Can apple cider vinegar help you lose weight?

Apple cider vinegar has been popular for a long time due to its long list of proposed health benefits ranging from antibacterial properties, improving heart health and boosting skin health.   

While its use as a “health tonic” is anything but new - it has been used for centuries to treat wounds, fevers, and skin sores - new research focuses on its effect on weight loss, blood sugar level reduction and cholesterol reduction.  

Could better health be as easy as having a daily shot of apple cider vinegar? Let’s find out.  

What is apple cider vinegar and what are its benefits?  

Apple cider vinegar is a type of vinegar made with crushed fermented apples, yeast and sugar. Besides home remedy use, it’s also used in the kitchen for salad dressings, pickling and marinating.   

Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid, which gives its distinctive sour smell and flavour and is thought to be responsible for its proposed health benefits. Some organic, unfiltered varieties also have “the mother,” which is the byproduct from the fermentation process used to make apple cider vinegar. It is claimed to contain trace minerals, enzymes and beneficial bacteria, though its health benefits lack scientific support.

Apple cider vinegar and weight loss  

While having a shot of apple cider vinegar isn’t a miracle cure for excess body weight, there is surprisingly a very small amount of scientific evidence behind the claim.

One study found that a group of people who took 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar daily for 12 weeks lost just under 2 kilograms, reduced their waist size and blood triglycerides. Another study had 39 people on a calorie-restricted diet with or without apple cider vinegar for 12 weeks. Both groups lost weight, but the group having the vinegar lost nearly 2 kilograms more.

Before you get too excited, these results are unlikely due to a magical metabolic boost from the vinegar. Several taste studies suggest that apple cider vinegar can induce a feeling of nausea and a lessoning of appetite. You could likely get similar results with a simple supermarket vinegar.   

Apple cider vinegar at night for reducing blood sugar 

Another claim circulating on the internet is that apple cider vinegar reduces blood sugar and insulin levels. While there is some evidence to support this, it seems that the effect is related to the acetic acid found in any standard vinegar, rather than something unique to apple cider vinegar. 

Several studies suggest that including apple cider vinegar in a high carb meal can improve your glucose and insulin levels after eating. Another study found that taking 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar at bedtime could lead to better glucose levels in the morning. This approach seems to work best for healthy individuals or diabetics with well-controlled blood sugar.  

If you take medication to help manage your blood sugar, check with your GP before you start adding any kind of vinegar into your diet more regularly.  

Cholesterol cutting 

Studies, including this latest research, have found that apple cider vinegar may have a positive impact on total cholesterol levels. However, all of these studies are small or conducted on animals, making it hard to reach any strong conclusions.  

So what’s the verdict? 

While there are some small studies with interesting findings, experts have advised against labelling apple cider vinegar as a short cut to better health, warning that over-indulgence can erode tooth enamel and exacerbate acid reflux. Many of these claims also relate to any form of generic vinegar rather than anything special about the more expensive apple cider vinegar version. So apart from adding it to your salad dressings, ask yourself it it’s worth the discomfort and expense of taking a shot with each of your meals.  

Do you have a diet question? Or have you seen a nutrition study and wondered about what it means? We’d love to hear from you.

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