
Subject: Water, vinegar, and surviving heat. Works at a price.
From: mjr
Date: 21 Jul 1996 21:23:21 -0700

In the Aug. 96 issue of American Survival Guide is an article entitled
"Living with the Heat", by Christopher Nyerges. In this article, besides 
the common sense recommendations of loose light clothing, a hat, etc. is 
the recommendation that one add to each quart of water about 1 tablespoon
of apple cider vinegar. 

The author explains that vinegar affects the hypothalamus which 
controls the body's cooling system. Mr. Nyerges says "With one 
tablespoon of raw vinegar per quart of drinking water, one can tolerate
the heat without feeling drained and stressed." Since I am shortly to
undertake an extensive trip through the southern California desert in
an un-airconditioned car, I thought I would try this out and then carry
water with vinegar with me on the trip. Today, with tempretures in
Sonoma Co. hovering over 100 deg. F., it seemed like a good time to
experiment.

I poured a quart of water into a bottle and added 1 tablespoon of ordinary
apple cider vinegar. The vinegar taste was so strong I could not even drink
the water. So I diluted it with a second quart. Now drinkable, it still
tasted terrible, but I decided to go ahead with the experiment. I drank that
two quarts over the next couple of hours while doing ordinary things
about the yard in the 100 degree heat. All in all, I have to say that I
did feel better than I otherwise would have doing yard work in that heat.
The vinegar must have done some good. Yet there was a price to pay. Every
time I took a swig I felt nauseous. I never threw up, but the nauseous 
feeling lasted throughout the afternoon (of course I was drinking it
throughout the afternoon). 

When I finished that 2 quarts, I made another,
this time adding only 1 teaspoon of vinegar to a quart of water, and
in addition I added a teaspoon of sugar just to see what would happen.
The lower vinegar concentration and the sugar did make the water a
little more palatable, but it still made me nauseous to drink it.

It's evening now, the temp is back down, and I've been through an 
experimental gallon of water with vinegar. I still have a queasy
stomach as a result! So what do I do? Has anyone else tried this
technique? What has been your experience. Perhaps I am reacting to
the vinegar while others don't? I like the way the vinegar + water 
helped me to feel less drained by the heat, but the nausea certainly
isn't a pleasant trade-off. Or is it? Can anyone relate similar 
experiences?

-- 

