Vinegar is often mentioned as an anecdotal weight loss remedy. Although a 2009 study on mice indicates that acetic acid, the main component of vinegar, has promise as a weight loss agent, there's no hard evidence to indicate that drinking distilled white vinegar -- or any other type of vinegar -- will curb your appetite or burn excess body fat.
Distilled Vinegar
Vinegar is typically used as a condiment or preserving agent. Vinegar can be made from anything that contains sugar. Distilled white vinegar, also known as "spirit vinegar," is made from dilute distilled alcohol through a process known as acetic fermentation. Vinegar goes through two fermentation processes. First, yeast turns sugar into alcohol. Then, bacteria convert the alcohol into acetic acid.
Research
In July 2009, "Science Daily," an online news website, reported results of a study conducted by Japanese researchers published in the "Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry" that renewed interest in vinegar as a weight loss agent. Researchers found that mice on a high-fat diet that were given acetic acid had 10 percent less body fat at the end of the study than mice that were not.
Other Information
Popular British poet Lord Byron, who died at age 36 in 1824, made the vinegar and water diet trendy back in the 1820s. Integrative physician Andrew Weil notes that an incarnation of the apple cider vinegar diet, which purportedly increased the body's metabolism, resurfaced in the 1970s, along with other weight loss fads and scams. Weil indicates that vinegar, like other acids, may delay how quickly your stomach empties, which can alter the effect a high-carbohydrate meal has on your blood sugar. However, there's no solid evidence to suggest that vinegar can reduce your appetite or burn fat.
Weight Loss That Works
While there's no magic solution that will make you lose weight, there is a sure solution: reduce the amount of calories you consume and increase your level of physical activity. One lb. of body fat is the equivalent of roughly 3,500 calories. To lose 1 lb. every week, trim 500 calories from your diet each day, according to MayoClinic.com. Regular physical activity not only speeds up weight loss, it puts you in a better mood and strengthens your heart and cardiovascular system.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Apple Cider Vinegar for Weight Loss
- American Dietetic Association: Fad Diet Timeline-Lord Byron
- Vinegar Institute: Research News
- Vinegar Institute: Frequently Asked Questions
- MayoClinic.com: Weight Loss-Better to Cut Calories or Exercise More?
- Science Daily: New Evidence That Vinegar May be a Natural Fat Fighter
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