2024-03-21 15:08:33
Apple cider vinegar is a popular home remedy for losing weight. However, the effect was scientifically proven to be poor. Now a study provides new evidence.
Obesity is a risk factor for diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and some types of cancer – and is therefore a major health problem worldwide. Apple cider vinegar has long been a popular home remedy for obesity in natural medicine. However, the effect was not scientifically proven.
Now a current study suggests that apple cider vinegar could actually have a positive effect on body weight – even from a small amount.
Even a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar could help
A team from Holy Spirit University in Kaslik, Lebanon, together with the American University of Science and Technology, examined the effects of apple cider vinegar in a small but meaningful human study of 120 young, overweight adults. The results were published in the journal “BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health”.
Info: Studiendesign
The study is a so-called randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. This means that neither the person conducting the experiment (the doctor in clinical studies) nor the study participants (patients) know who received the active ingredient and who received a placebo. This is intended to prevent distortions and misinterpretations of the studies.
For the study, the subjects were divided into four groups and took either water with apple cider vinegar (5, 10 or 15 milliliters in 250 milliliters of water) or a placebo that tasted like apple cider vinegar every morning for 12 weeks. After the test phase, the researchers examined the subjects’ body weight, waist circumference and blood sugar, triglyceride and cholesterol levels.
The result: The test subjects who consumed apple cider vinegar lost an average of six to eight kilograms after twelve weeks and reduced their BMI by 2.7 to 3.0 points. In addition, all other tested parameters also decreased:
- Waist and hip circumference
- body fat
- Blood sugar, triglyceride and cholesterol levels
And: An effect occurred even at the lowest dose of 5 milliliters. That’s roughly equivalent to a teaspoon. However, the most effective dose was 15 milliliters (one tablespoon) per day.
Why is apple cider vinegar healthy?
The authors conclude that consuming apple cider vinegar can help with overweight and obesity (obesity) and therefore could be a promising dietary supplement without side effects.
How apple cider vinegar can produce this effect is not yet completely clear. However, previous results from other animal and human studies suggest that apple cider vinegar:
- Slows down gastric emptying and thus promotes a feeling of satiety
- stabilizes blood sugar levels
- Improves insulin action (insulin sensitivity).
- stimulates metabolism and thus increases energy consumption
- reduced oxidative stress
Apple cider vinegar also contains small amounts of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and polyphenols such as flavonoids. They are thought to contribute to the potential health benefits.
Conclusion
Apple cider vinegar appears to be a healthy food that can potentially help you lose weight. However, the study authors admit that the size of the group of test subjects and the duration of these studies are not sufficient to obtain more reliable conclusions. Larger and longer-term studies are required in order to be able to derive reliable recommendations.
Therefore, in order to lose weight successfully and in the long term, you should eat a healthy and slightly reduced calorie diet. Exercise is also an important component in weight loss.
If you still want to incorporate apple cider vinegar into your weight loss routine, you can of course do so. In small quantities the vinegar is harmless. However, you should always dilute it and not consume it in large quantities. Otherwise the acid could attack both your stomach and your teeth. There is also a suspicion that too much apple cider vinegar can lower potassium levels. This can cause problems for people taking medication for high blood pressure. In this case, speak to your doctor beforehand.