Can apple cider vinegar help you lose weight?
How does apple cider vinegar help you lose weight? Is this yet another crazy weight-loss idea?
The good news is, it does! It’s been proven to do so. And no… you don’t have to drink it by the spoonful. Studies have shown it can help lower blood sugar levels, which in turn can help avoid fat around your middle, and diabetes.
It is also a GREAT addition if you are living a healthy lifestyle and following the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenges.
How does apple cider vinegar help you lose weight?
Apple cider vinegar can help to balance blood sugar levels (blood glucose), and make you feel fuller so you won’t feel like eating as much.
It contains acetic acid and nutrients like vitamin C and B. It can act as an appetite suppressant which can be great for both weight management and weight loss.
High blood sugar levels and glucose levels are often linked with obesity, and creating abdominal fat, so it’s important to keep your blood sugar level as even (not too high or too low) as possible, particularly when you are losing weight.
Lower blood sugar levels and your waistline
High levels of sugar in your blood, if not utilised by your body as energy, is stored as body fat, mostly belly fat around your tummy and waist.
So trying to keep sugar intake low, and helping to balance blood sugar levels with something like apple cider vinegar will help this issue.
Weight loss benefits of Apple cider vinegar (ACV)
It is generally believed that the nutrients, enzymes, and organic acids in apple cider vinegar help weight reduction by acting as an appetite suppressant.
They work by increasing your body’s metabolic rate, by reducing water retention and by helping you maintain a feeling of wellbeing.
Recent medical research has also highlighted the connection between insulin levels and weight loss.
That coupled with the fact that cider vinegar is known to slow the rise of blood sugar after a meal, leads to the suggestion that taking apple cider vinegar with a meal reduces the amount of insulin required to process the meal.
This results in weight loss and is a help to people with type 2 diabetes.
Nutritionally, diluted apple cider vinegar contains zero calories per tablespoon as well as no fat, carb, fibre or protein.
It can add a great burst of flavour without adding extra calories or salt.
Health benefits of apple cider vinegar
Many people claim there are numerous benefits of apple cider vinegar, that can help a number of health conditions.
There is a substance in unfiltered organic apple cider vinegar called mother, which contains friendly bacteria and strands of proteins, enzymes.
This gives it a murky appearance. While there are no studies to support this, some people believe that the mother is responsible for most of its health benefits.
These benefits range from healing a sore throat to protecting against the risk of heart disease to helping with acid reflux and heartburn during pregnancy.
There’s even claims that apple cider vinegar can cure dandruff! The use of apple cider vinegar for detoxification, diet, or other benefits goes back thousands of years.
Despite the hype, there is little scientific evidence to support all of these claims, however, there are some benefits that are actually backed by science.
Stabilises blood sugar levels
Adding apple cider vinegar to your recipes, can help to combat the blood sugar spikes that can come from a meal high in sugar or carbohydrates.
This, in turn, will help alleviate the inevitable blood sugar crash afterwards, meaning you’ll be less likely to reach for the biscuit tin at 3pm.
Has probiotic benefits
The health of our gut affects our whole body, so it pays to look after the good bacteria in there.
Improve your gut health by adding apple cider vinegar (ACV) to your diet, and you can also expect to reduce stomach fat at the same time.
Apple cider vinegar may help lower cholesterol
There has been no definitive proof that ACV will lower your cholesterol there have been multiple animal studies that found the acetic acid in ACV lowered the cholesterol and triglyceride levels in animals.
There was also a small study that indicated ACV could help lower blood pressure as well.
A report in Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, had rats with high blood pressure given acetic acid which saw a drop in blood pressure compared with a control group given no vinegar or acetic acid.
Talk to your healthcare provider
However, talk to your healthcare professional before using ACV to help these health issues as large amounts of apple cider vinegar may cause side effects.
It can cause problems for people taking certain medications like heart disease drugs.
Drinking undiluted apple cider vinegar neat is not recommended either as it can cause damage and erosion to tooth enamel if taken in higher quantities.
Similarly, if taken in large amounts over time, it can cause low potassium levels.
If you don’t like the idea of an apple cider vinegar drink in liquid form, you might prefer it as a dietary supplement in the form of apple cider vinegar pills.
Or if you don’t like the taste of apple cider vinegar try The Healthy Mummy Apple Cider Vinegar tablets. Click here for product information.
Other uses for Apple Cider Vinegar
As with all kinds of vinegar, apple cider vinegar can be used as a preservative for pickling food.
It produces a mellow fruity flavour, and unlike white vinegar, will affect the colour of the fruits and veggies and turn them dark.
Apple cider and other vinegars can also be used as a food wash to reduce the number of bacteria or virus on fruits or vegetables.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says: “Vinegar and lemon juice have potential as inexpensive, simple household sanitisers; however, possible negative sensory effects [colour, odour] when used on produce would be a disadvantage.”
How best to use apple cider vinegar
There are a few ways to get the benefits:
- Use it as a salad dressing or marinade combined with extra virgin olive oil (unlike some other vinegars, apple cider vinegar is gluten-free.
- Drink apple cider vinegar by adding 1-2 teaspoons in a small glass water
- Nutritionist Cheree Sheldon has several home remedies for ACV. She would make a vocal tonic which is similar to the fire cider recipes that are trending now by infusing apple cider vinegar with thyme, garlic, ginger, chilli and lemon and then sweetening with honey. She says you can shoot this apple cider vinegar drink recipe down by adding 10ml to 20ml water or you can combine 10ml in a mug of warm water and sip
- Make a detox drink by adding some other powerhouse ingredients like cayenne pepper, lemon, honey and ginger.
- Put 1-2 tsp in your water bottle and sip throughout the day.
- Take Apple Cider Vinegar in pill form.
If you have never had apple cider vinegar before, start by having a small amount in warm water (not too hot or boiling as it will destroy the good bacteria) and use a sweetener like manuka honey or stevia.
The warm water will make it a bit more palatable for the beginner and stevia will take the edge off!
Our Healthy Mummy nutritionist Elisha Danine says “fermented foods, broth and prebiotic foods help with weight loss. Apple Cider Vinegar is good for digestion – it helps to stimulate digestive enzymes that help break down food.”
Find apple cider vinegar in the health food aisle of the supermarket – add it as a dressing to salads or mix a tablespoon in a large glass of water as a drink.
To ease you into the unfamiliar flavour, you may like to add a splash of vegetable juice to dilute the taste.
Want to give Apple Cider Vinegar a try but not sure about the taste? Consider ACV pills. Try our Apple Cider Vinegar Tablets TODAY!
The verdict is in! See how this mum’s bloating has decreased thanks to Apple Cider Vinegar tablets!
A bit more about our Apple Cider Vinegar tablets
- They come in tablet form and you get 60 tablets per product.
- Taken once daily
- 1200mg high strength
- Vegan
- GMO-free
- They’re tasteless!
Buy your own Apple Cider Vinegar tablets HERE!
Weight loss results to inspire you
Jo Hart
Jo Hart not only rocks her new bikini, but she has also lost 38kg* with The Healthy Mummy 28 Day Weight Loss Challenges.
She says: “I am proud of the change I have made for not only me but for my family too”.
Elle Temple
Smashing her weight loss goal of 25kgs* (from 83.6kg to 58.6kg) with the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge, Elle now focuses on toning up. Elle says:
“today I am thankful that I am no longer afraid of having photos taken of me. I love that I have photos to look back on and am proud of how far I have come. From being ‘obese’ and having no energy to tackle my day, to being a healthy weight and being able to spring around with my crazy toddler.”