When you're talking weight loss, "ACV" usually refers to apple cider vinegar. It's easy to find online dieting forums that extol the virtues of vinegar when it comes to suppressing your appetite and enhancing digestion. Although apple cider vinegar may be able to help you absorb more nutrients from your food, experts disagree on whether it can actually help weight loss. Talk to your doctor before beginning any diet because of possible interactions.
Identification
Apple cider vinegar is a pale brown, flavored vinegar that's readily available in grocery stores. According to the Vinegar Institute, vinegar production requires a two-part natural process. First, yeast converts the natural sugar in apple cider to alcohol. Second, bacteria convert the alcohol into acid, giving vinegar its sharp, acidic taste.
The Case for Weight Loss
In "The Healing Powers of Vinegar," author Cal Orey cites a number of reasons why it's likely that apple cider vinegar can help you shed weight. Apple cider vinegar contains both pectin and potassium. The pectin, a fruit fiber, mixes with digesting food and causes it to expand -- making you feel fuller faster. Orey describes a study performed at the University of Southern California in which overweight people lost an average of 6 ½ pounds in one month by adding 15 g of pectin to their meals. Potassium, on the other hand, acts as a counterbalance to sodium. The less sodium your body holds onto, the less bloating and water retention you experience. As a result, drinking potassium-rich apple cider vinegar might help you shed water weight.
The Case Against Weight Loss Results
According to Mayo Clinic nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky, there is little scientific evidence to support the idea that drinking apple cider vinegar will spur weight loss. Zeratsky notes that although it's safe to consume apple cider vinegar in small quantities, its acidic nature might irritate your throat as well as interfere with drugs such as diuretics and insulin. If you're looking to lose weight, she writes, nothing replaces old-fashioned dieting and exercise.
Ingestion Methods
Orey writes that many people pour 1 tsp. of apple cider vinegar into a glass of water and drink it, either first thing in the morning or about 30 minutes before a meal. Proponents think raw, organic, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar has more nutrients and weight-loss power than pasteurized, overly processed vinegars. You can also buy apple cider vinegar supplements, if you prefer a capsule form.
Considerations
It's possible that apple cider vinegar could lead to lowered potassium levels. In "The Essential Herb-Drug-Vitamin Interaction Guide," George Grossberg and Barry Fox warn that cardioactive herbs such as digitalis combined with apple cider vinegar can lead to cardiotoxicity. You may be at risk for hypokalemia, or low blood potassium, if you ingest apple cider vinegar while taking medications such as insulin, acetazolamide or hydroflumethiazide.
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