Fans swear by apple cider vinegar, touting an array of nutrition and wellness benefits. But in its critique of apple cider vinegar, Popular Science magazine says “the internet’s favorite home remedy” is pretty much “just half of an excellent salad dressing.”
So, which is it? Are the proponents right about apple cider vinegar (ACV) being a terrific supplement to your diet? Or are the naysayers correct in declaring it’s almost worthless? The answer depends on your point of view.
Registered nurse Rebecca Lee, founder of the natural health resource RemediesForMe.com, is firmly in the pro-ACV camp.
Lee thinks ACV should be a staple in everyone’s kitchen. She says she’s incorporated apple cider vinegar into her diet and has reaped a number of benefits.
“I’m an avid believer in using all-natural products for improving health and battling different ailments,” Lee says.
Among other advantages, she says, ACV stimulates weight loss, lowers cholesterol, maintains blood sugar levels, fights cancer, and decreases the risk of heart disease and stroke.†
On the flip side of that, Popular Science magazine asserts: “Apple cider vinegar won’t magically make your problems go away, no matter how much you believe in it. Most of the ‘evidence’ in support of its benefits comes from shoddy journals and pseudo-doctors.”
Weight loss
Lee cites a 2009 study in Japan indicating that people who consumed ACV every day for 12 weeks lost weight. After a daily intake of 1 tablespoon and 2 tablespoons, people in the study lost 2.6 pounds and 3.7 pounds, respectively, the study shows.
The study says a daily dose of ACV “might be useful” in combatting obesity.†
For its part, Popular Science insists that while ACV could be “somewhat helpful” in regulating metabolism, “the results so far suggest it won’t be a miracle treatment.” The magazine mentions a couple of studies that support the notion that the acetic acid in ACV holds off spikes in blood sugar that can cause your body to store fat, “but that mechanism hasn’t been thoroughly proven yet.”
In assessing the Japanese study, registered dietitian Lisa Drayer told CNN that losing 2 to 4 pounds over a three-month period, as the ACV-consuming participants did, is minimal. However, she added, integrating apple cider or other vinegars with a weight loss plan that also includes a healthy diet, portion control and exercise might be helpful.
Cholesterol
Lee explains that ACV lowers cholesterol thanks to the pectin found in apples. LDL (“bad”) cholesterol binds itself to the pectin, she says, and is carried out of the body as waste.†
A 2014 study does show ACV can decrease LDL cholesterol, but the research was done on 40 mice who were fed a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet. No studies about the effectiveness of ACV in cutting cholesterol have been performed on humans.
Blood sugar
Lee says ACV boosts the efficiency of insulin in breaking down sugar after eating a starchy meal.
“High blood sugars, if untreated, will lead to serious health problems that affect every single organ of the body,” she says. “So, pretty much everyone can benefit from keeping their sugar levels in check.”
Carol Johnston, associate director of the Nutrition Program at Arizona State University’s School of Nutrition and Health Promotion, told CNN that six studies she’s undertaken showed ACV can help lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, people who are pre-diabetic and even people who are healthy. The improvement was meaningful only for people at risk of diabetes, however.†
“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.”
Cancer
Lee describes ACV as helping restore the alkaline, or acid, balance of your body. “This is important because cancer cells thrive in an acidic environment,” she says.†
A study done in 2004 in Japan found that a slightly more alkaline atmosphere is less welcoming to cancerous cells than an atmosphere with slightly less alkaline. The study featured four types of vinegar.
Popular Science rips apart the 2004 study.
“Please do not try to treat your cancer by drinking vinegar of any kind,” the magazine warns. “Even if Japanese scientists really did kill cancer cells by exposing them to apple cider vinegar, that does not prove that vinegar will treat cancer inside your body. If you just leave cancer cells in a petri dish for too long they will die, but that doesn’t mean we can treat cancer by telling patients to wait it out.”
Heart disease and stroke
Citing studies (including this one and this one) done on animals, Lee says ACV reduces the presence of triglycerides, which trigger the buildup of fatty plaque in your arteries. This, in turn, can lead to a heart attack or stroke.†
Popular Science casts doubt on that research.
If you’re trying to improve your heart health, “you’re far better off doing high-intensity interval training combined with some type of strength training, plus eating a balanced diet with plenty of fiber and whole foods,” the magazine says.
Should you use apple cider vinegar?
Becky Kerkenbush, a registered dietitian at Watertown Regional Medical Center in Wisconsin, acknowledges the wealth of anecdotal information supporting the benefits of ACV, such as weight loss.
“Large-scale clinical trials are still needed before it can be recommended as a treatment, though,” Kerkenbush says. “If you’re going to use it, please speak with your health care provider first. If used, it should be taken in small, highly diluted amounts.”
Even without seeing your doctor, it’s fine to add a splash of ACV to salad dressings, marinades and sauces to liven them up, Kerkenbush says.
If believe in the power of ACV, WebMD points out there’s no official recommendation for how much of it to consume each day. However, WebMD adds, some people take 2 teaspoons or more a day of ACV mixed with water or juice.
“In short, apple cider vinegar probably won’t hurt you. Enjoy it in your diet because it’s [almost] calorie-free, adds lots of flavor to food, and has health benefits. But it’s not a miracle cure,” WebMD says.
Lee says she consumes 2 teaspoons of ACV every night mixed with raw organic honey, Ceylon cinnamon, cayenne pepper and warm filtered water.
“After personally drinking ACV every day for about six months, I’ve noticed less acne on my face, better bowel movements, less bloating, faster metabolism, soothed sore throats and decreased odors in my urine,” Lee says.
†These statements have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.