Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has been a popular home remedy for years, touted for various health benefits. Recently, apple cider vinegar gummies have emerged as a convenient way to consume ACV, promising similar advantages. This article examines the potential benefits and side effects of keto apple cider vinegar gummies, providing a comprehensive overview of what you need to know.
What is Apple Cider Vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar is made by combining apples with yeast. The yeast converts the sugar in the apples into alcohol. Bacteria are then added to the mixture and ferment the alcohol into acetic acid. Acetic acid makes up 5-6% of apple cider vinegar. It’s classified as a “weak acid” but still has fairly strong acidic properties when it’s concentrated. In addition to acetic acid, vinegar contains water and trace amounts of other acids, vitamins, and minerals.
Several studies in animals and humans have found that acetic acid and apple cider vinegar may promote fat-burning and weight loss, decrease blood sugar levels, increase insulin sensitivity, and improve cholesterol levels. Unfortunately, human studies supporting the daily use of apple cider vinegar are lacking, and more research is needed.
Apple Cider Vinegar and “The Mother”
Most ACV you find in the grocery store is the clear, pasteurized, and filtered type. But you can also buy raw, unfiltered ACV that contains a cloudy sediment. Called "the mother," this substance is made up of settled bacteria and yeast. Some people give the mother credit for ACV's health benefits. And it's thought to contain small amounts of probiotics (healthy bacteria) that are good for gut health. But research hasn’t shown that the mother offers any particular health benefit.
Apple Cider Vinegar Supplements
You can also buy ACV pills, powders, or gummies. But there's been little research into whether these supplements have any effect. Because the FDA doesn't regulate dietary supplements, you can't be sure exactly what's in them.
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What are Keto Gummies?
Keto gummies are dietary supplements designed to support a ketogenic lifestyle. The ketogenic diet, or keto diet, is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet intended to shift the body into a metabolic state called ketosis. When the body is in ketosis, it uses ketones, a fatty acid, for energy instead of glucose. Keto gummies are made with exogenous ketones, which are ketones from an outside source, and other ingredients like medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs).
Ingredients Found in Keto Gummies
Most keto gummies typically contain medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), a type of saturated fat that helps give your body energy, in addition to exogenous ketones. Sometimes, keto gummies may contain gelatin or natural sweeteners like Stevia. It’s not like eating a traditional gummy. It’s not going to have any additional sugars because if it did, then it would throw you out of ketosis.
Many keto gummies contain apple cider vinegar, an ingredient popularized for its effect on blood sugar levels. Some keto gummies even contain glucose syrup and glucose-carbohydrates that act counter to ketosis. Several keto gummy products exist with varying ingredients that push the boundaries of what "keto" means.
Other ingredients in keto gummies can include:
- MCT Oil: MCTs are fatty acids containing six to 12 carbon molecules. The liver absorbs and breaks them down quickly, inducing ketogenesis (making ketones for energy) with lower fat intake and without requiring carbohydrate restriction.
- Ketone Esters: These significantly increase BHB (beta-hydroxybutyrate) levels.
- Ketone Salts: These combine ketone acids with sodium or other electrolytes to enhance their effectiveness.
- Sugar Alcohols: Low-calorie sugar alcohols like mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol contain about half the calories of sugar. The body absorbs sugar alcohols more slowly than sugar.
- Gelatin and/or Pectin: Gelatin is an animal-derived compound that gives gummies their chewy, rubbery texture. Pectin is a plant-based compound used to make vegan gummy products.
Potential Benefits of Keto Gummies
Do keto gummies work? There’s limited research on the benefits of keto gummies. There aren’t any studies that have shown the long-term effects of keto gummies and if they’re beneficial.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Some potential benefits include:
*Increase weight loss.*Improve athletic performance.*Decrease your appetite.
One study explains that supplements may increase the amount of ketones too much. Ideally, your body wants to maintain an even level of ketones. And when this happens, your liver may not produce as many ketones naturally, making it harder to stay in ketosis.
