Apple cider vinegar is a folk remedy for a wide variety of ailments, including lowering blood pressure. Because drinking tablespoons of the vinegar can be difficult because of its strong flavor and odor, supplement manufacturers have developed tablets. Research on the ability of apple cider vinegar to lower blood pressure or help with any other health disorder is lacking. Consult a doctor if you think you have high blood pressure, as this condition can be dangerous.
Identification
An article by nutrition consultant Beth Fontenot in the November-December 1997 issue of "Nutrition Forum" notes that apple cider vinegar develops from the action of yeast and bacteria on apple juice. After crushing apples and extracting the liquid, someone making vinegar adds sugar and yeast to begin fermentation and convert the sugars to alcohol. In a second fermentation process, bacteria that create acetic acid turn the alcohol into vinegar. Acetic acid is the component responsible for vinegar's sour flavor.
Theories/Speculation
Some apple cider vinegar supplement manufacturers claim the substance can reduce cholesterol levels and blood pressure. The theory involves an ability of apple cider vinegar to thin the blood so that it circulates more effectively, counteracting the action of dietary animal products that thicken the blood with heavy protein and fat. That "thick blood" supposedly strains the heart and increases blood pressure. Fontenot cautions that no scientific research supports this use for apple cider vinegar.
Expert Insight
Although published research on apple cider vinegar for high blood pressure in humans is lacking, animal research published in the December 2001 issue of "Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry," with lead author S. Kondo, investigated the effects of regular vinegar and its component acetic acid on blood pressure in hypertensive rats. Long-term supplementation with acetic acid significantly lowered blood pressure compared with consumption of vinegar or no added supplements, suggesting that the acetic acid component of vinegar is responsible for any blood pressure benefits.
Blood Sugar
One effect of apple cider vinegar in a study with humans was indicated in a study by Malmo University Hospital in Sweden and published online in "BMC Gastroenterology" on Dec. 20, 2007, but it is not associated with blood pressure. The authors note that vinegar improves blood sugar levels after eating by slowing gastric emptying into the intestines. This can be a problem, however, in patients with diabetic gastroparesis, a condition that involves delayed gastric emptying due to nerve damage. Patients taking insulin to regulate blood sugar need to monitor their levels more closely if supplementing with vinegar.
Supplements
If you'd like to try taking apple cider vinegar tablets, numerous brands are available in supplement sections of grocery and department stores, as well as from online retailers. One tablespoon of apple cider vinegar provides small amounts of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese and phosphorus, along with 15 mg of potassium, notes Fontenot. A sample brand of apple cider vinegar tablets lists 116 mg of calcium for 12 percent of the DV and 88 mg of phosphorus for 9 percent of the DV in a two-tablet serving. Adults can take two tablets one to three times per day with food.
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