Can Apple Cider Vinegar Help You Weight Loss

The Apple Cider Vinegar Diet: Does It Work?

There's no doubt that apple cider vinegar has earned a spot in the pantry. Apple cider vinegar has been used as a health tonic for long time ago. It's a natural diet staple that isn't processed or highly caloric. Apple cider vinegar has many health benefits, such as lowering blood sugar levels.

Can adding apple cider vinegar to your diet also help you lose weight? Unfortunately, apple cider vinegar's health has led some people to believe that it's a magical elixir for instant weight loss. Vinegar has long been touted as a powerhouse ingredient for many aspects of our routine because it produces acetic acid during its fermentation process, which has been linked to reduced fat production and lower blood sugar in limited research.

Over the years, dieters have turned to a digital-fueled interest in the apple cider vinegar diet,, peddled by Instagram users and other online communities as a way to keep full between meals. Most search results for apple cider vinegar diet suggest that drinking 1-2 teaspoons of the sour, tangy liquid can improve your metabolism. But the science isn't so clear on this practice, despite vinegar's holistic health benefits.

What Is Apple Cider Vinegar?

Apple cider vinegar is mostly apple juice, but adding yeast turns the sugar in the juice into alcohol. This is a process called fermentation. Bacteria turn the alcohol into acetic acid. That’s what gives vinegar its sour taste and strong smell.

Apple cider vinegar has a long history as a home remedy, used to treat things like sore throat and varicose veins. There isn’t much science to support the claims. But in recent years, some study have been taking a closer look at apple cider vinegar, and its possible benefits.

Some people say the “mother,” the cloud of yeast and bacteria you might see in a bottle of apple cider vinegar, is what makes it healthy. These things are probiotic, meaning they might give your digestive system a boost, but there isn’t enough research to back up the other claims.

Acetic Acid Has Various Benefits for Fat Loss

Acetic acid is a short-chain fatty acid that dissolves into acetate and hydrogen in your body.

The acetic acid in apple cider vinegar may promote weight loss in several ways:

Lowers blood sugar levels: In one rat study, acetic acid improved the ability of the liver and muscles to take up sugar from the blood.

Improves metabolism: Another study in rats exposed to acetic acid showed an increase in the enzyme AMPK, which boosts fat burning and decreases fat and sugar production in the liver.

Decreases insulin levels: In the same rat study, acetic acid also reduced the ratio of insulin to glucagon, which might favor fat burning.

Burns fat: A study in mice fed a high-fat diet supplemented with acetic acid found a significant increase in the genes responsible for fat burning, which led to less body fat buildup.

Reduces fat storage: Treating obese, diabetic rats with acetic acid or acetate protected them from weight gain and increased the expression of genes that reduced belly fat storage and liver fat.

Suppresses appetite: Another study suggests acetate may suppress centers in your brain that control appetite, which can lead to reduced food intake.

Although the results of animal studies look promising, research is needed in humans to confirm these effects.

Can Apple Cider Vinegar Help You Lose Weight?

ACV can help with fat burning and keep blood sugar in check, two important elements in weight oss.

The most encouraging study was done in Japan in 2009 and published in the journal Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry. It involved nearly 150 human participants; one-third were given a drink containing one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, one-third got two tablespoons of ACV, and the final third received a “placebo” drink with no ACV in it.

The group drinking one tablespoon a day lost an average of about 2½ pounds after 12 weeks, and lost half-an-inch from their waist. The “two tablespoon” group lost 3¾ pounds during the same period, and lost 50% more from their waist than the first group. Each also showed proportional decreases in body fat percentage, and each had their triglycerides lowered by about 25%.

The placebo group? They gained almost a pound of body weight and their waist size increased. And similar results have been found in testing that’s been done on animals.

Was the weight and belly fat loss simply because of the fat burning and blood sugar properties of apple cider vinegar? Not necessarily.

Drinking apple cider vinegar before meals makes you feel fuller; that means you end up eating less, so you consume fewer calories.

At the same time, different research shows that when people consume ACV, their stomachs process carbs more slowly. The benefit there is that since your stomach empties more slowly, you feel full for longer periods of time and aren’t tempted to snack. In addition, slower stomach emptying helps lower insulin and blood sugar levels. So that’s the good news. Unfortunately, there’s some not-so-great news to go with it.

Is there a downside to the apple cider vinegar diet?

For many natural remedies, there seems to be little risk, so a common approach is “why not try it?” However, for diets with high vinegar content, a few warnings are in order:

Vinegar should be diluted. Its high acidity can damage tooth enamel when sipped straight consuming it as a component of vinaigrette salad dressing is a better way.

It has been reported to cause or worsen low potassium levels. That’s particularly important for people taking medications that can lower potassium.

Vinegar can alter insulin levels. People with diabetes should be particularly cautious about a high vinegar diet.

Apple Cider Vinegar Increases Fullness and Reduces Calorie Intake

Apple cider vinegar may promote fullness, which can decrease calorie intake.

In one small research in 11 people, those who took vinegar with a high-carb meal had a 55% lower blood sugar response one hour after eating.

They also ended up consuming 200–275 fewer calories for the rest of the day.

In addition to its appetite-suppressing effects, apple cider vinegar has also been shown to slow the rate at which food leaves your stomach.

In another small research, taking apple cider vinegar with a starchy meal significantly slowed stomach emptying. This led to increased feelings of fullness and lowered blood sugar and insulin levels.

However, some people may have a condition that makes this effect harmful. Gastroparesis, or delayed stomach emptying, is a common complication of type 1 diabetes. Timing insulin with food intake becomes problematic because it is difficult to predict how long it will take for blood sugar to rise after a meal. Since apple cider vinegar has been shown to extend the time food stays in your stomach, taking it with meals could worsen gastroparesis.

Can you drink apple cider vinegar every day?

There's a few things you should know before you decide to add apple cider vinegar into your diet regularly. People who are experiencing chronic heartburn, acid reflux, or fighting a stomach ulcer should not drink apple cider vinegar if it can be avoided. The acidic nature of the vinegar can worsen symptoms and could potentially damage the esophagus more.

Furthermore, like any other highly acidic food, pure apple cider vinegar can cause quite a bit of damage to your teeth enamel if you drink it on a daily basis. Diluting it is essential.

Summary

If you are trying to lose weight, adding apple cider vinegar to your diet probably won’t do the trick. Of course, you’d never suspect that was the case by the way it’s been trending on Google health searches. But the popularity of diets frequently has little to do with actual evidence. If you read about a new diet  that sounds too good to be true, a healthy dose of skepticism is usually in order.

Despite all of its holistic health benefits and low caloric impact, apple cider vinegar isn't strong enough on its own to make you lose weight without substantial lifestyle changes. The apple cider vinegar diet, which consists of drinking vinegar before meals, isn't as beneficial as eating your way through a balanced diet on its own.