Fad diets come and go, but vinegar's reputation as a diet food has been circulating since the early 1800s, making it one of the more enduring weight-loss trends. Vinegar has been around since about 5000 B.C., when it was used as a preserving agent and condiment by the Babylonians. However, Mayo Clinic nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky says treating vinegar as a diet food isn't likely to result in weight loss.
History
The word "vinegar" comes from the French word "vin aigre," or sour wine, according to the Vinegar Institute. In centuries past, vinegar was made not only from fermented grapes but from dates, molasses, fruits, melons, honey, beer, potatoes, grains and malt, among many other foods. Gaining a foothold in the commercial industry as early as 2000 B.C., vinegar was likely one of the earliest remedies. During the Civil War, vinegar was used to prevent scurvy, and during World War I, it was used to clean wounds. Apple cider vinegar is most often mentioned as a diet food.
Vinegar and Diet
Moody Romantic poet Lord Byron first made the vinegar and water diet popular in the 1820s, according to the American Dietetic Association. In 1958, "Folk Medicine," a book written by Dr. Deforrest Clinton Jarvis, mentions cider vinegar as a weight loss tonic. Purportedly drinking a tonic of cider vinegar and honey on a regular basis burns fat. According to EveryDiet.Org, other proponents of vinegar as a weight loss aid assert that the pectin in the cider vinegar binds to cholesterol in the blood so your body can remove it.
Uses
Dieters who put credence in apple cider vinegar as a diet food usually consume a small amount -- between 1 and 3 tbsp. -- before meals. However, as EveryDiet.Org and Zeratsky point out, there's very little scientific evidence that vinegar burns fat or acts as an appetite suppressant.
Cautions
Although ineffective, the use of vinegar as a weight loss aid is generally harmless. However, Zeratsky cautions that vinegar is very acidic and may irritate your throat if consumed in large amounts. Additionally apple cider vinegar can interact with some dietary supplements and prescription medications, including diuretics and insulin. It can also lower your potassium levels.
Myths
There's no "miracle food" that alters your metabolism in such a way that you burn fat, says the Weight Control Information Network -- not vinegar, grapefruit or cabbage. Nor will you lose weight by eating certain combinations of foods. If you want to shed those extra pounds, you simply need to eat fewer calories than you burn every day. A healthier way to lose weight is to incorporate healthy foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean proteins into your diet and add exercise to your daily routine, says Zeratsky.
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