What is apple cider vinegar? | What does ACV do to your body? | What is the ACV diet? | Efficacy | Safety | Weight-loss alternatives
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is one of the most versatile ingredients in your kitchen. Apple cider vinegar is an ingredient in salad dressings or soups, while also serving as a natural disinfectant. But these days, the hype around apple cider vinegar is all about weight loss. The apple cider vinegar diet claims to have health benefits ranging from increased weight loss to keeping blood sugar levels stable in people with diabetes. But does drinking apple cider vinegar really help you burn belly fat, or are there better alternatives? Let’s dig in.
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What is apple cider vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar is true to its name. The juice of crushed apples, also known as apple cider, is fermented by adding yeast, turning the cider’s sugars into acetic acid, which gives off that distinctive vinegar scent. You may see reference to “the mother” on bottles of apple cider vinegar. This probiotic is the blob or cobweb-looking substance in ACV that forms during the fermentation process. Some believe the mother is responsible for apple cider vinegar’s health benefits, but this hasn’t been proven.
While apples reign supreme in ACV, other types of vinegars have different main ingredients. White vinegar, for example, is made from alcohol, while balsamic vinegar is made from grapes. The British favorite, malt vinegar, is produced from barley kernels. Thanks to its high acidity, if stored in a cool, dark place and closed tightly, apple cider vinegar also has an indefinite shelf life.
What does apple cider vinegar do to your body?
Apple cider vinegar, and its active ingredient—acetic acid, may have beneficial effects on your body, including killing bacteria, stabilizing blood sugar, and promoting weight loss. Acetic acid has historically been used as a disinfectant. It can kill bacteria that lead to acne or infection. It works to improve insulin sensitivity, which can prevent blood sugar spikes after eating. Studies on humans have shown that ACV delays gastric emptying, also preventing blood sugar spikes, when given with a starchy meal. It has also been studied in rats, with results showing improvement in pancreatic beta-cell function (likely resulting in increased endogenous insulin production). Either way, the effect is especially beneficial for people with diabetes. It can increase feelings of fullness, which can mean you eat less and lose weight. Some animal studies show that vinegar can reduce blood pressure, but there isn’t enough research to demonstrate a beneficial effect in humans. And while it’s a common myth that apple cider vinegar can slow the growth of cancer, there’s not enough evidence to use it as a treatment yet.
What is the ACV diet?
So how do you take apple cider vinegar for weight loss? First, it’s important to understand that the apple cider vinegar diet isn’t a hard and fast eating plan, like trying keto (a high-fat diet) or cutting out dairy. Instead, it revolves around taking one to two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, either before or with meals, to promote weight loss.
How to drink apple cider vinegar for weight loss
There seems to be many variations of the ACV diet. Some recommend mixing it with water only while others say it can be diluted in olive oil as a salad dressing. There’s also debate around how much apple cider vinegar for weight loss is necessary. Some say one to two tablespoons per day is okay; others claim that an apple cider vinegar detox requires two to three doses a day. Many people ask whether they should take ACV in the morning or at night. Some sources suggest taking it at night is best for blood sugar levels while others claim that taking it right before bed can trigger heartburn, GERD, and acid reflux.
How effective is apple cider vinegar for weight loss?
For such an inexpensive, widely available product, there seem to be quite a few health benefits of apple cider vinegar, most of which are attributed to the acetic acid found in ACV—acetic acid is also in other vinegars, pickles, and foods containing vinegar, like sauerkraut. If you’re looking to lose body weight, there’s been some promising research, but it’s far from conclusive. The following studies had positive results when testing the benefits of ACV:
- One eight-week study performed on mice with diabetes found that those who were fed a diet containing acetic acid had lower blood sugar levels than mice who ate a standard diet.
- An animal study found that rats with diabetes who ate food containing apple cider vinegar saw an improvement in health markers for Type 2 diabetes.
- Humans have benefited from acetic acid and ACV, too. A Japanese double-blind, 12-week trial discovered that, at the end of the study, subjects who ingested a drink containing vinegar had significantly lower weight, body mass index, waist size, and visceral fat than the subjects in the placebo group who didn’t have any vinegar.
- When taken with meals and complex carbohydrates, ACV also reduced after-eating blood sugar levels in adults with diabetes. A 2003 study points to vinegar improving insulin sensitivity after carb-heavy meals.
- Another study suggests that acetic acid may regulate appetite.
- And yet another small study of 12 adults found that when participants had vinegar with their bread, they reported being more full and had lower blood sugar levels than when they ate the bread alone.
So if you’re trying to lose body fat, is chugging apple cider vinegar the answer? Not so fast. While ACV may have health benefits for those without diabetes (both humans and rats), there isn’t yet conclusive evidence that shows what those benefits are. And even though apple cider vinegar may help those with diabetes control their symptoms, it should be considered an addition to a diabetes or prediabetes management plan, not a cure.
One interesting study out of the UK actually questioned whether apple cider vinegar’s purported effects on appetite and satiety aren’t due to vinegar’s health benefits at all, but rather its unpleasant taste. The results indicated that while vinegar intake does enhance satiety, the “effects are largely due to poor tolerability following ingestion invoking feelings of nausea.” Read: It’s not that people feel fuller after drinking vinegar, it’s that they don’t want to eat anything because they’re nauseated afterward. Not too promising.
“For most people, having more apple cider vinegar isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s highly unlikely that it will lead to weight loss benefits,” says Rachel Trippett, MD, a family physician with the U.S. Public Health Service Indian Hospital in New Mexico. “You’re better off focusing on eating more whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and quality meats, and going to the gym than drinking apple cider vinegar.”
Is apple cider vinegar safe for weight loss?
Still, if you’re on team ACV and want to try it, there are some side effects that you may want to consider…
ACV can weaken tooth enamel. The acid in vinegar can erode tooth enamel. Weaker teeth can lead to dental problems down the line, including tooth decay. If you are going to have apple cider vinegar as the main ingredient and not, say, in a salad dressing, it’s best to dilute it with some water.
ACV can mess with potassium levels. In some people, regular consumption of ACV has lowered potassium levels. If you’re already on a medication that can lower potassium, like some blood pressure medications, you’ll want to be cautious.
ACV can alter insulin levels. While ACV may be beneficial to people with diabetes, it may also alter insulin levels. You should be particularly careful with vinegars and speak to your healthcare provider before increasing your apple cider vinegar intake.
Alternative to apple cider vinegar for weight loss
A better source for weight loss tips is a licensed healthcare provider, nutritionist, or dietitian. They can help design a program that allows you to safely lose weight, while considering your lifestyle, daily habits, any medications, and more.
RELATED: The best diet for weight loss
Additionally, there are several prescription medications that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for weight loss. Typically, these are prescribed to people who have health problems related to being overweight or obese. The ones approved for long-term use are:
- Xenical (orlistat)
- Qsymia (phentermine-topiramate)
- Contrave (naltrexone-bupropion)
- Saxenda (liraglutide)
- Alli (available in a lower dose without prescription)
- Plenity
- Wegovy (semaglutide)
Some medications are appetite suppressants and have been approved by the FDA for short-term use—up to 12 weeks—only. While your healthcare provider may prescribe one of these for longer than 12 weeks, the side effects past this period are unknown. These medications include:
- Phentermine
- Benzphetamine
- Diethylpropion
- Phendimetrazine
Your healthcare provider can evaluate whether your medical history makes you a good candidate for one of these prescription drugs and the best course of action.
