I get a lot of questions about natural ingredients for weight loss. One thing that I will do with this blog is review as many of them as I can with a particular focus on reviewing the available research. Apparently, there was a recent piece that appeared on WebMD about cider vinegar for weight loss. I have had several questions on this since the article appeared. (To read the original piece, click here.)
Apple cider vinegar has been touted as a cure-all for everything from digestive ailments to rheumatism. Hippocrates, the “Father of Medicine” reportedly gave it to patients as a healing tonic in 400 BC. To the best estimates of modern-day herbalists, apple cider vinegar first appeared in weight loss remedies in the 1970s – although modern proponents claim that this was the secret weight loss cure of Ancient Egypt. The secret recipe that started the modern-day trend was a blend of Apple Cider Vinegar, kelp (seaweed), lecithin, and vitamin B6. The story was that the lecithin emulsified fat, iodine in the kelp increased thyroid function (speeding up metabolism), B6 somehow metabolized the freed fat, and the vinegar would then breakdown or dissolve the fat and accelerate metabolism. Other theories have tied weight loss benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar to increased detoxification or improved pH.
Is there any actual evidence that Apple Cider Vinegar can help you lose weight? Not much. I did find a study done in Egypt in 2001 that showed that mice given a high dose of Apple Cider Vinegar for 4 weeks had significant weight loss compared to those on a controlled diet. However, the vinegar-eating mice also had pretty significant damage to their livers, stomachs, and small intestines – including erosion of the lining of the stomach and intestines (ie, ulcers) and changes in the cells of the liver. Not good for the mice. The study that was discussed in the WebMD article was also done in mice fed a diet high in vinegar for 6 weeks. They did not lose weight, but researchers reported that the vinegar "inhibited the accumulation of body fat." So what we really have to date is some less than spectacular data in mice.
Somehow, people always want to take these kinds of animal studies and transform them into the next great miracle cure for obesity. So what about studies in humans? A small study conducted in 2005 on 12 adults found that subjects who consumed 2 tablespoons of vinegar with a meal of bread reported less hunger after their meal. The same researcher later conducted a study in 13 adults and found when subjects used an oil and vinegar dressing with a meal of potatoes, they had lower post-meal blood sugars and a healthier insulin response. Finally, one study from 2004 gave a dose of 2 tablespoons of vinegar to 15 adults before lunch and dinner for 4 weeks. Compared to placebo, the vinegar group lost an average of 2 pounds over 4 weeks.
While these small trials are interesting, they do not look at big enough numbers to be significant and they do not address other issues of health. I have found one case report of a woman who suffered an acid burn in her esophagus from taking Apple Cider Vinegar tablets - she apparently did not lose weight. As part of the follow up to that case, investigators tested many products and found that some of them were so acidic (containing acetic acid levels over 20%) that they were in the range that the Consumer Product Safety Commission considers poisonous to humans.
Overall, Apple Cider Vinegar has some very good and valid uses. You can use it in salad dressing, it makes a great addition to marinades or to tenderize meat, you can clean gold jewelry with it, and you can use it as a natural weed killer in your garden. But as a weight loss agent, it has not yet been shown to be effective, and it could be harmful. Future more rigorous studies in humans might show doses that have both good safety and health benefits. For now, proceed with caution.
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