Is It Healthy To Drink Vinegar?

Vinegar has long been used as medicine. Legend has it that Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, used it to help manage wounds in early Greece, according to a report published in 2006 issue of Medscape General Medicine. Since then, vinegar's purported benefits have been vast and supplement manufacturers have profited from the public's interest in them. When considering using home remedies, though, it's in your body's best interest to separate folklore from fact.

Diabetes Connection

Some early research links consumption of vinegar with improved diabetes symptoms. For example, research published in a 2007 issue of Diabetes Care found that patients with Type 2 diabetes had more favorable blood sugar levels in the morning when they consumed 2 tbsp. of apple cider vinegar the night prior. Additionally, an animal-based study published in a 2008 issue of the Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences found that diabetic rats had improved levels of blood fats and increased levels of "good" cholesterol when they ate a diet rich in apple cider vinegar for four weeks.

Antioxidant Investigation

Vinegar is rich in antioxidants called polyphenols, which are plant compounds that help defend the body against free radicals. Your body naturally produces free radicals during food breakdown and after exposure to toxins such as tobacco smoke and radiation. Consuming polyphenols may help protect your body against diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Kurosu vinegar in particular is thought to be rich in phenolic compounds, according to a review published in a 2006 issue of Medscape General Medicine. More research will be necessary before a definitive line can be drawn between vinegar and such protective benefits.

Weight Loss Claims

Followers of the apple cider vinegar diet believe that taking an apple cider vinegar supplement or drinking some apple cider vinegar before eating a meal can help curb your appetite and burn fat. However, little evidence suggests that this is an effective diet strategy. Consuming acetic acid may help you lose water weight but it doesn't seem to affect fat in your body, according to Health Services at Columbia University. The best way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you consume. A healthy way to do this is to exercise every day and eat an array of nutritious fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and some healthy fats.

Potential Risks

Because vinegar is highly acidic, it can be irritating to your throat and cause tooth enamel erosion if you consume large amounts of it. It may also negatively interact with supplements and drugs such as insulin and diuretics to cause low potassium levels, according to MayoClinic.com. Vinegar can also thin the blood, which can cause extra problems if you're already on blood-thinning medications.

Considerations

Consult your doctor if you're interested in including vinegar in your diet. He can let you know whether the amount you want to consume could cause extra problems based on medications you take or conditions you already have. If your doctors says you can safely include vinegar in your diet, get further advice from a registered dietitian on selecting the right type of vinegar for you. Even the same type of vinegar has different varieties. For instance, non-organic apple cider vinegar has been heated to kill bacteria, which makes it clearer but causes it to lose some of its nutrient content, according to Health Services at Columbia. On the other hand, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar may offer more nutritional benefits but its bacteria content could cause further problems.