Apple cider vinegar is a well-known home remedy. It has many benefits as it has been used in medicine and in cooking for hundreds of years.
Many people believe that apple cider vinegar has lots of health benefits. But then, what does the research say about this? Are there any scientific pieces of evidence to prove that apple cider vinegar has many health benefits?
Well, the fact is, apple cider vinegar has a wide range of health properties, including antioxidant and antimicrobial effects. Medical research shows that it may have cholesterol-lowering effects, aid weight loss, lower blood sugar levels, and improve diabetes symptoms.
However, it is essential to know that there isn’t a lot of research on the health benefits of apple cider vinegar. As such, it must undergo further research before it can be recommended for therapeutic use.
In this article, we will examine at five evidence-based health benefits of apple cider vinegar.
1. It Contains Nutrients That Are Helpful to Your Health
Apple cider vinegar is produced via a 2-step process (1).
To start, the producer will crush some apples and ferment them. The fermentation causes the sugars to turn into alcohol. After fermenting, bacteria are added to the alcohol to further ferment it. This cause is to convert into acetic acid. Acetic acid is the major active compound in vinegar.
The strong flavor and sour smell of vinegar come from acetic acid. Nutritionists and medical researchers think that the acetic acid in vinegar is the key to the health benefits of apple cider vinegar. There’s 5-6% acetic acid in cider vinegar (2, 3).
There’s another substance in apple cider vinegar called mother. It is mostly present in organic, unfiltered apple vinegar. Mother contains enzymes, proteins, and healthy bacteria. All these substances together give the apple cider vinegar a cloudy appearance.
There’s the general belief that most of the health benefits of apple cider vinegar come from the mother. However, no studies have been conducted to prove this.
The vitamin and mineral content of apple cider vinegar may not be on the high side, but it does contain some significant amount of potassium. Some good brands contain antioxidants and amino acids.
2. It Has Antibacterial Effects
Vinegar is lethal on pathogens, like bacteria (4).
Conventionally, apple cider vinegar has been used for disinfecting and cleaning, as well as in treating lice, ear infections, warts, and nail fungus.
Hippocrates cleaned wounds with vinegar over 2000 years ago. Hippocrates is the father of medicine.
Vinegar also works as a food preservative. Nutritional research shows that apple cider vinegar inhibits the growth of E. coli in food (4, 5, 6).
If you want to preserve your food naturally, then you can try apple cider vinegar. That could help.
According to some anecdotal reports, diluted apple cider vinegar is helpful in acne treatment. For this purpose, it must be applied to the skin. However, this has not been verified by any strong studies.
3. It Helps With the Management of Diabetes
Apple cider vinegar seems to be helpful in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
A primary feature of type 2 diabetes is very high blood sugar levels due to insulin resistance or low insulin production (7).
It is worth noting that non-diabetic individuals can also gain from maintaining their blood sugar at optimum levels. Several studies have shown that high blood sugar speeds up the aging process and also triggers some chronic diseases.
The most effective way to maintain your blood sugar at optimum levels is by avoiding refined sugar and carbs. Apple cider vinegar may also be of help.
Studies have shown that vinegar helps with the regulation of blood sugar and insulin levels:
- A certain study suggests that vinegar improves the body’s sensitivity to insulin by at least 19% and up to 34% during a meal rich in carbs. It also has a lowering effect on insulin response and blood sugar (8).
- In a study involving five individuals with no underlying health issues, vinegar caused a 31.4% reduction in blood sugar levels after consuming 50g of white bread (9).
- A study involving diabetic patients found that intake of 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before sleep lowered the fasting blood sugar by 4% overnight (10).
- Many human studies have found that vinegar can boost insulin function and reduce blood sugar levels after meals (11, 12).
According to the national Centers for Complementary and Integrative Health, individuals should avoid replacing medical treatment with health products that have not been verified (13).
If you are taking blood-lowering meds, then you must consult your healthcare provider before taking more vinegar.
4. Apple Cider Vinegar May Promote Weight Loss
Well, nothing is as surprising as learning that vinegar aids weight loss.
Some human studies have shown that vinegar increases satiety. This translates to a reduction in calorie intake, and ultimately weight loss.
For instance, some studies found that consuming vinegar alongside a high-carb meal increased satiety, leading to a reduction in calorie intake by 200-275 during the day (14, 15).
Also, a study involving 175 obese subjects showed that daily consumption of apple cider vinegar enhanced weight loss and also reduced belly fat (16):
- A tablespoon of apple cider vinegar caused a loss of 1.2kg (2.6 pounds).
- Two tablespoons caused a loss of 1.7kg (3.7 pounds).
However, it is important to note that this was a 3-month study, so its effects are modest.
Note that adding or removing single ingredients or foods does not have any significant effect on weight. Long-term weight loss is a function of your lifestyle or whole diet.
Apple cider vinegar may enhance weight loss by increasing satiety, reducing the levels of insulin in the blood, or lowering blood sugar.
There are only three calories in each tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, which is not much.
5. Animal Studies Show That It Improves Heart Health
Heart disease is a primary cause of death (17). Some biological factors contribute to heart disease. Studies have shown that vinegar can help improve some of these biological risk factors.
Results from these studies indicate that apple cider vinegar has a lowering effect on triglyceride and cholesterol levels and other risk factors for heart disease (18, 19, 20).
Rodent studies have shown that vinegar has a reducing effect on blood pressure. Blood pressure is a primary risk factor for kidney problems and heart disease (21, 22).
There is some controversy surrounding the heart benefits of vinegar. There is a need for further studies before making any conclusions.
What is the Right Dosage, and How Should You Take iI?
You’ll benefit more from apple cider vinegar by adding it to your food with simple stuff like homemade mayonnaise and salad dressings.
You can also dilute it in water and drink it. Most people take 1-2 teaspoons (5-10ml) daily, or 1-2 tablespoons (15-30ml) daily.
You must begin with small doses. Do not take large amounts. Taking vinegar in excess has side effects, like drug interactions and erosion of the tooth enamel.
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