Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has been used for centuries as a home remedy and in cooking. Made by fermenting the sugars from apples, ACV contains acetic acid, which is believed to be the active ingredient responsible for its potential health benefits. While some claim ACV aids in weight loss, it's important to examine the evidence.
What is Apple Cider Vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar is produced through a two-step fermentation process. First, apples are crushed or cut and combined with yeast to convert their sugar into alcohol. Second, bacteria are added to ferment the alcohol into acetic acid. Traditional production takes about a month, but some manufacturers accelerate the process to just a day.
Types of Apple Cider Vinegar
In stores, apple cider vinegar is available in filtered (a clear liquid) and unfiltered forms. Unfiltered ACV contains "mother," which includes proteins, enzymes, and friendly bacteria, giving it a cloudy appearance. Some believe that the "mother" is responsible for most of its health benefits, although no studies support this. Apple cider vinegar may also be flavored by adding fruits like raspberries during manufacture.
Nutritional Profile
A tablespoon (15ml) of apple cider vinegar provides approximately:
- 3kcal / 13KJ
- 0.1g carbohydrate
- 11mg potassium
- 1mg calcium
- 1mg magnesium
ACV doesn’t contain significant amounts of vitamins or minerals, aside from small amounts of potassium, calcium, and magnesium. However, ACV does contain amino acids and antioxidants. About 5% to 6% of apple cider vinegar consists of acetic acid. It also contains water and trace amounts of other acids, such as malic acid. One tablespoon, or 15 mL, contains about 3 calories and virtually no carbs.
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Potential Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar
Research suggests that apple cider vinegar may have beneficial health properties, including antimicrobial and antioxidant effects. Some potential benefits include:
- Improving glucose and insulin levels after eating carbohydrates
- Increasing feelings of fullness and helping to lower calorie intake
- Reducing weight and body fat
- Benefiting cholesterol levels and blood pressure
- Acting as an anti-microbial agent
Apple Cider Vinegar and Weight Loss: Examining the Claims
While some studies suggest ACV may aid weight loss, the evidence is not conclusive.
Appetite Suppression and Fullness
A few studies have suggested that apple cider vinegar may promote fullness, which can decrease calorie intake. However, the evidence is inconsistent, and more research is needed to back up this claim. A 2022 literature review that looked at seven studies, only 4 out of 6 short-term studies showed that apple cider vinegar reduced appetite. None of the long-term studies indicated this result.
Those short-term studies that did show an appetite-suppressing effect used vinegar containing at least 24.6 millimoles per liter (mmol/L) acetic acid. There isn’t a guarantee that the vinegar you purchase will have that exact concentration, and there isn’t a guarantee that the effect will be the same at other concentrations.
Additional evidence suggesting that apple cider vinegar may slow the rate at which food leaves your stomach has also been found to contain a number of different kinds of biases, which indicates the results may not be reliable.
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Impact on Weight and Body Fat
It isn’t clear that apple cider vinegar can affect weight and body fat, as there’s only one study suggesting this and its findings haven’t been replicated. The 2018 clinical trial involved 39 participants on restricted calorie diets. Those who consumed about 2 tablespoons (tbsp), equivalent to 30 milliliters (mL), of apple cider vinegar daily over 12 weeks lost significantly more weight and body fat than the participants who did not consume apple cider vinegar.
According to this study, adding 1 or 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar to your diet may help you lose weight. It may also reduce your body fat percentage, help you lose belly fat, and decrease your blood triglycerides. However, the participants were all either overweight or living with obesity based on their body mass index (BMI) and knew they were drinking the vinegar. This means there was no comparison between a control and a placebo group. The study also did not account for other factors that affect weight loss such as nutrition or exercise.
That said, another 2024 randomized control trial study showed significant reductions in weight (6-8 kg), body fat ratio, waist and hip circumferences, body mass index (BMI), blood sugar, as well as fats and cholesterol in the blood after daily consumption of 3 doses of apple cider vinegar (15 milliliters per tablespoon (mL/tbsp)) for 12 weeks. Larger studies are recommended to verify these findings.
Animal Studies
In animal studies acetic acid has been seen to reduce the accumulation of body fat. The same was seen in a 12 week study of obese men. The men consumed an acetic acid-rich vinegar and were seen to experience a reduction in body weight, BMI, visceral fat, waist circumference and blood triglyceride levels. Findings look promising, but more research is needed.
Other Potential Health Benefits
In addition to promoting weight and fat loss, apple cider vinegar may have several other benefits:
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- Lowers blood sugar and insulin: When consumed with a high carb meal, apple cider vinegar has been shown to significantly lower blood sugar and insulin levels after eating. Studies suggest that as part of a meal containing carbohydrate, cider vinegar may improve glucose and insulin levels after you’ve finished eating. Its method of action is thought to be similar to that of the blood-sugar-lowering drug metformin.
