apple cider vinegar

Vinegar in its various forms has been used as a “cure” for many years and for a number of different ailments. More traditionally, vinegar is used to preserve food and used to add flavor. Apple cider vinegar (also known as ACV) has also become popular more recently because of studies linking its consumption to weight loss.

Listen to Dr. Neal address this topic on Episode 90 of the podcast Optimal Health Daily.

Why might vinegar improve certain health conditions?

As I mentioned, vinegar has often been used to preserve or ferment foods. This fermentation process, especially when fermenting plant-based foods (think, kimchi or fermented cabbage), leads to some beneficial compounds being produced like antioxidants and probiotics.

Antioxidants are thought to be good for the body because they help destroy harmful compounds called “free radicals.” Probiotics are experiencing lots of attention now because of their potential to help improve gut health. Recent research is even suggesting that probiotics may be useful in preventing diabetes!

Apple cider vinegar is also thought to contain antioxidants and probiotics. The theory is that the apple portion of the vinegar helps to increase these beneficial effects since fruit is a great source of nutrients.

Do vinegars and apple cider vinegar in particular, truly have health benefits?

Let’s look at the research: one of the more popular published studies on apple cider vinegar and weight loss was conducted in Japan. The researchers found that those that drank apple cider vinegar lost more weight than those that didn’t. But here’s what we may not realize.

The trouble is, once the study was over, the study participants gained all their weight back. So we really don’t know if by just being in the study, folks were more motivated to lose weight, or whether there was something about the apple cider vinegar specifically.

Apple Cider Vinegar’s Effect on Blood Sugar

There’s also some research on apple cider vinegar’s effect on blood sugar. This seems more promising. It seems that it may in fact help lower blood sugar levels. Diabetes is basically having blood sugar that’s too high, so if we can control it by consuming something that helps lower blood sugar, this would be a great thing!

The theory behind why apple cider vinegar may help reduce blood sugar is that because of its high content of acetic acid, it may block sugar from getting into your bloodstream. Normally, whenever we eat or drink something (other than water), the body converts some or all of that food into sugar.

Listen to Becca's thoughts on sugar on Episode 1164 of the podcast Optimal Health Daily.

This sugar then gets into our bloodstream where it travels to our brain, our muscles, our organs, etc., where it can be used for energy or get stored. If the sugar just stays in the bloodstream and never gets to our brain and our muscles, that often leads to more serious health problems.

So again, if ACV blocks sugar from getting into the bloodstream in the first place, this may help those with diabetes. But I should mention that using apple cider vinegar to lower blood sugar is still considered controversial. I would never recommend someone stop taking their diabetes medication just because they are drinking apple cider vinegar. We still need more studies to know whether it is truly beneficial.

Also, because those that have had diabetes for years often have kidney problems, we want to be cautious because the acids in ACV could put the kidneys under some stress.

ACV Probiotics

Apple cider vinegar does have probiotics in it as well. The trouble is, we have gazillions of probiotics in our intestines right now. This is great because these are helpful bacteria – they keep our guts nice and healthy. They help kill bad bacteria, help our immune systems in general, and help keep us regular. When we consume foods that have probiotics, it’s a very small amount… only a fraction of what we find in our bodies.

Listen to Dr. Neal address probiotics on Episode 485 of the podcast Optimal Health Daily.

Plus, some of those good, probiotic bacteria never make it to the intestines because of poor storage and handling of the food and our bodies’ natural digestion processes. Many scientists argue that unless you’re taking a very large dose of probiotics, it may not really help improve health. Therefore, we can’t say that consuming apple cider vinegar will really help improve gut health and the immune system.

ACV – Effects on Sinus Trouble, Acne, & Other Health Conditions

What about apple cider vinegar helping with sinus trouble, acne, and other health conditions?

There simply aren’t enough credible data to show it will help with any of these.

Consuming Apple Cider Vinegar

Something I have yet to discuss is the fact that you actually don’t want to drink apple cider vinegar (or any vinegar for that matter) straight. It’s way too acidic. So, how much should you use?

First, most who recommend apple cider vinegar would say to buy the kind that looks cloudy and has that “giant blob” floating around in it. That odd-looking giant blob is supposedly the Tesseract of the apple cider vinegar, or the Cube if you’re more of a Transformers fan.

If you’re totally lost because you’re not as big of a nerd as I am, I’m basically trying to say that this giant blob is where all of apple cider vinegar’s power comes from – it’s what contains those beneficial antioxidants and probiotics. The current recommendation is to drop 1 – 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into a tall glass of water. Then you sip this mixture once or twice a day, before meals.

Does It Have to be Apple Cider Vinegar? Do Other Vinegars, Like Red Wine Vinegar Have Similar Properties?

Yes.

To sum up, ACV is not the miracle cure-all. Instead, incorporating vinegar can be just one aspect of a nutritious, balanced diet. There’s no need to go overboard and consume it more than twice a day. Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.

Listen to Dr. Neal address this topic on Episode 90 of the podcast Optimal Health Daily.

mm

Neal Malik

Dr. Neal Malik ("Dr. Neal") has a Doctorate in Public Health with emphases in disease prevention and nutrition. He is also a Registered Dietitian and Certified Health Education Specialist. He is currently an assistant professor at California State University, San Bernardino. Dr. Neal has published peer-reviewed scientific research and been featured as a nutrition and wellness expert in over 70 media outlets including Parade and The L.A. Times. Send in your health related question and Dr. Neal will answer it on the Optimal Health Daily show!
Minimalism Tips for Family Cheat Sheet

Minimalism Tips for Family Cheat Sheet

Enter your email to get our free PDF cheat sheet on minimalism tips for family members. You'll also get a weekly email with inspiration and life tips!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Join my weekly newsletter for life tips, quotes, and free tools to optimize your life (and make my day)!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Minimize Your Wardrobe: Inspiration File

Minimize Your Wardrobe: Inspiration File

Enter your email to get our free Inspiration File on minimizing your wardrobe. You'll also get a weekly email with inspiration and life tips!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Checklist: How to Declutter Sentimental Items.