Potential Risks of Keto Gummies
Before you decide to try keto gummies, it’s also worth understanding the potential risks.
Those potential risks include:
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*Nausea and vomiting.*Gastrointestinal issues, like diarrhea.*Low blood sugar.
You run the risk of GI issues if your keto gummies use sorbitol, which is known as a laxative. You should be cautious if you’re going try it. Slowly introduce keto gummies to see how you do because you don’t want to all sudden just kind of overdo it and have those side effects and not be very happy.
The keto diet - and the addition of a keto supplement like gummies - can potentially lower your blood sugar, leading to hypoglycemic responses. And it can dehydrate you as well.
Potential Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar
ACV is thought to be at least partly responsible for any health benefits it has. Here's what research has found:
- Weight Loss: One study showed that taking 1-2 tablespoons of ACV a day helped people following a reduced-calorie diet lose a few extra pounds.
- Lower Cholesterol: The same small study that reported that ACV boosted weight loss also found that it lowered the total cholesterol levels of study subjects who took it. It also increased their "good" cholesterol and lowered levels of triglycerides (fats in the blood).
- Lower Blood Sugar: Several smaller studies have reported that taking a tablespoon or two could lower your blood sugar after meals. The effect was moderate, and we need more research to know exactly how it works. Keep in mind that vinegar can't replace diabetes medications and a healthy lifestyle, but it should be safe to add to your treatment plan.
Potential Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies
Apple cider vinegar gummies are dietary supplements that contain ACV concentrate and other ingredients like vitamins and fruit extracts. Companies that produce ACV gummies claim that consuming these supplements can support your immune function, promote weight loss, and enhance your ability to regulate your blood sugar. However, most of these supposed benefits appear to be exaggerated or unfounded in recent studies.
The studied ACV doses ranged from 0.5 to 26 ounces (15-770 mL) per day. This is not comparable to taking common ACV gummy supplements containing 500 milligrams (mg) of ACV powder per gummy.
Blood Sugar Regulation
Interestingly, a small, randomized control study published in 2020 found that vinegar supplements do not have the same effect on blood sugar as liquid vinegar.
The study showed that the liquid vinegar resulted in a 31% greater reduction in post-meal blood sugar compared with the control and whole vinegar tablets. Liquid vinegar also proved more effective than the vinegar tablets dissolved in water.
All this suggests that ACV supplements don’t have the same effect on blood sugar as drinking ACV.
Weight Loss
A 2018 study suggests potential weight loss benefits for people who consume at least 1 ounce (30 ml) of organic liquid ACV - not ACV gummies. A 2020 review of 13 human and 12 animal studies concluded that there was not enough credible evidence to determine whether ACV has any beneficial effects on weight loss.
More comprehensive research is needed before suggesting that ACV gummies offer any help in weight management.
Other Benefits
Any supposed health benefits of ACV gummies may come from the added vitamins and minerals in the supplement. You’ll get similar or better results from taking a B complex vitamin every day. The same can be applied to the other vitamins and minerals that have been added to ACV gummies.
Furthermore, claims that ACV gummies help your body detox or boost your immunity remain unfounded.
Some studies show that taking beetroot and pomegranate juices - ingredients in many ACV gummies - can help reduce markers of inflammation. However, to see any anti-inflammatory benefits, you would need to consume far more than the 40 microgram (mcg) dose provided by many ACV gummies.
Side Effects of Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has been reported to cause some side effects. This is particularly true when it’s consumed in large doses. Although small amounts are generally fine and healthy, consuming too much can be harmful and even dangerous.
Delayed Stomach Emptying
Small studies in humans have suggested that apple cider vinegar may reduce the rate at which food leaves the stomach and enters the lower digestive tract. This could slow the absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream.
In gastroparesis, the nerves in the stomach don’t work properly, so food stays in the stomach too long and is not emptied at a normal rate. Symptoms of gastroparesis include heartburn, bloating, and nausea.
