Apple Cider Vinegar With Water For Weight Loss

Both apple cider vinegar and water have been used for centuries to promote healing and health. Water, of course, is a commonly known necessity for life. Vinegar, on the other hand, has been used as a flavoring, preservative and medicine as early as Hippocrates, circa 400 B.C. Hippocrates used apple cider vinegar to treat skin ailments along with using vinegar as an ingredient in tonics for colds and coughs. Scientists in this century have begun researching vinegar's weight loss in earnest, hoping to validate or dispel some of its folksy legends.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar was first professionally suggested as a weight loss aid in the book "Folk Medicine," by D.C. Jarvis, M.D., in 1958. Jarvis states that diluting 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar with a glass of water before meals may help you lose weight over time. A 2009 study by the Mizkan Group conducted on 175 participants of comparable body types, showed noteworthy decreases in waistline, body mass indexing, visceral fat and an increase in overall energy levels. The study used 0 mL, 15 mL and 30 mL daily doses of vinegar mixed with a beverage for 12 weeks. Subjects that consumed the 30 mL dose daily showed the most significant weight loss results.

Water

A study published in "The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism" in 2003 notes that an increased water intake can augment the body's ability to metabolize stored energy or fat. Drinking water increased metabolism by as much as 30 percent in the study. The thermogenic effect water had on the body varied between the sexes. Lipids fueled the metabolic increase in men and carbohydrates fueled the metabolism in women. Researchers concluded that drinking 2 liters of water per day would augment energy expenditure during a weight-loss program.

Combined Benefits

Combining water and vinegar may significantly boost the overall weight loss efficacy. Fats and carbohydrates are processed by the liver, turning them into usable energy for our bodies. Water in itself increases thermogenesis, as does the acetic acid in vinegar. By keeping the body hydrated along with vinegar's supposed fat-inhibiting characteristics, promotes the coupled thermogenic effect. As the acetic acid creates fatty acid oxidation in the liver, water helps remove the toxins caused by burning calories.

Side Effects

Apple cider vinegar in itself is approximately four to 5 percent acetic acid per FDA regulations in the US. Vinegar has been linked to esophageal damage, stomach irritation, tooth decay, low bone density and decreased potassium levels in blood. Prolonged overuse has been linked in particular to osteoporosis. Overdose may cause hyperreninemia, an adrenal gland disorder that increases rennin in the blood to an unsafe level, causing hypertension and other related cardiovascular health problems.

Considerations

Not all dietary and health professional recognize vinegars ability to induce weight loss on its own. Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., of the Mayo Clinic website concludes that the only reason the apple cider vinegar diet works is from a severe decrease in caloric intake along with a stringent physical fitness routine. While there is no official recommended dose for daily intake of apple cider vinegar, research studies suggest that 2 tbsp. with each meal has yielded promising results in clinical trials.