Checklist: How to Declutter Sentimental Items.

Enter your email to get our free PDF checklist on decluttering sentimental items. You'll also get a weekly email with inspiration and life tips!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

5-Day Email Course - Get Started with Minimalism

5-Day Email Course - Get Started with Minimalism

Enter your email to join our free 5-day ecourse on getting started with minimalism. You'll also get a weekly email with inspiration and tips to optimize your life!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Checklist-How to Declutter Paper

Checklist-How to Declutter Paper

Enter your email to get our free PDF checklist on how to declutter paper. You'll also get a weekly email with inspiration and tips to optimize your life!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Checklist - How to Declutter Books

Checklist - How to Declutter Books

Enter your email to get our free PDF checklist on how to declutter books. You'll also get a weekly email with inspiration and tips to optimize your life!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Checklist - How to Help Kids Learn to Declutter Toys

Checklist - How to Help Kids Learn to Declutter Toys

Enter your email to get our free PDF checklist on how to help kids learn to declutter their toys. You'll also get a weekly email with inspiration and tips to optimize your life!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Checklist - Bare Minimum of Items for Moving

Checklist - Bare Minimum of Items for Moving

Enter your email to get our free PDF checklist on the bare minimum of items you need when moving. You'll also get a weekly email with inspiration and tips to optimize your life!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Checklist - Why Personal Finance is Important

Checklist - Why Personal Finance is Important

Enter your email to get our free PDF checklist on why financial literacy is important. You'll also get a weekly email with inspiration and tips to optimize your life!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Cheat Sheet - How to Overcome Money Fears

Cheat Sheet - How to Overcome Money Fears

Enter your email to get our free PDF cheat sheet on overcoming money fears. You'll also get a weekly email with inspiration and tips to optimize your life!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Bonus - Debt Payoff Tracker PDF

Bonus - Debt Payoff Tracker PDF

Enter your email to get our free PDF debt payoff tracker. You'll also get a weekly email with inspiration and tips to optimize your life!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Cheat Sheet - How To Stay Motivated When You Feel Stuck

Cheat Sheet - How To Stay Motivated When You Feel Stuck

Enter your email to get our free PDF cheat sheet on maintaining your level of motivation. You'll also get a weekly email with inspiration and tips to optimize your life!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Cheat Sheet - What Should I Do After A Deep Tissue Massage?

Cheat Sheet - What Should I Do After A Deep Tissue Massage?

Enter your email to get our free PDF cheat sheet on what to do after a deep tissue massage. You'll also get a weekly email with inspiration and tips to optimize your life!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Cheat Sheet - Tips for Sitting at a Computer All Day

Cheat Sheet - Tips for Sitting at a Computer All Day

Enter your email to get our free PDF cheat sheet on tips to counter sitting at a computer all day. You'll also get a weekly email with inspiration and tips to optimize your life!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Cheat Sheet - How Do I Stick to a Budget?

Cheat Sheet - How Do I Stick to a Budget?

Enter your email to get our free PDF cheat sheet on tips to stick to your budget. You'll also get a weekly email with inspiration and tips to optimize your life!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Expert Tips - How to Get Over a Breakup

Expert Tips - How to Get Over a Breakup

Enter your email to get our free PDF with expert tips on getting over a breakup. You'll also get a weekly email with inspiration and tips to optimize your life!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Expert Tips - How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

Expert Tips - How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

Enter your email to get our free PDF with expert tips on how to stop comparing yourself to others. You'll also get a weekly email with inspiration and tips to optimize your life!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Expert Tips - 10 Health & Fitness Quotes

Expert Tips - 10 Health & Fitness Quotes

Enter your email to get our free PDF with health and fitness quotes from Optimal Health Daily episodes. You'll also get a weekly email with inspiration and tips to optimize your life!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Cheat Sheet - Toxic Relationships

Cheat Sheet - Toxic Relationships

Enter your email to get our free PDF with tips on how to spot -- and get out of -- a toxic relationship. You'll also get a weekly email with inspiration, quotes, life tips, and more!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

OLD Podcast: Library

OLD Podcast: Library

Enter your email to get your password to access our handy library. You'll also get a weekly email with inspiration and life tips!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

5-Day Email Course - Get Started with Personal Finances

5-Day Email Course - Get Started with Personal Finances

Enter your email to join our free 5-day ecourse on improving your personal finances. You'll also get a weekly email with inspiration and tips to optimize your life!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Journaling Worksheet - PDF

Journaling Worksheet - PDF

Enter your email to get a sample of our journaling worksheet PDF with quotes and templates based on Optimal Living Daily episodes. You'll also get a weekly email with inspiration and tips to optimize your life!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

5-Day Email Course - Improve Your Health and Fitness

5-Day Email Course - Improve Your Health and Fitness

Enter your email to join our free 5-day ecourse on improving your health and fitness. You'll also get a weekly email with inspiration and tips to optimize your life!

You have Successfully Subscribed!