If you’re a health-conscious reader, chances are you’ve heard mention at some point of “Apple Cider Vinegar” and likely dismissed it with the disbelieving ease with which one considers suggested natural cures.  However, many people continue to promote the amazing health benefits of apple cider vinegar (ACV), even in our climate of modern medicine and careful clinical trials, so let’s take a look at this nutritional legend and see where the story ends.

Basic Components

Apple Cider Vinegar is the result of fermented apple juice and is made by crushing fresh, organically grown apples and allowing them to mature in wooden barrels.  Sugar and yeast are added to the liquid to start the fermentation process, which turns the sugars into alcohol. In a second fermentation process, the alcohol is converted by acetic acid-forming bacteria into vinegar.

ACV proponents and manufacturers would tell you that using fresh, organically grown apples is critical for increasing the natural fermentation qualities of the crushed apples.  It differs dramatically refined and distilled vinegars which have been over-processed, over-heated, and filtered.

ACV contains many vital minerals and trace elements such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, chlorine, sodium, sulfur, copper, iron, silicon and fluorine, as pectin, enzymes, amino acids, complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber. 

Weighing The Claims

The claims for what Apple Cider Vinegar can help or cure are almost unending, and include obesity, arthritis, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, acne, chronic fatigue, allergies, sinus infections, diarrhea, constipation, yeast infections, sore throats, arthritis, gout, weight loss, and as a natural anti-biotic – just to name a few.

The length of curative assertions incites both curiosity and doubt, so let’s take a look at some of the bigger claims and see where ACV pans out.

Behind the Myths

Nutritional Density: It turns that while ACV does contain numerous vitamins and minerals, however the quantities are very small and would, likely, not make a significant impact on health. You’d be better off eating an apple. For example, one tablespoon of ACV contains one milligram of calcium, compared to 300 milligrams of calcium in a glass of milk.

However, the nutrients ACV does contain may be in a highly bio-available form, allowing efficient absorption and cellular utilization of the nutrients, and the efficacy of ACV should not be completely dismissed. It may contain phytochemicals responsible for it’s repudiated effects that have not been studied yet.

Weight Loss:  Information on whether ACV may assist weight loss is inconclusive at best. Some scientists say ACV appears to have little effect on weight loss, while other studies indicate that ACV may actually help. 

One study at the University of Arizona demonstrated that ACV taken before meals was effective in lowering the glycemic index of the meal. Another study in 2005 found that those who ate a piece of bread with a small amount of white vinegar felt more full and satisfied than those who ate the bread alone. The findings again suggest that vinegar may affect satiety by lowering the glycemic index of carbohydrates during the meal, helping people eat less and making it easier to metabolize food sugars. Assuming that ACV does assist weight loss in some way, nutritionists believe combining Lecithin and Vitamin B6 with the vinegar may yield better results.

Diabetes: Apple Cider Vinegar appears to have real merit in this area and several studies have found that vinegar may help lower glucose levels and balance blood sugar. Two studies published by the American Diabetes Foundation involving a healthy control group, type 2 diabetics, and those with pre-diabetic conditions, found that consumed ACV reduced insulin spikes. In fact, every group – including the healthy control group – showed improvements in blood glucose readings.

Another 2007 study of 11 people with type 2 diabetes found that taking two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before bed lowered glucose levels in the morning by 4%-6%. Those involved in the study also lost weight.

Arthritis:  Alternative practitioners claim ACV alleviates arthritis is based on the notion that acid crystals which harden in the joints and tissues causing stiffness are dissolved by the ACV to be flushed from the body. However, no real studies have been performed on ACV to support this. Plus, crystals are only associated with certain types of arthritis, like gout and psuedogout and the most prevalent type of arthritis – osteoarthritis – is caused by inflammation of the joint, so if ACV works it is through another mechanism that has not been discovered yet. While there is a lot of anecdotal evidence of ACV helping, arthritis can flare up in cycles so it is difficult to determine if the vinegar actually helps or if symptoms just subsided temporarily. 

Blood Pressure: Studies suggest that the acetic acid in ACV may increase levels of nitric oxide, a compound in the body that relaxes blood vessels. It may also inhibit an enzyme called angiotensin that causes blood vessels to constrict and narrow.  Again, further studies need to be conducted to support this theory.

Cholesterol: Another source states that the pectin present in apple cider vinegar works its way through the digestive system, binding to cholesterol and removing it from the body. A 2006 study found that rats fed acetic acid (the main ingredient in vinegar) had significantly lower total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Large, human trials are needed to see if the same results occur in humans.

Digestion: ACV appear to have little contention in this area. One consensus therapists, scientists, and marketers agree on is that vinegar is high in acetic acid, and acetic acid, like other acids, can increase the body’s absorption of important minerals – such as calcium – from the food we eat. Better assimilation can certainly lead to better health, so taking a tablespoon of ACV in a glass of water before meals – as many ACV fans do - appears to be a well-founded practice.

The Warnings

Apple Cider Vinegar is generally safe for consumption, though a few admonishments should be noted. There may be a connection between excessive apple cider vinegar consumption and low blood potassium level and low bone mineral density – though the levels required would be considerable. Undiluted ACV may damage the esophagus and other parts of the digestive tract, so it should always be mixed with water.

The Bottom Line

Apple Cider Vinegar, though certainly not a cure-all, can be a healthy addition to a healthy diet and could help you lose weight, lower your cholesterol, fight diabetes, and improve digestion. While it holds promise of healing additional ailments, little human research has been done on ACV and more evidence from clinical studies is needed to confirm the piles of anecdotal evidence. Until then, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear soon that a compound found in ACV has been discovered as a powerful remedy for degenerative disease.