Apple cider vinegar as an aid to weight loss?

Apple cider vinegar is well known in cooking as an addition to dishes. With its sweet-sour taste and rich aroma it lifts a dish and enriches it. Apple cider vinegar is also popular for other health benefits, from antibacterial properties to antioxidant effects. Its use as a medicinal tonic reaches far back into the past, when Hippocrates used it to treat wounds, fever and skin ulcers.

The results of some recent studies suggest that apple cider vinegar has other benefits for health too, since among other things it speeds up the loss of excess kilograms, lowers cholesterol and blood sugar levels and eases the symptoms of diabetes.

Lately apple cider vinegar has attracted a great deal of interest above all because of its favourable effects on controlling body weight. Studies show that taking apple cider vinegar can reduce appetite and, together with a calorie-restricted diet, help to reduce body weight and the levels of plasma triglycerides and total cholesterol, and on the other hand to raise the level of HDL (good cholesterol) in overweight people. This means that apple cider vinegar, alongside an orderly diet and other standard forms of therapy, could be used as an additional help in managing body weight.

The effect of acetic acid, an important component of apple cider vinegar, in inhibiting the build-up of body fat was recently confirmed. In one recent study, in a double-blind trial, the effects of taking apple cider vinegar on reducing body fat in overweight people were investigated. Subjects of similar body weight, body mass index and waist circumference were randomly divided into three groups. During the 12-week treatment period the subjects in each group drank daily 500 mL of a drink containing either 15 mL of vinegar, 30 mL of vinegar or 0 mL of vinegar. Body weight, body mass index, visceral fat area, waist circumference and serum triglyceride level were significantly lower in both groups that took vinegar than in the placebo group.

Ašič's apple cider vinegars

According to the findings of research so far, simply adding or removing individual foods or their components from the diet rarely has a noticeable long-term effect on body weight. Losing excess kilograms and keeping a healthy body weight can be ensured in the long run only by a healthy way of eating and a healthy lifestyle. Apple cider vinegar in general contributes to losing excess body weight because it strengthens the feeling of satiety and lowers blood sugar and cholesterol levels. In addition, apple cider vinegar has a very small energy value: one tablespoon has only up to three calories.

If you are thinking of using apple cider vinegar for weight loss, you need to know that in small amounts it has almost no side effects, but as with other foods, the dose should certainly not be overdone. The maximum daily amount of apple cider vinegar that makes sense for weight loss is 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 mL) a day, and this amount must be mixed with plain water before drinking. It is best to divide the maximum recommended daily amount through the day into 2 to 3 smaller doses, taken before individual meals. At the start you can also begin with smaller daily amounts, for example 1 teaspoon (5 mL) a day, while observing how your body reacts to the vinegar. Taking more than 30 mL a day is not advisable because of possible adverse effects such as erosion of the tooth enamel, possible interactions with medicines and the like. You must also know that taking apple cider vinegar is no substitute for therapy with medicines prescribed by a doctor. One more warning for those with diabetes: taking apple cider vinegar can affect the blood sugar level.

We can conclude that taking apple cider vinegar daily can be potentially useful in reducing appetite and body weight.

Sources:

1. Kondo T., Kishi M., Fushimi T., Uga Jin S. in Kaga T. (2009) Vinegar Intake Reduces Body Weight, Body Fat Mass, and Serum Triglyceride Levels in Obese Japanese Subjects. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, 73(8), 1837-1843.

1. Khezri S.S., Saidpour A., Hosseinzadeh N. in Amiri Z. (2018) Beneficial effects of Apple Cider Vinegar on weight management, Visceral Adiposity Index and lipid profile in overweight or obese subjects receiving restricted calorie diet: A randomized clinical trial. Journal of Functional Foods, 43, 95-102.

1. Abou-Khalil R., Andary J. in El-Hayek E. (2024) Apple cider vinegar for weight management in Lebanese adolescents and young adults with overweight and obesity: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, 0:e000823. doi:10.1136/bmjnph-2023-000823.

1. https://www.everydayhealth.com/weight/can-apple-cider-vinegar-really-help-you-lose-weight/ 1. 8. 2024

Published: 1 August 2024