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Apple Cider Vinegar for Weight Loss & Good Health

Vinegar, the product of fermentation, is made from many grains and fruits, including rice, sugar cane, coconut, grapes and apples. Acetic acid is what makes vinegar sour. Alternative health care advocates tout apple cider vinegar as a folk remedy that contains special health benefits and properties needed for weight loss.

  1. Vitamins and Minerals

    • Proponents of apple cider vinegar as alternative medicine assert that it is rich in essential vitamins and minerals. Analysis of apple cider vinegar by the U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests otherwise.

      One tbsp. of apple cider vinegar contains one mg of calcium. The typical adult needs 1,000 mg a day.

      The USDA found no measurable amounts of pectin, a soluble fiber, in apple cider vinegar. Soluble fibers bind to cholesterol, helping to carry it out of the body. Pectin is found in apples, but not apple cider vinegar.

      Likewise the USDA found no vitamin A, B6, C, E, K, riboflavin, thiamin, niacin folate or pantothenic acid in apple cider vinegar. Neither does apple cider vinegar contain beta-carotene, theobromine, alpha-carotene, lycopene, beta-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin or lutein.

    Weight Loss

    • Can apple cider vinegar curb appetite and burn fat?

      Katherine Zedratsky, a nutritionist at the Mayo Clinic, says that there is no clinical evidence that taking apple cider vinegar is effective in losing weight.

      Wellness and health columnist Dr. Andrew Weil says, "There is absolutely no scientific evidence showing that apple cider vinegar can aid in weight loss or that it contains any magic ingredients that help you to shed pounds."

      A 2005 study of 12 people, frequently cited on the internet without specific attribution, found that those who took small amounts of white vinegar together with a piece of bread felt more satisfied than those who ate just bread. The size of the study was too small to yield valid results. Apple cider vinegar was not tested.

    Vinegar and Diabetes

    • Apple cider may be of help to diabetics.

      The body cells in people with type 2 diabetes become resistant to insulin, a hormone that helps the body retrieve sugar from carbohydrates. The sugar builds up in the blood, starving the cells. One theory is that vinegar can inactivate the enzymes that change carbohydrates into sugar.

      Dr. Carol S. Johnson and her colleagues at Arizona State University conducted a 2004 study of the effect of taking vinegar before meals. One-third of the 29 subjects had type 2 diabetes, one-third showed pre-diabetic signs and one-third were healthy. The researchers found that taking vinegar before meals significantly increased sensitivity to insulin and reduced the insulin and glucose spikes after meals.

    Additional Benefits

    • The acetic acid in apple cider vinegar and other vinegars has been found to help the body absorb important minerals including calcium. Women who are lactose-intolerant might use vinaigrette made of apple cider vinegar on green leafy vegetables that are a main source of calcium in lieu of dairy products.

      Apple cider vinegar can be used in place of salt and foods containing saturated and trans fats to make food taste better, helpful for people with high blood pressure who eat low-fat diets.

      Multiple Japanese researchers have on two occasions studied the effects of vinegar on rats. A 2001 study published in Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry, found that acetic acid in vinegar could lower blood pressure in rats. A 2006 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that vinegar could lower cholesterol in rats.

    Other Claims

    • There has been little research into claims of therapeutic health benefits of apple cider vinegar. The studies that have been conducted have been on rats, cell cultures in laboratories or on small populations of humans. Pending larger studies with human subjects, results should be viewed judiciously as preliminary or inconclusive.

      Claims that apple cider vinegar aids digestion, washes toxins from the body or reverses aging are based on anecdotal evidence.

    Unfiltered Vinegar

    • Advocates of apple cider vinegar as a folk remedy recommend vinegar that is unfiltered, unprocessed and organic. This vinegar is murky brown in color and might have a substance floating in it that looks like cobwebs. This is known as "mother." Those who tout this vinegar say it is more nutritious than the clear, clean commercial varieties found in most supermarkets.

    Warning

    • Those who take apple cider vinegar for what they believe to be its medicinal benefits should dilute it with water or juice before swallowing it. Pure vinegar can damage tissues in the mouth and throat and erode tooth enamel. It can also irritate the stomach lining of people suffering from ulcers, heartburn or acid reflux.

      Vinegar taken in large amounts can result in a loss of potassium for patients taking diuretics. If you have osteoporosis or low levels of potassium, you should consult a doctor before taking apple cider vinegar for medicinal purposes.

      The use of large amounts of apple cider vinegar can potentially interact with laxatives and medicines for heart disease.

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