all together which may provide some concrete evidence.

Therefore, instead of relying on one drink to support your immune system, you need to divert your attention to your diet and lifestyle.

2. Digestion

As fire cider contains ginger, it is also considered to improve the digestion of your stomach and act as a catalyst in your metabolic processes. Ginger is considered to be an effective remedy to treat nausea, vomiting, and even an upset stomach.

It also helps in detoxifying your body and removing any left-over wastage. Not only ginger, but apple cider vinegar is also believed to be aiding in the process of digestion. If you consume some amount of apple cider vinegar before your meal, your body releases more gastric acid and digestive enzymes, which break down complex food particles quickly.  

However, there are also negative effects of consuming apple cider vinegar as it contains acetic acid which can lead your body to bloat and even produce some discomfort and gas.

Are there any side effects of Fire Cider?

Fire Cider does contain some potential side effects which are required to be kept in mind before consuming it imprudently. Due to the high content of apple cider vinegar that fire cider has, it can cause erosion of tooth enamel. Not only that, its high acidic content can lead to a burning sensation in your stomach as and when you consume it.

However, this can be surmounted by diluting the drink in lukewarm water. If you take 1.5 ounces of fire cider, you can take one cup of lukewarm water and mix it.

If you have a problem with acid reflux, indigestion you might need to avoid consuming fire cider at all as it can further aggravate your problems.

As there is not sufficient research done in this area, people suffering from comorbidities who are on other medications would require to consult with their doctor or health expert before consuming fire cider.

Also Read: Apple Cider Vinegar