We’ve heard for years that drinking apple cider vinegar can help you lose weight, but there’s never been much research to support the claim. That is, until now.
Turns out, sipping on apple cider vinegar (often called ACV) before a meal may help lower your blood sugar, finds new research published in the Journal of Functional Foods.
Study participants who drank a tablespoon of ACV mixed with 8 ounces of
water prior to eating had lower blood glucose levels compared to
participants who didn’t consume the tart solution. “Acetic acid, the
main component in vinegar, may interfere with the body’s ability to
digest starch,” says lead study author Carol Johnston, PhD, associate
director of the School of Nutrition and Health Promotion at Arizona
State University.
And it’s that starch-blocking power that could help you shed pounds.
“If you’re interfering with the digestion of starch, less is being
broken down into calories in the bloodstream. Over time, that might
cause a subtle effect on weight,” says Johnston. A few other studies
back up the theory: Consuming two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
before eating a bagel and juice was shown to reduce blood sugar spikes in a 2009 Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism
study, while Japanese research published that same year associated
vinegar consumption with lower body weight, BMI, weight circumference,
and serum triglycerides.
Still, most mainstream dietitians remain skeptical of ACV’s
weight-loss power, saying more evidence is needed. But as long as you
don’t have a problem tolerating high-acid foods (like GERD
or indigestion), drinking apple cider vinegar won’t hurt you, says
Kimberly Gomer, a registered dietitian at the Pritkin Longevity Center +
Spa in Miami. Thinking of giving it a try? Here’s how.
Get the right vinegar. You don’t actually have to
limit yourself to ACV, since all vinegars contain acetic acid. “Wine
vinegars have a smoother taste, but even white distilled vinegar works,”
says Johnston. Just look for one whose label says 5% acidity, which is
what you’ll find in most cooking and salad vinegars. (Avoid pickling
vinegars, which have a higher acid content.)
Have just a little. Consuming too much acetic acid
can hurt your throat. A tablespoon of apple cider vinegar mixed with 8
ounces of water and taken before a meal is a safe dose, says Johnston.
And if the idea of drinking vinegar turns your stomach, try drizzling
the same amount over a salad. “That’ll help fill you up and give you
vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients,” Gomer says.
Don’t expect miracles. Even though it can help block
some starch from being absorbed, drinking vinegar isn’t a free pass to
eat the entire sleeve of cookies. “This isn’t going to help you lose 5
pounds in a week,” Johnston says. To notice a difference, “you’ll have
to look 3 or 4 months down the road.”