A daily spoonful of apple cider vinegar was associated with weight loss of 13 to 16 pounds over three months in young people who were overweight or had obesity, according to new research published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention, and Health. Drinking between 1 teaspoon (tsp) and 1 tablespoon (tbsp) of apple cider vinegar dissolved in water was also linked with significant decreases in blood sugar levels, triglycerides, and cholesterol.
The findings suggest that apple cider vinegar could be “a promising anti-obesity supplement that does not produce any side effect,” the researchers wrote.
The changes in weight, body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumference, and appetite from drinking apple cider vinegar are certainly intriguing, says Christine Tenekjian, MPH, RDN, who works at the Duke Lifestyle and Weight Management Center in Durham, North Carolina, and was not involved in the research. “These findings suggest that we need to certainly consider apple cider vinegar as a possible intervention for weight loss and keep studying it,” she says.
What Is Apple Cider Vinegar and How Does It Work?
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is made from fermented apples and the active ingredient is acetic acid. To be considered ACV, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires it to contain at least 4 percent acetic acid.
“There are some laboratory studies in mice and in cells that found acetic acid inhibits the enzyme that breaks down sugar and possibly that keeps down increases in blood glucose after eating carbs.That’s like part of the blood sugar benefit. And there’s some evidence that suggests apple cider vinegar increases the amount of time that food stays in your stomach, which could increase fullness or satiety,” says Tenekjian.
Daily Apple Cider Vinegar Led to Significant Weight Loss
To explore the short-term effects of apple cider vinegar on young people who were overweight or had obesity, investigators in Lebanon recruited 120 participants (46 males and 74 females) between the ages of 12 and 25 years with a BMI between 27 and 34.
Each participant was randomly assigned to one of four groups. Those in the first three groups were asked to drink 1 tsp, 2 tsp, or 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar, diluted in 1 cup of water, once per day. Those in the fourth group were given a dummy (placebo) liquid.
Everyone was instructed to drink the ACV solution first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. The timing was chosen to avoid the potential influence of other food and drink, and to see if it helped reduce appetite, according to the authors.
Participants recorded what they ate in a diet diary and provided information on their physical activity. According to the authors, there was very little difference in diary entries and physical activity records between the groups, though they didn’t include that information in the study.
Key findings included:
- Compared with those given the placebo, the apple cider vinegar drinkers lost significant amounts of weight and reduced their BMI.
- The group that drank the highest dose, 1 tbsp, lost the most weight: The average weight dropped from about 170 pounds to about 154 pounds. The average BMI went from 30 to just over 27.
- The 2 tsp group average weight fell from 174 pounds to 158 pounds, and the 1 tsp group from 174 pounds to 163 pounds.
All 3 different quantities of apple cider vinegar were also associated with significant reductions in waist and hip measurements and body fat ratio compared with the placebo group. Unlike with weight loss, there was no dose-dependent effect — the reductions were about the same in every group, said the researchers.
Those who drank ACV also had lower blood sugar, triglycerides, and cholesterol, although these did seem to depend on the size of the dose, with the largest reductions among those taking 1 tablespoon once per day.
The Study Comes With Some Caveats
The authors acknowledge the study was small, so the results may not be generalizable. Because it only lasted three months, it’s unclear how ACV side effects and efficacy might change or perform in the long-term.
Another factor to consider is that the group was also made up of teens and young adults, says Tenekjian. “It’s much easier to lose weight when you’re younger,” she points out.
Western diets also vary from the study group. A U.S. diet is typically higher in saturated fats and concentrated sweets, and lower in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, and so an American may not see the same positive results, says Beth Czerwony, RD, at Cleveland Clinic’s Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute in Ohio.
Previous Research Has Shown Apple Cider Vinegar Can Help With Weight Loss
“The weight loss, improvement in glucose, and lipid levels are in line with other research,” says Czerwony.
Although there aren’t a lot of controlled studies in humans on the impact of apple cider vinegar, there have been a few studies to show similar improvements in metabolic measures, including a randomized trial published in April 2018 in the Journal of Functional Foods.
In Small Doses, Apple Cider Vinegar Doesn’t Pose Many Risks of Side Effects
You should keep in mind a few things if you’re considering trying apple cider vinegar for weight loss. “Small doses — a spoonful or two diluted in water — are generally okay, but don’t drink large quantities,” says Tenekjian. It can damage the enamel of your teeth, so don’t drink it right before bed or let it linger in your mouth, and rinse with plain water after you drink it, she says.
Even though ACV can be found on the shelves of grocery stores everywhere, Czerwony doesn’t recommend drinking the vinegar-water mixture on a regular basis until you’ve discussed it with your primary care healthcare provider. “Given the potential of decreasing glucose levels, it may be counterproductive to add in ACV, as it may result in a negative interaction with other medications causing blood sugar to go too low, placing the patient at risk,” she says.
The Weight Loss Shown Is Promising, but More Research Is Needed
Although more research is needed, these findings suggest that apple cider vinegar might be a useful tool in helping with weight loss, says Tenekjian. “People ask me about this all the time, and I may take the conversation a little more seriously now — though I don’t know if I would proactively bring it up,” she says.
For someone who was really struggling with hunger and weight loss, despite trying a lot of other things, it might be worth a try, she says. “I would tell them there was limited evidence, but it’s not very risky and it’s not expensive,” she says. Still, ACV shouldn’t replace evidence-based approaches to weight loss such as diet, exercise, and FDA-approved medications, adds Tenekjian.
Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies Are Not the Same as Diluted Apple Cider Vinegar
It’s important to note that the findings in this study were linked with drinking apple cider vinegar in water — not to taking apple cider vinegar gummies, says Tenekjian.
“Everybody wants to just take an apple cider vinegar gummy, but because of the way supplements are regulated, it’s not going to be a standardized dose, and they’re not tested. Gummies or tablets are definitely less reliable ways to get a specific amount of the acetic acid,” she says.
