Can Apple Cider Vinegar Help You Lose Weight?

Apple Cider Vinegar For Weight Loss | Probiotic America

If you’re looking for ways to maintain your health, you’ve probably done some online research. And odds are good that you’ve run across articles on the health benefits of apple cider vinegar. But did you know that new evidence suggests apple cider vinegar for weight loss might also be a good idea?

The idea that something you have in your pantry right now might play a role in losing weight is exciting, isn’t it? Here’s a look at how apple cider vinegar, or ACV, could help you drop a few pounds – as well as some of its other potential benefits.

How It’s Made?

Apple Cider Vinegar For Weight Loss | Probiotic America
Acetification of Vinegar in a Schützenbach Barrel, 1875

The fermentation process is key when it comes to making the apple cider vinegar you see at your local grocery or health food store. It’s made by crushing or cutting apples and combining them with yeast. The yeast converts the sugar in the apples to alcohol. Bacteria are then added to convert the alcohol to acetic acid.1

Acetic acid is one of the main reasons that people recommend apple cider vinegar for weight loss.2 Here are some of the ways it works:

Reducing Body Fat

A lot more human research needs to be performed on whether apple cider vinegar for weight loss is a good idea. But the early results show promise.

For example, there is some evidence to suggest that acetic acid helps with weight loss by reducing body fat.

According to one study, more than 150 people received either 15 milliliters (ml) of apple cider vinegar, 30 ml of the liquid or a placebo daily for three months. The participants who consumed apple cider vinegar had less abdominal fat and lower body weight than those who drank the placebo.3

Increasing the Sense of Fullness

Another way that apple cider vinegar could help with weight loss is by making you feel fuller. One study included a group of people given bread soaked in apple cider vinegar. The other group received regular bread. According to the results, the participants who ate the vinegar-soaked bread reported feeling fuller than the other group.4

Other Health Benefits of ACV

Additional research suggests that apple cider vinegar may offer other types of health benefits. Here are just a few of them:

Blood Sugar Maintenance

People suffering from health conditions related to increased blood sugar levels, according to one study, had lower levels when they consumed apple cider vinegar along with a high-protein snack shortly before going to bed.5

Potential PCOS Benefits

Apple Cider Vinegar For Weight Loss | Probiotic AmericaApple cider vinegar has been shown to help reduce symptoms in women suffering from a condition known as polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS. This is a hormonal disorder characterized by increased levels of the male hormone androgen, as well as irregular menstrual periods.

According to one study, women suffering from PCOS saw an improvement in their symptoms after consuming apple cider vinegar daily for 110 days.7 There is also evidence that massaging the liquid into stretch marks after pregnancy could help to reduce both their appearance and their size.8

Anti-Microbial Properties

Research shows that apple cider vinegar is effective in killing two kinds of harmful microbes known as Candida albicans and Enterococcus faecalis.9 Another study showed that the liquid also kills the dangerous E. coli bacterium.10 E. coli can cause serious symptoms, and it can potentially cause kidney failure in older adults and children.

Reducing Bad Cholesterol

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is known as “bad” cholesterol because it accumulates in the arteries and increases the risk of developing cardiovascular problems.12 There is evidence that apple cider vinegar may play a role in reducing the levels of LDL in people who have high cholesterol readings.13

Diarrhea Relief

The pectin found in apple cider vinegar, according to research, helps to support the beneficial bacteria found in the “gut” or gastrointestinal tract. As a result, it may help to reduce the occurrence of diarrhea in people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome.14

Skin Health

Probiotic Skin Care | Probiotic AmericaApple cider vinegar contains several organic acids that have been shown to kill Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) bacteria.

P. acnes has been associated with the development of acne.15

The Bottom Line

Is apple cider vinegar a “miracle” weight loss product? No, but ACV is linked to weight loss, and other health benefits. Combined with a healthy diet and exercise, ACV may be helpful in the battle of the bulge.

That being said, ACV is powerful, so always dilute it before you take it. And, if you’re not sure whether you should incorporate it into your daily health routine, check with your doctor first.

 

Learn more about weight loss:
12 Awesome Benefits of Lactobacillus Acidophilus (including weight loss!)
Want Weight Loss? Drink More Water (+ healthy soda recipe)
Why Psyllium Husk is a Powerful Weight Loss Helper

Sources
1.www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/5/3/39/pdf
2.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24781306
3.http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1271/bbb.90231
4.https://www.nature.com/articles/1602197
5.http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/30/11/2814.full
7.https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/tjem/230/1/230_17/_article
8.Najafi,S. Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine.2015 Supplement, Vol. 5, p110-111. 2p.
9.http://www.speronline.com/japer/Articlefile/c/24_JAPER_47_2017_20171031_V1.pdf
10.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29379012
12.https://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/HDLLDLTriglycerides/HDL-Good-LDL-Bad-Cholesterol-and-Triglycerides_UCM_305561_Article.jsp
13.http://www.lifesciencesite.com/lsj/life0904/360_10755life0904_2431_2440.pdf
14.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25809332
15.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24265031