One controlled study looked at 10 patients with type 1 diabetes and gastroparesis. Drinking water with 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of apple cider vinegar significantly increased the amount of time food stayed in the stomach, compared to drinking plain water.
Digestive Side Effects
Apple cider vinegar may cause unpleasant digestive symptoms in some people. Some research has found that in the short term, acetic acid decreases appetite, but more studies are needed to understand if this effect is sustained in the long term.
The people who consumed a drink containing 25 grams (0.88 ounces) of apple cider vinegar reported less appetite but also significantly greater feelings of nausea, especially when the vinegar was part of an unpleasant-tasting drink.
Low Potassium Levels and Bone Loss
There are no controlled studies on apple cider vinegar’s effects on blood potassium levels and bone health at this time.
There is one case report of low blood potassium and bone loss that was attributed to large doses of apple cider vinegar taken over a long period of time.
A 28-year-old woman consumed 8 ounces (1 cup) of apple cider vinegar diluted in water on a daily basis for 6 years. She was admitted to the hospital with low potassium levels and other abnormalities in blood chemistry. What’s more, the woman was diagnosed with osteoporosis, a condition that causes brittle bones and is rarely seen in young people.
Erosion of Tooth Enamel
Acidic foods and beverages have been shown to damage tooth enamel. Soft drinks and fruit juices have been more widely studied, but some research shows the acetic acid in vinegar may also damage tooth enamel.
In one lab study, enamel from wisdom teeth was immersed in different vinegars with pH levels ranging from 2.7 to 3.95. The vinegars led to a 1-20% loss of minerals from the teeth after 4 hours.
A case study also concluded that a 15-year-old girl’s severe dental decay was caused by consuming 1 cup (237 mL) of undiluted apple cider vinegar per day as a weight loss aid.
Throat Burns
Apple cider vinegar has the potential to cause esophageal (throat) burns.
A review of harmful liquids accidentally swallowed by children found that acetic acid from vinegar was the most common acid that caused throat burns. Researchers recommended that vinegar be considered a “potent caustic substance” and kept in childproof containers.
Skin Burns
Due to its strongly acidic nature, apple cider vinegar may also cause burns when applied to the skin.
There have been reports of skin burns occurring in response to attempts to treat moles and infections with apple cider vinegar.
Drug Interactions
A few medications may interact with apple cider vinegar:
- Diabetes medication: People who take insulin or insulin-stimulating medications and consume vinegar may experience dangerously low blood sugar or potassium levels.
- Digoxin (Lanoxin): This medication lowers your blood potassium levels. Taking digoxin in combination with apple cider vinegar could lower your potassium too much.
- Certain diuretic drugs: Some diuretic medications cause your body to excrete potassium. To prevent potassium levels from dropping too low, do not consume these drugs with large amounts of vinegar.
How to Consume Apple Cider Vinegar Safely
Most people can safely consume reasonable amounts of apple cider vinegar by following these general guidelines:
- Limit your intake: Start with a small amount and gradually work up to a maximum of 2 tablespoons (30 mL) per day, diluted in water, depending on your personal tolerance.
- Minimize your tooth exposure to acetic acid: Try diluting the vinegar in water and drinking it through a straw.
- Rinse your mouth: Rinse with water after taking it. To prevent further enamel damage, wait at least 30 minutes before brushing your teeth.
- Consider avoiding it if you have gastroparesis: Avoid apple cider vinegar or limit the amount to 1 teaspoon (5 mL) in water or salad dressing.
- Be aware of allergies: Allergies to apple cider vinegar are rare, but if you experience an allergic reaction, stop taking it immediately and call your doctor.
Who Should Not Take Apple Cider Vinegar?
The vinegar can also interact with some drugs, such as diuretics, laxatives, and insulin. Always ask your doctor if it’s safe to use ACV with your current medications.
If you have low potassium levels (hypokalemia), too much ACV could make the condition worse. That's because large amounts can reduce potassium levels. Avoid overusing ACV if you have kidney disease, since your kidneys might not be able to handle high levels of acid.