The Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar
You may have heard about apple cider vinegar – it’s certainly growing in popularity as more and more people and blogs trumpet its supposed health benefits. The Covid-19 pandemic has also led to increased sales as people search for ways to boost their health. But what’s the truth about apple cider vinegar, and how much science is there behind the claims?
Many of us have enjoyed a pint of Somerset cider in a pub garden on a balmy summer evening. The alcoholic beverage is made by fermenting the natural sugars in apple juice into alcohol, but if this then encounters acetic-acid forming acetobacter bacteria, vinegar is formed as it reacts with oxygen to convert the alcohol into acetic acid. When apple cider vinegar slowly ferments in this way, a buildup of yeast and sugars is created, and this contains many beneficial nutrients, such as citric acid, acetic acid, vitamins and minerals, as well as a whole array of other micronutrients. This visible mass, known as ‘the mother’, can be seen floating in your apple cider vinegar, and can make it appear cloudy.
So here’s the lowdown on the many health benefits of apple cider vinegar….
Apple cider vinegar is very low in calories, and when it’s consumed, it activates an enzyme called AMPK. This tells our body to start burning fat instead of storing it. In a clinical trial in Japan, obese subjects were divided into three groups randomly and asked to drink a beverage containing no vinegar, 15ml of vinegar or 30ml of vinegar daily for 12 weeks. Measurements taken afetr this time showed that body weight, BMI, waist size and belly fat was significantly less in both vinegar intake groups than in the placebo group.[1] Later studies have shown that in addition to abdominal fat, vinegar consumption also reduces visceral fat, which collects around our vital organs and can cause etremely serious health problems. So for a few pennies, one or two tablespoons’ worth of vinegar every day can be a real life-saver!
Promotes healthy cholesterol levels
Science had already demonstrated of the cholesterol-lowering effects of vinegar in an animal model.[2] An article in the Life Science Journal in 2012 postulated that apple cider vinegar’s ability to lower cholesterol could be because of the high levels of antioxidant flavonoids it contained.[3] In June 2021, the medical journal BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies published an analysis of several trials of apple cider vinegar’s effects on cholesterol in human bodies. The researchers concluded that consuming it significantly decreased serum total cholesterol and raised levels of HDL (‘good’) cholesterol.[4]
A clinical trial in 1995 found that when white bread was eaten alongside a salad dressing containing vinegar, the blood glucose response was reduced by almost a third.[5] Spikes in blood glucose are dangerous, especially for diabetics. In another experiment in 2010, researchers found that just two teaspoons of vinegar taken with a meal of a bagel and some juice reduced the blood sugar spike by more than a fifth.[6] Another study whose results were published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggested that this was because vinegar apparently slowed the rate at which food passed through the stomach, leaving us feeling fuller for longer and spreading the rate at which sugars from carbohydrate entered the bloodstream.[7]
Kills harmful bacteria while encouraging friendly bacteria
Due to the fact it’s a fermented food, apple cider vinegar is a probiotic, which means it causes the friendly bacteria in our gut to proliferate and offer massive health benefits to us. Because apple cider vinegar is only loosely strained rather than extensively filtered, a good deal of these beneficial bacteria make it to the final product.[8] Apple cider vinegar contains the helpful bacteria Lactobacillus Acidophilus, which can help us in a number of ways, such as fixing digestive problems, fighting eczema, reducing cholesterol and clearing up symptoms of colds and flu. Many studies have also shown that apple cider vinegar can kill several dangerous types of bacteria that grow in food, including E. coli. This led scientists to conclude that the combined use of vinegar and sodium chloride, with use of an appropriate treatment temperature, was markedly effective for the prevention of bacterial food poisoning.[9] Great news for anyone who enjoys the occasional salt & vinegar-flavoured snack!
Wonderful for your skin, hair and nails
Apple cider vinegar has a remarkable cleaning, detangling effect on hair – simply wash your hair in a fifty-fifty solution of it mixed with water, and leave it on for a few minutes before rinsing. This mixture is also said to reduce dandruff when massaged into the scalp. Many people also use apple cider vinegar to cleanse and tone their skin as a face mask ingredient. It’s also a popular remedy to use against toenail fungus, as its antimicrobial and antibacterial properties are very effective at cleaning up this common condition. The vitamins and minerals in apple cider vinegar (which include calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium) make it a fortifying treatment for fingernails, and it can also disinfect and temporarily soften your nails prior to a manicure, without damaging the keratin.
[1]https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/bbb/73/8/73_90231/_pdf/-char/en
[2]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2837006/
[3]http://www.lifesciencesite.com/lsj/life0904/360_10755life0904_2431_2440.pdf
[4]https://bmccomplementmedtherapies.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12906-021-03351-w
[5]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7796781/
[6]https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/272133>
[7]https://www.nature.com/articles/1600572
[8]https://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/view/apple-cider-vinegar-the-science-and-the-trends
[9]https://meridian.allenpress.com/jfp/article/61/8/953/167728/Antibacterial-Action-of-Vinegar-against-Food-Borne