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Limited evidenceHeart & metabolic

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar reliably blunts the glucose spike after a carbohydrate meal, but the long-term trials behind the health claims are small, short and low quality, and the weight-loss claims in particular are not supported. It is cheap and mostly harmless if diluted — just don't expect much.

What the science says

  • Improves blood glucose control Limited evidence

    A 2021 meta-analysis of randomized trials found vinegar consumption modestly reduced fasting glucose and HbA1c, with the clearest signal in people with type 2 diabetes; a 2025 meta-analysis of cardiometabolic outcomes reached similar, small conclusions. Effects were on the order of a few mg/dL, the included trials were small (often 10-40 participants) and short (2-12 weeks), and blinding vinegar is essentially impossible.

  • Blunts the post-meal glucose spike Moderate evidence

    Acute crossover studies consistently show that 10-20 mL of vinegar with a high-carbohydrate meal lowers the postprandial glucose peak, plausibly by slowing gastric emptying and inhibiting disaccharidases. This is a real, reproducible short-term effect, but it has never been shown to translate into meaningful long-term glycemic or clinical benefit.

  • Causes weight loss Limited evidence

    Meta-analyses found no consistent effect of apple cider vinegar on body weight, BMI or waist circumference. Widely shared trials reporting several kilograms of loss are single small studies, often unblinded and not replicated; treat viral weight-loss claims as unsupported.

  • Lowers cholesterol Limited evidence

    Pooled analyses show small reductions in total cholesterol and triglycerides in some subgroups, with no reliable effect on LDL or HDL. Confidence intervals are wide and heterogeneity is high.

Dosage & safety

Studied doseTrials typically used 15-30 mL/day (1-2 tablespoons, roughly 750-1,500 mg acetic acid) diluted in at least 200 mL of water, taken with meals, for 8-12 weeks. There is no evidence that more is better, and undiluted vinegar should never be swallowed.
SafetyAcetic acid erodes tooth enamel — always dilute and rinse with plain water afterward. Vinegar tablets have caused esophageal burns and stricture when lodged in the esophagus. Case reports describe hypokalemia and low bone mineral density with extreme chronic intake. It delays gastric emptying, so it can worsen diabetic gastroparesis and unpredictably shift insulin timing; combined with insulin, sulfonylureas or diuretics it may add to glucose lowering or potassium loss. Avoid in active reflux, gastritis or peptic ulcer.

Scientific references

Where to buy

Bragg, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar with The 'Mother', 16 fl oz (473 ml)

View on iHerb

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