Apple Cider Vinegar and Weight Loss: What the Experts Say

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You’ve no doubt seen plenty of stories on social media touting apple cider vinegar (ACV) as a belly fat-melting elixir that can help you lose weight. But what exactly is it and does it actually work for weight loss? To start, it's important to know that “apple cider vinegar is made by crushing apples, squeezing out the juice,” says Vanessa Rissetto, M.S., R.D., C.D.N. “Bacteria and yeast are added to the liquid to start the alcoholic fermentation process, which converts the sugars to alcohol. In a second fermentation step, the alcohol is converted into vinegar bacteria.” Many holistic health experts and Instagram influencers swear by the stuff, but whether ACV will really help you squeeze into a smaller pair of jeans isn’t so straightforward. Here’s what experts and the research actually says about apple cider vinegar for weight loss.

What's the research on apple cider vinegar?

    A lot of the research on vinegar's relationship with weight loss is in animals, mainly mice and rats. Studies show that acetic acid, the main component of apple cider vinegar, can suppress
     
    body fat accumulation
     and
     
    metabolic disorders
     in obese rats. But of course, mice are not men, and rats are not women, so these findings prove little.
      Studies in humans have been small, which limits their validity.
      “For example, some research suggests that it might promote satiety and make you consume fewer calories throughout the day,” Drayer said. “But the research is very limited, with small sample sizes, and is far from conclusive.”
      A
       
      2005 study
       of 12 people found participants
       felt fuller when vinegar was consumed with
       a meal that included bread.
       A
       2013 study
       of 16 people found the same
       result, but only because the vinegar caused nausea when ingested. “On this basis, the promotion of vinegar as a natural appetite suppressant does not seem appropriate,” that study concluded.
      The
       most-cited study to explore a connection to weight loss was done in 2009 with 175 “obese” Japanese subjects, ages 25 to 60, who were split into three groups. Considered “obese” by Japanese standards, each subject's body mass index (BMI) was between 25 and 30; in the United States, people aren't considered obese until their BMI exceeds 30. Anyone who had high cholesterol or diabetes or was using medications was excluded from the study.
      Over a 12-week period, the groups consumed a beverage each day with either one tablespoon of vinegar, two tablespoons of vinegar or no vinegar at all. At the end of the three months, those who consumed any amount of vinegar had a lower body weight, a smaller body mass index, less visceral fat, a smaller waist measurement and lower triglyceride levels than the placebo group that drank no vinegar.
      That sounds fantastic until you look closely at the amount of weight that was lost.
      “Only 2 to 4 pounds in three months over a placebo,” Drayer explained. “That's only a third of a pound a week. Most diets have a much bigger result. So you would definitely have to do many other things to accomplish any significant weight loss.”
      Registered dietitian Carol Johnston has been studying the effects of acetic acid on diabetic blood glucose levels since 2004. While she believes the Japanese study's findings make sense because they are in line with animal research, she too is quick to point out that the weight loss in humans was “very, very modest.”
      “In fact, I would say most people who are on a diet for 12 weeks and only lose a couple of pounds aren't going to be very happy,” said Johnston, an associate dean in the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University.

      The science behind apple cider vinegar for weight loss

      ACV has only been shown to result in weight loss in a very small number of studies. One study of 39 adults found that those who consumed ACV with their lunch and dinner lost 8.8 pounds over 12 weeks, while those who only cut calories lost 5 pounds.

      144 adults with obesity were randomly assigned to drink either a placebo or one to two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar daily for 12 weeks. Those who drank two tablespoons lost close to 4 pounds, while those who drank one tablespoon lost 2.5 pounds. However, those findings alone don’t prove that ACV is a magic fat melter. The consistent results indicate that ACV may be a beneficial tool in reducing body weight.

      not only…but also… In addition… Furthermore…

      This matters because blood sugar highs and lows usually cause people to want sugary snacks. If apple cider vinegar can help control blood sugar levels, it might also help with controlling cravings and portion size, which could lead to eating fewer calories overall.

      A study from the Journal of Food Science in 2014 suggests that vinegars, such as apple cider vinegar, can help reduce the effects of diabetes and prevent cardiovascular disease. This is because apple cider vinegar has high levels of a polyphenol called chlorogenic acid, which could help improve heart health by inhibiting the oxidation of bad LDL cholesterol.

      The study found that participants who drank ACV before a meal consumed up to 275 fewer calories throughout the rest of the day. The reasons behind that are murky, but ACV could boast compounds that actually suppress your appetite.

      There are many benefits to adding apple cider vinegar to your diet, including weight loss. To get the most benefit from apple cider vinegar, it is best to consume it before meals. You can also add it to salads or other foods. Including apple cider vinegar in your diet can promote weight loss. For the best results, it is advised to consume it before meals. Adding it to salads or other foods is also an option.

      When is the best time to drink apple cider vinegar? Drinking a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar diluted in eight ounces of water before or with a meal up to twice a day is the best way to drink it if you want it to boost your satiety and help keep your blood sugar steady.

