Hello Slider: Actually, cider vinegar works pretty well on fungus infections. I have used it for years to go from a skin infection that drove me nuts to one that is an occasional irritation. Instead of baths, I bathed by wiping down with a couple of cups of cider vinegar. It sooths the skin and helps anxiety, whcih for me seemed to go with the skin problems. Recently however, I have found for vaginal infection (candida probably, a kind of fungus, sort of) that yoghurt works better. So, try that first, it is less stingy. Vinegar stings. Also, another help is MSM available in the health food stor. that takes away the itch, but puts the stuff in your blood and kidneys which makes you (me) nervous. I take cilantro to get it through the kidneys and eliminate and end the cycle. Keep up any treatment for a couple of months to be sure of completion. fungus hangs on. Best, jane

The short answer: The list exists to make money for lawyers. Lots of drugs on it are effective for a variety of indications, but may have side effects that can be exploited in lawsuits (which mostly benefit attorneys). Of course, this is an herbalism forum and neither I nor anyone else has suggested that posters take prescription drugs for bladder infections. What's been pointed out is that ACV has no demonstrated effectiveness (or any mechanism by which one could imagine it being effective) against such infections. Cranberry juice, on the other hand, does have some evidence in its corner. "I have noted that tests for natural medicines printed in the peer reviewed journals use doses clearly below the theraputic dose recognized by the majority of herbalists for their studies. I noted this in tests printed in the New England Journal of Medicine, no less. This crap must stop. That it goes on at all is WHY there is a growing number of people using herbal methods. I have also noted that herbs that are usually used in a mixture with other herbs are tested alone, in a way they are not used. This happens with tests of Chinese herbs." This would be an interesting subject for a separate discussion, to include any examples of studies supposedly using suboptimal doses of herbal drugs. As to mixtures, there are in fact numerous studies looking at them. What can be problematic is when a mixture contains one herb believed to be the effective agent and the rest may or may not be filler. The only way to know if the purported effective component works is to test it separately (it could be, for example, that one or more other components of the mixture actually interfere with the active herb which might work better on its own). One old-time example is the folk remedy for heart failure that an 18th century British physician, William Withering studied, and discovered that while multiple elements in the herbal mix were unrelated to its actions on the heart, one herb (digitalis) was responsible for increasing heart contractility. That discovery paved the way for digitalis' use in general medicine (at a standardized, safer and more effective dose than one could count on in a home remedy). Chinese herbal mixtures are notorious for containing elements not listed on the label. "Contamination" (apparently deliberate) has included powerful prescription drugs (such as indomethacin and steroids) or toxic herbs like aristolochia, so that would be a major reason for being careful about using such mixtures. To get back to the cry of "They don't want you to know" (about supposedly cheap and effective home remedies): this hits close to home for me and many other health professionals who have experienced serious illness in ourselves or close family and friends. My mother (a physician) died of colon cancer. Does anyone doubt that she would have been willing to use a cheap home cure and enthusiastically promoted it to others if one existed?

"driving my family crazy", LOL. They'll enjoy your hobby this winter! What matters is that the vinegar is 5% acidity. Which kind, distilled or cider, is totally up to you. Some prefer white vinegar for light pickles and relishes to maintain the brightest color. It also has a sharper flavor. Old-time farm cooks often chose apple cider vinegar, even if it did darken the product, because it has a softer, sweeter finish on the palate. So it's totally a matter of individual preference. You could always divide a batch and try some of each. (Just be careful about measurement if it's salsa you're dividing.) Carol

Im not sure why apple cider vinegar would control a fungus. In fact straight vinegar has herbicidal qualities. In your case I'd stick with compost tea or cornmeal.