Many people drink apple cider vinegar in hopes of alleviating certain ailments. It has been used for centuries as a folk remedy for arthritis, cramps, the common cold, kidney stones, constipation and more. The fermentation of apples produces the compound acetic acid, which is said to be responsible for its healing properties. Despite the lack of scientific proof that apple cider vinegar cures all these different illnesses, promising preliminary studies have been done regarding the benefits of apple cider vinegar and diabetes, apple cider vinegar and weight loss, and apple cider vinegar and heart health.
Diabetes
Researchers from Arizona State University conducted and published two studies in the journal "Diabetes Care." Results from both of these studies concluded that apple cider vinegar can significantly lower blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Although promising, in order for the medical community to recommend apple cider vinegar to diabetic patients, more research must be done.
Weight Loss
In a study cited in the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition", researchers found that people who consumed apple cider vinegar with a slice of white bread felt fuller longer than the control group that only consumed the bread. Contrary to the many diets promoting apple cider vinegar as a metabolism booster, there is no scientific proof to support such claims.
Heart Health
A study published in the "British Journal of Nutrition" concluded that rats on a diet with an acetic acid supplement resulted in lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels than a control group that did not have the supplement. Another study conducted in Iran also concentrated on the effect of adding apple cider vinegar to the diets of rats. They observed that the rats who drank the vinegar had a decreased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) level and an increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (the good cholesterol).
References
- "Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences": Apple Cider Vinegar Attenuates Lipid Profile in Normal and Diabetic Rats
- "Diabetes Care": Vinegar Ingestion at Bedtime Moderates Waking Glucose Concentrations in Adults with Well-Controlled Type 2 Diabetes
- "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition": Vinegar Supplementation Lowers Glucose and Insulin Responses and Increases Satiety After a Bread Meal in Healthy Subjects
- "Bristish Journal of Nutrition": Dietary Acetic Acid Reduces Serum Cholesterol and Triacylglycerols in Rats Fed a Cholesterol-rich Diet
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