Ingredient: Apple Cider Vinegar

Hippocrates was apparently mixing apple cider vinegar with honey for coughs and colds around 400 BC, so the wellness crowd on Instagram are about two and a half thousand years late to the party.

ACV is made by fermenting apple juice twice: first into cider, then into vinegar. If you buy the raw, unfiltered kind, you’ll notice it looks cloudy. That’s “the mother,” a tangle of proteins and bacteria from fermentation. It’s the bit that most of the health claims hang on. Some of those claims are unreliable, but the evidence around blood sugar is fairly solid. A small amount before a carb-heavy meal seems to help moderate your blood sugar response afterwards.

One practical thing: ACV is acidic enough to damage your tooth enamel if you swig it neat. Always dilute it.

In the kitchen it earns its shelf space honestly. It’s lovely in dressings and vinaigrettes, and brilliant for quick-pickling. It works in marinades too, where the acidity helps to tenderise meat.