For centuries, natural remedies have been sought for various health benefits. Among the trending topics in recent years is the potential of apple cider vinegar (ACV), ginger, and lemon, often combined, to aid in weight loss. This article explores the purported benefits of this combination, examining the scientific evidence and practical ways to incorporate it into your daily routine.
The Buzz About Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has been used medically for centuries. While there are many claims of presumed health benefits of apple cider vinegar, weight loss is among the latest. The "apple cider vinegar weight loss diet" (sometimes called the apple cider vinegar detox) has been a trending weight loss topic for a few years. Apple cider vinegar comes from apples that have been crushed, distilled, and then fermented. It can be consumed in small quantities or taken as a supplement. Its high levels of acetic acid, or perhaps other compounds, may be responsible for its supposed health benefits.
Studies in obese rats and mice suggest that acetic acid can prevent fat deposition and improve their metabolism. The most widely quoted study of humans is a 2009 trial of 175 people who consumed a drink containing 0, 1, or 2 tablespoons of vinegar each day. Another small study found that vinegar consumption promoted feeling fuller after eating, but that it did so by causing nausea. For thousands of years, compounds containing vinegar have been used for their presumed healing properties. While no one is using apple cider vinegar as an antibiotic anymore (at least, no one should be!), apple cider vinegar might help lower blood sugar levels after a meal by changing how foods are absorbed from the gut.
It is important to note that vinegar should be diluted. It has been reported to cause or worsen low potassium levels and can alter insulin levels. If you are trying to lose weight, adding apple cider vinegar to your diet probably won't do the trick. Of course, you'd never suspect that was the case by the way it's been trending on Google health searches. But the popularity of diets frequently has little to do with actual evidence.
Potential Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar
- Weight Management: Some studies suggest that acetic acid, a primary component of ACV, may help prevent fat deposition and improve metabolism.
- Blood Sugar Control: ACV might help lower blood sugar levels after a meal by affecting how foods are absorbed.
- Satiety: A small study indicated that vinegar consumption promoted feeling fuller after eating, although this was accompanied by nausea in some individuals.
The Power of Ginger
Research shows ginger can help you manage your weight when combined with a healthy diet and exercise. Ginger is typically used with other ingredients when weight loss is the goal. Ginger is a flowering plant mainly cultivated for its root, which is an ingredient in cooking and baking. Ginger also decreases inflammation, stimulates digestion, and suppresses appetite, which some people believe may promote weight loss.
Read also: Low-Calorie Ginger Ale
Ginger contains compounds called gingerols and shogaols. These compounds stimulate several biological activities in your body when you consume ginger. Research indicates that obesity can bring on oxidative stress and inflammation. Oxidative stress is caused by damage from free radicals in the body. Ginger’s antioxidant properties help control these free radicals, and its anti-inflammatory properties can counter inflammation. These properties of ginger don’t directly address excess pounds. Still, they help prevent cardiovascular damage and other side effects of being overweight while you work to keep your weight healthy.
Other research supports the idea that ginger could also play a role in weight loss. One small study found that overweight men who consumed ginger stayed fuller longer. A meta-analysis of studies examining ginger’s weight loss benefits suggests that ginger has a significant effect on body weight and belly fat (waist-to-hip ratio). Gingerols encourage certain biological activities in your body. They have an anti-obesity effect, helping food digest faster and stimulating the body to speed up the digestion of food through the colon. Research suggests gingerols may stabilize your blood sugar levels, which can be key to losing weight.
Potential Benefits of Ginger
- Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Properties: Gingerols and shogaols in ginger can help control free radicals and counter inflammation, preventing cardiovascular damage and other side effects of being overweight.
- Appetite Suppression: Some studies suggest that ginger consumption can promote feelings of fullness.
- Improved Digestion: Gingerols may help food digest faster and stimulate the body to speed up digestion.
- Blood Sugar Stabilization: Gingerols may help stabilize blood sugar levels, which can be beneficial for weight loss.
Lemon's Contribution
When you take ginger and lemon together for weight loss, you may get an extra boost to keep your body healthy. Lemon juice may act as an appetite suppressant, in addition to containing a high amount of vitamin C. Lemon juice is a powerful source of vitamin C and folate. Similar to gingerols, vitamin C is among the antioxidants that possess the above-mentioned benefits to the human body.
Potential Benefits of Lemon
- Appetite Suppression: Lemon juice may act as an appetite suppressant.
- Vitamin C Source: Lemons are rich in vitamin C, an antioxidant with numerous health benefits.
Synergistic Effects: Combining Ginger, Lemon, and Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has weight loss properties of its own. Using it along with ginger could boost the antiglycemic and antioxidant effects of both ingredients. Apple cider vinegar also brings powerful probiotics into the mix, which can improve your gut health as you work to lose weight.
The "Natural Mounjaro" Drink
The "natural Mounjaro recipe” has exploded in popularity as a viral wellness drink, with social media users touting its potential for weight loss and metabolic health. Mix 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, juice from half a lemon, ½ to 1 teaspoon of grated ginger, and 1 teaspoon of raw honey into 1 cup of warm (not hot) water. The natural Mounjaro drink’s popularity is driven by the purported health benefits of its ingredients. However, there are no clinical trials proving that this drink can match the weight loss effects of prescription Mounjaro (tirzepatide).
Read also: Comprehensive Healthcare for Weight Loss
It is important to clarify that this homemade drink is not a substitute for any pharmaceutical therapy. While each ingredient has some scientific backing for metabolic, digestive, and immune support, there is no evidence that the drink can deliver prescription-level weight loss results. If you’re considering adding this drink to your daily routine-especially if you have health conditions or are on medication-consult your healthcare provider first.
