Cider Vinegar Health Uses

According to "Amazing Apple Cider Vinegar" by Earl Mindell and Larry M. Johns, vinegar has been a health remedy for centuries. Hippocrates prescribed it, the armies of the Romans used it for its antiseptic properties, and it was once thought to prevent scurvy. This common kitchen ingredient is now being studied for possible health benefits ranging from weight loss to diabetes management to helping decrease high blood pressure.

Cider Vinegar

Cider vinegar and wine result from similar fermentation processes --- fresh juice ferments into alcohol as yeasts in the air convert sugars, and then bacteria change the alcohol into acid. In the case of vinegar, the acid is known as acetic acid. Naturally fermented vinegars, say Mindell and Johns, contain vitamins, enzymes, minerals, amino acids and trace elements. Hard cider --- the intermediate stage between fresh apple juice and cider vinegar --- was a favorite, mildly alcoholic beverage in colonial America.

Vinegar and Diabetes

Vinegar has been studied for its role in diabetes. In one study reported in the June 2005 issue of the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition," diabetic volunteers were given breakfasts of white bread with and without vinegar. When vinegar was added to the meal, the subjects' blood sugar was lower and less insulin was secreted at 30 minutes after the meal. Subjects also reported a greater feeling of satiety when vinegar was added to the white bread. These results were dose-related, meaning that higher amounts of vinegar produced more of an effect.

In a second study from the University of Arizona, healthy subjects were given two different test meals. One consisted of a bagel and juice; the other "meal" consisted of a sugar solution. This study was reported in the 2005 "Annals of Nutrition Metabolism." Two teaspoons of vinegar included with the meal decreased the postprandial glucose --- the blood sugar level after the meal --- by 20 percent compared to a placebo, but only in the bagel and juice meal. There was no effect on blood sugar in the sugar solution trial, suggesting that vinegar is effective with complex carbohydrates but not simple carbohydrates.

Gastroparesis

One of the complications of diabetes is a condition known as gastroparesis, in which the stomach is slow to empty. Researchers in the Department of Medicine at the University of Lund, in Malmö, Sweden, conducted research on the effects of vinegar in gastroparesis. Vinegar was found to further delay gastric emptying in insulin-dependent diabetic patients, suggesting that for the diabetic who has gastroparesis, it may be a disadvantage rather than an advantage to take vinegar. Their research was reported in the online journal "Biomedical Central Gastroenterology" in December 2007.

Vinegar, Hypertension and Weight Loss

Vinegar has also been studied for its effects on hypertension, or high blood pressure. Research at the Central Research Institute in Japan, published in December 2001 in "Bioscience Biotechnology and Biochemistry," found that vinegar significantly reduced blood pressure in hypertensive rats compared with control rats.

Two other studies conducted in Japan looked at vinegar for weight loss. A study of obese Japanese subjects, published in April 2009 in "Bioscience Biotechnology and Biochemistry," found that waist circumference, body mass index, body weight and serum triglyceride level were significantly lower in subjects who drank vinegar. Research subjects were divided into three groups, with each group being similar in terms of weight, waist measurement and blood lipid levels. One group received 15 ml of vinegar a day; the second, 30 ml; and the third, water. A second study by the same researchers focused on the impact of vinegar fed to mice, which was published in May 2009 in "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry." Mice fed a high-fat diet were given either water or acetic acid for six weeks. The vinegar inhibited accumulation of body fat even though the rats' food consumption did not change.

Considerations and Warnings

Vinegar does seem to show promise for the treatment of diabetes, hypertension and weight loss. None of these studies indicated any negative effects from vinegar ingestion; however, the quantities were relatively low at 1 oz. or less. However, both diabetes and hypertension are serious diseases with the potential for complications such as heart disease or stroke, and self-management can be risky. If you have one of these conditions and would like to add vinegar to your health regimen, discuss it with a health care professional.