Daily consumption of an ingredient often used to dress salads was associated with “significant reductions” in variables such as weight, body mass index, waist/hip circumferences and body fat ratio, according to a study published this week.
Authors of the study – published in the BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health journal – are from Holy Spirit University of Kaslik in Lebanon. They aimed to investigate the impact of apple cider vinegar on weight reduction.
“Obesity and overweight have become significant health concerns worldwide, leading to an increased interest in finding natural remedies for weight reduction,” the authors said. Audacy has also reported on the popularity of medication such as Ozempic that can aid weight loss.
According to West Virginia University Extension, vinegar has been used since around 5,000 B.C. when Babylonians used the fruit of a date palm to make it. When alcoholic beverages are left out, bacteria will naturally turn them into vinegar, the extension explained.
Humans all over the world have used vinegar in many ways, including as medicine, to pickle food, as a drink and as a salad dressing.
“In ancient Greece around 400 B.C., Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, prescribed apple cider vinegar mixed with honey for a variety of ills, including coughs and colds,” said WVU extension. “Apple cider vinegar also has a strong history in Africa and China as an alternative medicine. It contains vitamins C and B, as well as acetic acid which increases the body’s absorption of important minerals from the foods we eat and slows down the rate at which the body turns carbohydrates into sugar.”
In the 21st century, Apple cider vinegar’s benefits have made it popular online.
“The Internet would have you believe apple cider vinegar is the new pixie dust due to its health benefits. It’s tempting to believe the Internet claims about apple cider vinegar (ACV). They sound so fantastic — even doctors can fall victim to them,” said a UChicago Medicine article from 2018. “ACV is not pixie dust, but it’s also not snake oil,” it added.
Per that article, a combination of yeast and bacteria formed during the fermentation of Apple Cider vinegar called the “mother” counts as a probiotic. That’s just one of the positive health impacts UChicago noted the vinegar has. Regarding weight loss, UChicago cited a randomized, clinical trial published in the Journal of Functional Food that showed ACV might help with weight loss.
For the more recent study, 120 overweight and obese individuals were recruited and randomly assigned to an intervention group or a control group. Measurements of “anthropometric parameters, fasting blood glucose, triglyceride and cholesterol levels were taken at weeks 0, 4, 8 and 12,” said the study.
“Our findings showed that daily consumption of the three doses of ACV for a duration of between 4 and 12 weeks is associated with significant reductions in anthropometric variables (weight, body mass index, waist/hip circumferences and body fat ratio), blood glucose, triglyceride and cholesterol levels,” researchers said. “No significant risk factors were observed during the 12 weeks of ACV intake.”
They concluded apple cider vinegar could be a promising anti-obesity supplement. While no significant side effects were observed in the study, UChicago noted that apple cider vinegar can erode tooth enamel, exacerbate acid reflux and may be difficult to process for people with chronic kidney disease. Overall, apple cider vinegar is safe.
Apple cider vinegar can be found in most grocery stores, and Penn State Extension also shared instructions for how to make it at home. It is “excellent in salads, cooking, or freezer and refrigerator pickled products,” said the information provided by the school.