Balsamic vinegar, if you are careful not to consume it in excess, can be a fairly healthy alternative to many salad dressings and sauces, which tend to be high in fat and sodium. However, even balsamic vinegar can be problematic for your diet if you eat too much of it.
Calories
One 1/4-cup serving of balsamic vinegar contains 56 calories. While this may not seem like a significant amount of calories, especially considering that the same serving of ranch dressing contains about 20 times that amount of calories. However, if you find yourself not losing the weight you expected on your diet, you may not realize that flavorings like balsamic vinegar can contribute significantly. That one serving is about 3 percent of a 2,000-calorie diet for an entire day.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates, in and of themselves, are not bad for you. You need carbohydrates to serve as a source of energy for all of your body's functions. However, if you consume too many carbohydrates without being physically active enough to burn them off, carbohydrates can lead to unhealthy weight gain. The serving of balsamic vinegar contains 10.86 grams of total carbohydrates. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 45 and 65 percent of your daily caloric requirement should be provided by carbohydrates.
Sugars
The balsamic vinegar also contains 9.53 grams of total sugars, including 4.83 grams of glucose and 4.7 grams of fructose. This sugar is likely not as harmful to your health as the added sucrose found in many snacks, candies and cereals. However, it is still not nutritionally beneficial to your health -- it is simply burned for energy. If you are not physically active enough to burn the sugars off, they can contribute to unhealthy weight gain.
Sodium
Although sodium is not the most plentiful mineral in balsamic vinegar, it is still a potential concern simply because many people eat a diet that is high in sodium due to its prevalence in modern processed foods. One serving of balsamic vinegar contains 15 milligrams of sodium. Too much sodium can increase your risk of stroke and heart disease, so the Mayo Clinic recommends that you not consume more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day.
References
- USDA National Nutrient Database: Vinegar, Balsamic -- 0.25 Cup
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Carbohydrates; February 2011
- American Heart Association; Frequently Asked Questions About Sugar; May 2010
- MayoClinic.org; Pass on the Salt: Most Americans Would Benefit from Lower Sodium Intake; September 2009
Member Comments