- Improves insulin sensitivity: Studies suggest that consuming vinegar with a high carb meal may help improve insulin sensitivity.
- Lowers fasting blood sugar: Research has found an association between consuming apple cider vinegar and a significant lowering of fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin. Another study examining the consumption of 2 tbsp of ACV at bedtime found improved glucose levels on waking. It’s worth noting, however, that the success of ACV in this area appears to be most relevant for healthy individuals or diabetics with well-controlled blood sugar levels.
- Decreases cholesterol levels: A 2021 research review of nine clinical trials found that apple cider vinegar reduced total cholesterol and triglycerides. Animal studies suggest ACV may improve blood triglycerides, cholesterol and blood pressure. More recent clinical trials have seen similar effects in humans, although further study is needed to clarify all effects, that said findings appear encouraging for blood pressure. A 2020 review of studies in both humans and animals noted that apple cider vinegar may potentially benefit levels of high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, and total cholesterol.
- Kills harmful bacteria and viruses: In vitro research shows that apple cider vinegar may be a powerful defender against E. coli and S. aureus bacteria as well as resistant Escherichia coli (rE. coli) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Traditionally used for cleaning the home and as a food preservative, vinegar does have anti-microbial properties. Specifically, ACV may be affective in inhibiting the growth of Escherichia coli (E.coli), Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans.
How to Incorporate Apple Cider Vinegar into Your Diet
There are a few ways to include apple cider vinegar in your diet, though there isn’t enough evidence to suggest consuming it can help you lose weight. ACV can be incorporated into cooking or used in salad dressings. It can also be used for pickling vegetables, or you can simply mix it into water and drink it.
The amount of apple cider vinegar used for weight loss is 1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 mL) per day, mixed with water. It is best to spread this out into 2 to 3 doses throughout the day, and it may be best to drink it before meals.
It’s important to mix apple cider vinegar with water. Undiluted vinegar may burn the inside of your mouth and esophagus. It’s also best to start off with 1 teaspoon (5 mL) to see how you tolerate it.
Some dietitians recommend using organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar that contains “mother.”
Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies
These supplements contain ACV concentrate combined with other ingredients such as fruit extracts, vitamins, minerals as well as additives to improve the taste. For those who find ACV difficult to drink, gummies are marketed as a more enjoyable and palatable way to supplement. Taking apple cider vinegar in the form of gummies potentially has the same benefits as having a small amount of vinegar itself. For example, it may positively affect your cholesterol and blood sugar. In addition, often, these gummies contain other beneficial vitamins or minerals.
However, like other products of this type, ACV gummies do have downsides including a relatively short shelf life, they typically contain sugars or sweeteners and may contain artificial colours and flavourings. However, there’s no concrete evidence that taking apple cider vinegar gummies is the same as eating apple cider vinegar. If you choose to supplement, look for a product with a high potency (at least 800mg ACV per serving), minimal additives and one that contains supportive vitamins and minerals. Alternatively, a healthier option is to include ACV in your meals where possible.
Safety and Potential Side Effects
Apple cider vinegar is generally recognized as safe. But if you’re taking blood-sugar-lowering medications, talk with a doctor before increasing your vinegar intake. It is important to note that as ACV is a traditional remedy and not a medicine, there are no official guidelines for how to take it. There is also limited data available for the effects of long-term use or consumption of large quantities of ACV.
Consuming apple cider vinegar does come with a chance of some side effects. These include:
- May cause indigestion
- May lower potassium
- May erode tooth enamel
- May cause skin and throat burns
- May interact with certain medications such as diuretics and some diabetes drugs.
Taking more than this is not recommended because of potentially harmful effects at higher dosages, such as drug interactions or the erosion of tooth enamel.
In addition, some people may have a condition that makes apple cider vinegar harmful. Gastroparesis, or delayed stomach emptying, is a common complication of type 1 diabetes. Timing insulin with food intake becomes a challenge because it is difficult to predict how long it will take for blood sugar to rise after a meal. Since apple cider vinegar has been shown to extend the time food stays in your stomach, taking it with meals could worsen gastroparesis.
The potential lowering of blood sugars could be problematic for diabetics, including those who use insulin, and it may reduce potassium levels in the body. For the same reason, ACV is best avoided if you are taking any diuretic medication, also known as water pills. For those suffering with gastroparesis or delayed gastric emptying, where the movement of food between the stomach and small intestine is slowed, ACV may make the symptoms worse and should be avoided.
There is also a concern that acidic drinks, such as ACV, may cause damage to tooth enamel. As a precaution, it is a good idea to dilute the vinegar appropriately, never consume it neat, and don’t sip throughout the day. It may also help to rinse the mouth with fresh water after consuming it. Check with your dentist if you are concerned.
Although taking apple cider vinegar in tablet form may seem beneficial, it comes with potentially large risks, including the possibility of a burn to the esophagus.
To avoid side effects like indigestion or acid reflux at night, consume it at least 2-3 hours before bed.