Weight Loss Benefits of Vinegar

Vinegar seems like a pretty inconspicuous cooking ingredient and most people wouldn’t consider adding it to their daily diets. After all, vinegar has a rather strong taste that is difficult to get past and adding it to your daily diet can be challenging. However, it is the reason vinegar has such a potent flavor that also gives it some unique weight loss benefits.

Apple cider vinegar is marketed as a weight loss aid because of its ability to increase metabolism, stabilize blood sugar and decrease appetite.

Vinegar’s tangy taste and pungent smell comes from acetic acid, which is an organic acid. Acetic acid is present in all forms of vinegars, including white vinegar, malt vinegar, apple cider vinegar and raspberry vinegar. Research studying the effects of vinegar on blood sugar levels and insulin has found that acetic acid slows down the rate at which food empties from the stomach into the intestines and may decrease the rate of carbohydrate digestion. These effects help to stabilize blood sugar and insulin levels when vinegar is consumed during a meal. This is particularly helpful for people who have type 2 diabetes or who are struggling to lose weight due to insulin resistance.

Another exciting piece of research that was published in July 2009 showed that consuming acetic acid may help increase thermogenesis (fat burning) and prevent body fat accumulation. The study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry (1) found that mice that were fed a high-fat diet in combination with acetic acid supplementation had significant increases in the activity of genes responsible for regulating fat metabolism.

One of the most popular fad diets over the past few years has been a diet based on consuming vinegar prior to each meal. This diet, called the Apple Cider Vinegar Diet, uses, as the name suggests, apple cider vinegar, which is thought to offer a variety of weight loss benefits. In addition to naturally boosting metabolism and stabilizing blood sugar and insulin levels, consuming apple cider vinegar before each meal is said to decrease appetite. It is theorized that appetite suppression may occur because apple cider vinegar contains a soluble fiber called pectin that absorbs water and swells in the stomach, making the stomach feel full. Others hypothesize that it is the acetic acid in apple cider vinegar that helps to increase the feeling of satiety (fullness). Whatever the reason may be, a whole diet has been founded on the weight loss benefits of vinegar.

If you are thinking that taking vinegar to see if it helps you lose weight is something you want to try, then there are a few things to consider. First of all, many people find that drinking 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar before each meal is really difficult because it tastes so bad. There are apple cider vinegar tablets that are definitely easier to consume, however the weight loss benefits of vinegar have only been documented in studies that used vinegar in liquid form, not tablets. As well, not all brands of apple cider vinegar tablets are created equal and many have been found to contain less acetic acid than what their product labels state.

Finally, a word of caution about using vinegar as a weight loss aid – vinegar, taken either in liquid or tablet form is quite acidic and has the potential to cause heartburn and other esophageal discomforts. If you are prone to heartburn or acid reflux then consuming vinegar is not recommended for you. Of course, as with all weight loss products, if you are not sure about how vinegar may impact your health it is best to discuss its use with your doctor.

References:

1. Kondo et al. “Acetic Acid Upregulates the Expression of Genes for Fatty Acid Oxidation Enzymes in Liver To Suppress Body Fat Accumulation.” Journal of Agricral and Food Chemistry, 2009.

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