      If you don't like the idea of drinking vinegar, try using it in your food instead. Try adding ACV and olive oil to a salad or steamed vegetables, Palinski-Wade. Or put a tablespoon of ACV in a smoothie.

      To get the most health benefits from apple cider vinegar, make sure to choose an ACV that is raw and unfiltered. These types of ACV contain proteins, enzymes, and healthy bacteria from the vinegar starter or mother, which maximize the health benefits. Two brands of unfiltered ACV that are good choices are Bragg Organic Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar or Spectrum Organic Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar.

      Vinegar pills

      Some claims revolve around using vinegar supplements to lose weight.
      “I remember, probably 15 years ago, covering the apple cider vinegar diet,” Drayer said. “When you looked closely, the diet paired apple cider vinegar pills with a low-calorie menu. It's no wonder people lost weight.”

      Stress eating lately? The ‘hunger meter' can help
      Many people prefer to ingest vinegar via a pill because liquid vinegar is acidic and can cause nausea. But commercial vinegar pills do not have the same effect on lowering blood glucose as liquid vinegar,
       
      according to research done by Johnston.
      If you choose to add vinegar to your diet, Johnston recommends that the tablespoon of vinegar is added to a full glass of water. Properly diluting vinegar is key. Otherwise, it can damage your teeth, throat and stomach lining.
      “Vinegar has that strong smell and puckering taste, so if you take a breath, you could inhale it into your lungs and burn those a little, because it's an acid,” Johnston said.

      Regulating blood sugar

      Where Johnston's research has shown significant benefits from vinegar, however, is in blood sugar control. Over the years, she's done a
       
      number of studies
       that show vinegar helps control blood sugar spikes for people with Type 2 diabetes and those who are prediabetic, also known as insulin-resistant. She's even seen a slight benefit for healthy control subjects.
      “Vinegar had an impact in all groups, but the most significant impact was in the prediabetic group,” she said. “In prediabetics, it was too good to be true; (blood sugar) fell a good bit and stayed that way. It may be this is the group that could benefit the most.”
      Should you take a dietary supplement to prevent disease?
      The theory, according to Johnston, is that acetic acid
       appears to interfere with enzymes that break down starch molecules. This antiglycemic response can be induced by any sort of vinegar, such as red and white wine vinegars, pomegranate vinegar or even white distilled vinegar. It's the acetic acid in the vinegar, not the type, that produces the result.
      “Basically, what acetic acid is doing is blocking the absorption of starch,” Johnston said. “If my study subjects eat a starch and add vinegar, glucose will go down. But if they drink sugar water and add vinegar, nothing happens. So if you're having bacon and eggs, don't bother. It only helps if you are consuming a starch.”
      It's possible that blocking starch absorption may help with weight loss as well, Drayer said.
      “So if acetic acid is interfering with the breakdown of starch, what that means is that starch is not being digested,” she explained. “And if it's not being digested, it's not being absorbed into the bloodstream, and therefore it's not contributing to calories.”

      The jury is still out

      Though the research on acetic acid's benefits looks promising, nothing's definitive. It could be that other elements in apple cider and other vinegars also play a role. Take the trace chemicals in vinegar that vary based on where each brand was fermented, for example.
      “It could be that some of those ingredients are important or part of the effect we are seeing,” Johnson said. She added that it will take much larger randomized scientific trials to prove any cause and effect between vinegar and weight loss, and especially between vinegar and diabetes or cardiovascular risks.
      “Somebody, probably the federal government, is going to have to fund a multimillion-dollar grant and recruit hundreds of people at risk for diabetes and metabolic disorders to truly determine if vinegar is going to make a difference,” Johnston said.
      But until those occur, Johnston sees no harm in using vinegar to control blood sugars after starchy meals. After all, balsamic and wine vinegars are part of the Mediterranean diet, long associated with heart health and other benefits.
      “Even in healthy people, that post-meal surge in blood sugar is a risk factor for heart disease, so in my mind, everyone should take advantage of the benefit that vinegar may provide. But I'd do it the way people have done for centuries, by adding it to their food,” Johnston said.
      “What I would recommend is adding vinegar to meals as a condiment, as it contains no calories,” Drayer said. “When you make a dressing, use three parts oil to one part vinegar. Or reverse it and do one part oil and three parts vinegar.”
      You can also use it with food preparation, Drayer added.
      “Dip your chicken with egg whites and bread crumbs mixed with balsamic vinegar for poultry or fish,” she said. “Or you can drink it in water, which may help as water makes you feel full.”
      But again, never drink vinegar straight, experts say, or you might injure your teeth, throat or stomach.
      “Dilute it in water, and drink before you eat or with the first bites of your meal,” Johnston said. “You want the acetic acid in stomach before the meal to do the most good,” she said. “Mediterranean people ate the salad with vinegar, then they ate the pasta.”


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