We’re not not unaccustomed to the benefits of apple cider vinegar. It helps to maintain a healthy gut biome, was historically used by Hippocrates to treat wounds, fevers and skin sores, and it’s largely welcomed as a great overall health tonic. Gulp gulp.
But did you know that it could also help with weight loss, reduce blood sugar levels and reduce lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides)? Recent results suggest it could reduce all three. Here’s what we know.
Can apple cider vinegar help you lose weight?
A specific clinical trial has shown promising results, revealing that patients lost an average of seven kilograms in three months when they drank small quantities of the cupboard staple every day.
Published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, the study assigned 120 participants to one of four groups, asked to drink either five, 10, or 15 millilitres of apple cider vinegar (ACV) diluted in water, or a placebo, first thing in the morning for 12 weeks. All participants were overweight or obese, with a body mass index (BMI) of between 27 and 34, and aged 12–25.
They were all told to consume their ‘normal diets’ throughout the study, including the 7% who were already following a therapeutic diet. Overall, researchers found those who drank apple cider vinegar once daily lost between six and eight kilograms. Six and eight! For participants who drank five millilitres of ACV, their average weight loss was five kilograms, while it was seven kilograms for those drinking 10 and 15 millilitres a day. So in other words, more is more. The placebo group lost less than one kilogram on average over the same period.
In a second trial in Lebanon, scientists managed a double-blinded, randomised, clinical trial in a group of overweight and obese young people aged from 12–25 years. Researchers randomly placed 30 participants in one of four groups. The participants were instructed to consume either 5, 10 or 15ml of apple cider vinegar diluted into 250ml of water each morning before they ate anything for 12 weeks.
A control group consumed an inactive drink (a placebo) made (from lactic acid added to water) to look and taste the same. After a period of three months apple cider vinegar consumption was linked with significant falls in body weight and body mass index (BMI). On average, those who drank apple cider vinegar during that period lost 6–8kg in weight and reduced their BMI by 2.7–3 points, depending on the dose.
What other benefits came from drinking apple cider vinegar?
Vinegar consumption was also linked to falls in serum glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol, with the largest falls among those drinking 15 millilitres.
What did the experts say about apple cider vinegar and weight loss?
‘These results suggest that ACV might have potential benefits in improving metabolic parameters related to obesity and metabolic disorders in obese individuals,’ the study concluded.
‘The results may contribute to evidence-based recommendations for the use of ACV as a dietary intervention in the management of obesity.’
But while those initial findings are promising, they have been met with caution by numerous experts who say it cannot be seen as an obesity cure. Also,we should be mindful of the younger age of the participants in the studies, especially study two.
Apple cider vinegar alone should not be seen as a weight loss tool, but rather part of a holistic approach that takes into account what we eat, and how often we move our bodies. Think of it as the valuable cherry on top of an already ‘in-motion’ weight loss journey.
Apple cider vinegar side effects
ACV is acidic, so there are concerns that it could erode tooth enamel. This is the same problem that’s associated with fizzy drinks, lemon water and orange juice.
To minimise the risk of erosion, dentists recommend:
- rinsing out your mouth with tap water afterwards
- chewing sugar-free gum afterwards to stimulate saliva production
- avoiding brushing your teeth immediately after drinking because it might damage the teeth’s softened top layer
- drink with a straw to minimise contact with the teeth
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