Apple cider vinegar: How healthy is it and can you lose weight with it?

A café au lait in the morning mentally takes you to Paris. With tea, you wake up like a British monarch or a Buddhist monk. On the other hand, those who chug a glass of water with apple cider vinegar right after getting up feel connected to Hollywood and TikTok.

Apple cider vinegar – the ancient remedy

Apple cider vinegar is old news: even Hippocrates, the ancient physician, used it for infection protection in wounds. Currently, however, vinegar is opening a big barrel and is being marketed as a cure-all and especially a fat killer. One who advises her 4.7 million followers on the sour therapy is Ines Inchauspé, a mathematician, biochemist, and known as the Glucose Goddess on social media.

The Frenchwoman preaches that a glass of vinegar water before each meal ensures that sugar and starch are converted into glucose more slowly. Et voilà, you lose weight almost effortlessly without arduous sacrifice! "A tablespoon of vinegar before eating can reduce the glucose spike by up to 30 percent," says Inchauspé.

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This would make the feeling of fullness last longer and prevent cravings. The effect is based on the acetic acid contained, stimulating enzymes in the digestive process, specifically AMPK and GLP-1, which dampen the rise in blood sugar. This is how classic diabetes medications work as well.

Can apple cider vinegar reduce belly fat?

Indeed, there is a recent study from the Middle East with obesity patients showing that those who drank a glass of water with five to 15 milliliters of apple cider vinegar every morning for three months were able to reduce their weight by up to seven kilos.

A real "slim shot," as the tabloid media call it? Professor Andreas Michalsen , naturopath, chief physician at Berlin's Immanuel Hospital, and advisor to the exclusive Lanserhof resorts, relativizes: "This study from Lebanon is a first approach, but no generalizable effects can be derived from it yet. A narrow group of 120 subjects with a special disposition, none older than 25 years, a relatively short period – that's too little for valid statements."

In addition to the fat-burning effect, apple cider vinegar is also attributed with various other positive effects, e.g., it is said to serve as a booster for digestion, diabetes management, and cholesterol control. Similar to the old myth "an apple a day keeps the doctor away," a sip of sour apple seems to do the trick too.

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What active ingredients are in apple cider vinegar?

However, there is little fruit in the vinegar, because during production apples are pressed, the juice is fermented into apple wine and mixed with acetic acid bacteria, and only a small part of the fruit's vitamins and minerals are transferred to the vinegar. With two teaspoons, the total nutrient content is negligibly low: 0.001 milligrams (mg) of beta-carotene, 10 mg of potassium, zero vitamin C - the apple from the tree boasts up to 34 times that.

One active ingredient, however, is efficient: Acetic acid has a proven effect on insulin levels and in type 2 diabetes apple cider vinegar can help sufferers avoid hypoglycemia. However, they should consult their doctor as a precaution before trying this natural remedy.

For another reason, apple cider vinegar is popular among people like Katy Perry, Elizabeth Hurley, and Scarlett Johannsen: It is said to make clear skin and beautiful nails (and boost digestion). Designer Victoria Beckham claims two spoons in the morning make her "lithe," meaning supple. The antibacterial properties that Hippocrates once praised have now actually been scientifically investigated and recognized, and fungal infections and wounds can be well treated (externally) with it.

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How should you take apple cider vinegar?

However, there is simply not enough evidence for the benefits of an internal cure. Those who still want to integrate a bit of Hollywood routine into their everyday life can try the mix; it won't hurt with moderate consumption and a 1:10 ratio (vinegar: water).

To be on the safe side, it's better to use a straw to avoid damaging the tooth enamel, and to refrain from the drink if you have stomach problems and acid reflux. Just like everyone who prefers a pleasurable and gentle start to the day. Because sour – is not fun.

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