Cider vinegar is made from the fermenting of apple juice to produce alcohol. The oxygenation of this alcoholic juice produces a chemical reaction resulting in cider vinegar. Cider vinegar contains about 5 percent acetic acid, the major constituent of vinegars. The low acetic acid content makes it a weak acid appropriate for consumption. Cider vinegar and water may help with weight loss, but seek your doctor's advice prior to using as a weight loss aid.
History of Vinegar and Its Uses
Cider vinegar has a long and illustrious past. As early as 3,000 BC, the Egyptians were using apple cider vinegar for weight loss. Julius Caesar's army used vinegar and water as an antiseptic. Hippocrates gave his patients vinegar to cure their ills. Throughout history, cider vinegar has been used for treating wounds, snake and insect bites and healing bruises. Even today scientists are looking at the benefits of cider vinegar's effective ingredient, acetic acid.
Acetic Acid and Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance is the decreased ability of your body's insulin secretions to transport glucose to your cells for use as energy. Instead, excess glucose is stored as fat. A January 2004 study in the professional journal "Diabetes Care" gave 28 subjects with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes 20 g of apple cider vinegar mixed with 40 g of water and 1 tsp of saccharine and then followed it with a meal. Blood levels were taken, and the results showed that the cider vinegar and water mixture significantly improved insulin sensitivity.
Weight Loss
A May 2009 study in the "Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry" found that mice given acetic acid had a decreased accumulation of body fat. In an April 2009 study in the professional journal "Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry," test subjects were given either 15 ml, 30 ml or 0 ml of vinegar daily for 12 weeks. At the end of the trial period, the subjects that ingested the vinegar had lower body weights, lower BMIs, decreased triglycerides and smaller waists than those who had no vinegar.
Side Effects
Cider vinegar and water used occasionally has few side effects, states Katherine Zeratsky, a registered dietitian with MayoClinic.com. Zeratsky is sceptical about the effectiveness of cider vinegar and water as a weight-control measure, maintaining that the key to weight loss is taking in fewer calories than you burn. For those who do try cider vinegar as a diet aid, be aware that the acidity of the vinegar may cause irritation to your throat if taken in large enough quantities. Cider vinegar may also interact with some medications such as insulin and diuretics, which may lead to low potassium levels. Seek your doctor's advice as to whether using cider vinegar and water is right for you.
References
- ChemicalFormula.org: Facts About Vinegar
- HealthyRecipes.com: Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar
- Apple Cider Vinegar Weight Loss: Apple Cider Vinegar History
- "Diabetes Care"; Vinegar Improves Insulin Sensitivity to a High-Carbohydrate Meal in Subjects With Insulin Resistance or Type 2 Diabetes; Carol S. Johnston, et al.; January 2004
- "Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry"; Acetic Acid Upregulates the Expression of Genes for Fatty Acid Oxidation Enzymes in Liver To Suppress Body Fat Accumulation; Tomoo Kondo, et al.; May 2009
- "Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry"; Vinegar Intake Reduces Body Weight, Body Fat Mass, and Serum Triglyceride Levels in Obese Japanese Subjects; Tomoo Kondo, et al.; April 2009
Member Comments