Potential Synergistic Benefits
- Enhanced Antioxidant Effects: Combining ACV, ginger, and lemon can boost the antioxidant effects of each ingredient.
- Improved Gut Health: Apple cider vinegar brings powerful probiotics into the mix, which can improve your gut health as you work to lose weight.
- Antiglycemic Effects: The combination may enhance the antiglycemic effects of both ginger and ACV.
Practical Ways to Incorporate the Trio
Ginger Tea with Lemon and Apple Cider Vinegar
You can prepare ginger tea by brewing a tea bag in hot water and letting it cool down before you add the ACV. Water that is too hot will kill the bacteria in ACV, and you’ll lose its probiotic effect. Add a little honey or a squeeze of lemon to 1 cup (8 ounces) of brewed ginger tea, stir in 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and drink. Take this tea once per day, in the morning before eating, to experience the maximum benefit of ACV.
Green Tea with Ginger
You can add ground ginger to hot green tea to combine the powerful effects of both ingredients. You can also steep a ginger tea bag and a green tea bag together, adding extra water so the brew isn’t too overpowering. Drink once or twice per day, keeping in mind that green tea does contain caffeine.
Ginger Juice
Ginger juice typically includes other ingredients to dilute the pungent, spicy taste of pure ginger. Extra ingredients like honey, lemon juice, and water happen to have hydrating, antioxidant, and immune-boosting properties themselves. You can make ginger juice at home by adding freshly squeezed lemon juice and agave, honey, or another natural sweetener to taste. Blend fresh unpeeled ginger (about 1/3 of a pound, cut into chunks) in a blender with about 1 cup of water, and strain the mixture if you like. Add the ginger extract you’ve created to your other ingredients, garnishing with mint and adding ice cubes as desired. Drink once or twice per day as an appetite suppressant.
Ginger Powder
Compared to fresh ginger, dried ground ginger (ginger powder) contains a higher amount of compounds called shogaols. These compounds may have cancer-fighting and anti-inflammatory properties. You can consume ginger powder in capsule form or mix it into water to make a ginger powder drink. You can also sprinkle ginger powder on your food. Consuming tablespoons of ginger powder in its raw state may cause indigestion, and its taste can be overpowering.
Read also: Ginger snaps for weight loss
Apple Cider Vinegar, Lemon, Ginger, and Honey Tonic Recipe
This apple cider vinegar lemon ginger tonic is a take on a morning ritual, inspired by a drink picked up from a health food store. The mixture is pleasantly tart and spicy.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup warm water (not hot)
- 1 Tbsp. raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar with the “mother”
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice or another tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
- ½ Tbsp. maple syrup or raw honey
- ½ tsp. grated ginger
Important Considerations
Potential Side Effects
It's always recommended to go slow with drinks that contain apple cider vinegar. Besides the positive effects of apple cider vinegar, like any other food, it does come with precautions. A recommended dosage of apple cider vinegar is 1-2 tablespoons daily. Since its acidic properties are quite prominent in a high concentration, it’s also recommended to, rather, consume the diluted version of it.
Some of the possible side effects if the daily consumption of apple cider vinegar exceeds the recommended amounts are:
- Tooth enamel erosion: Apple cider vinegar is fairly acidic, so it’s likely to react with your tooth enamel and gradually break it down if not diluted properly. You’ll also need to rinse your mouth with water after drinking vinegar drinks.
- Potential drug interactions: If you’re on medication, seek medical advice from your doctor to see if there are any negative drug interactions. As an acid, ACV may react with some laxatives, diuretics, and certain medications for diabetes and heart diseases.
- Ginger Side Effects: Some experience side effects like constipation and flatulence. Ginger might increase the flow of bile from the gallbladder, leading doctors to be cautious about recommending it to people who have gallbladder disease. There’s also a gap in what we know about using ginger during pregnancy, although some health professionals recommend ginger for nausea to those who are pregnant. Talk with a doctor before using ginger if you’re nursing or pregnant, or if you take blood-thinning (anticoagulant) medication.
Tips for Consumption
- Since honey doesn’t dilute very easily, you can consider stirring it with warm water first.
- If you don’t feel like making ginger juice, you can substitute it with ginger powder. We recommend using 1 tsp of ginger powder in place of 1 tbsp ginger juice. Dilute the powder in 2 tbsp of warm water first, then whisk to mix it with other liquid ingredients.
- The drink can last for the whole week in the fridge, so it’s a good idea to make a big batch and keep it all in the fridge. Simply mix it in a mason jar and you'll have it ready any time you feel like taking a sip. Remember to shake well before pouring.
- If using fresh ginger juice or powdered ginger: combine all ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Serve hot and sip it like a tea. If using fresh ginger: Combine the peeled fresh sliced ginger and 1 1/2 cups water in a saucepan and simmer on the stovetop for 2-3 minutes. Remove ginger pieces, then stir in the lemon juice, cider vinegar, and honey. Serve hot and sip it like a tea. When finished, rinse your mouth out well with water, then brush your teeth.
Quality and Sourcing
You can purchase ginger in most grocery stores. You’ll find fresh ginger in the produce section and ground ginger in the aisle where other dried herbs and spices are stocked. Health food stores sell different versions of ginger, specifically formulated for use as a weight loss aid or for ginger’s other health benefits. Health food stores also sell capsules containing ground ginger. You can purchase ginger online as well.
Be aware that ginger oral supplements and ground ginger aren’t regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Only buy ginger products from online sources that you trust.