Apple Cider Vinegar for Blood Sugar Control

Does apple cider vinegar (ACV) lower blood sugar? People have used this popular home remedy for centuries. Not only in cooking, we believe that it provides beneficial effects to help treat an array of health conditions. And some studies also have looked at its role on blood sugar control.

Apple cider vinegar healthful properties

As the name implies, it’s a liquid derived from the fermentation of apple cider. Apple contains sugar, and here bacteria or yeasts are added during fermentation so the sugar turns to become vinegar.

Acetic acid is the key component of ACV, like most types of vinegar. Plus other additional substances like citric, malic acids, lactic, and bacteria.

While it’s thought as a home remedy for a wide range of health ailments, you may wonder about what the studies says about these claims.

Unfortunately, not all efficacies of ACV are supported by strong evidence in science. Some are probably just anecdotal stories (not conclusive). But absence of scientific proof doesn’t always mean that something isn’t happening.

Sometimes anecdote may end up becoming confirmed by science down the line. And it’s true that ACV contain various healthful properties.

Its acetic acid property plays a key role on where the strong flavor and smell of the vinegar come from. This acid is the source for many health benefits from the vinegar [1].

ACV also has antioxidant and antimicrobial effects.

Free radicals can cause damage to cells and tissues of the body, they’re highly reactive molecules. Here you need antioxidants to neutralize the situation. Antioxidants reduce free radicals in your body. They are also a good thing for your healthy circulation [2].

The antimicrobial effects of ACV have been traditionally used for many years. People believe ACV can help get rid of pathogens. Sometimes it’s also traditionally used for disinfecting and treating warts.

It can also be used for a food preservative. Its antimicrobial effects is quite promising to help block the growth of Escherichia coli bacteria, studies suggest [3].

Even the father of modern medicine, Hippocrates, might already use the vinegar to help clean wounds about 2,000 years ago!

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There are several ways on how to use or incorporate ACV in our diet. But the best one is probably by adding it in cooking since you can pour it so easily in foods like DIY mayonnaise and salad dressings.

Alternative way, use it as a beverage by diluting it in water. For instance (common dosage), pour 15 to 30 ml (1-2 tablespoon) into a large glass (about 237 ml) of water. If you think the taste of the vinegar is still too strong, reduce the dosage — 5 to 10 ml is probably enough.

Apple cider vinegar for blood sugar control

Again, the majority of health claims associated with ACV have not scientifically confirmed. Mostly, only little researches exist on these!

The good news, some efficacies of ACV are quite conclusive, confirmed by adequate scientific evidence. One of these is probably its role to help manage blood sugars.

Some scientific evidences have emerged to show that the vinegar may provide particular beneficial effects to help control blood sugar levels in diabetics. Experts say that it may help on blood sugar control in a variety of ways.

Study in 2004 showed that certain amounts of ACV diluted with other helpful properties could reduce fasting blood sugar levels [4]. The mixture in this study was about 20 ml of ACV diluted in water (40 ml) and saccharine (1 teaspoon).

Three years afterwards, another study showed that ACV might help stabilize the blood sugar level upon waking up if you take it before bed [5].

And perhaps surprisingly, the vinegar might also help for weight loss. As well we know, overweight is big problem for people with diabetes. It can hurt your insulin sensitivity, making your blood sugar control become more difficult. Even obesity is one of common risk factors for type-2 diabetes.

Although studies on ACV and its effect on weight loss are small and observed in short period, many people believe that the vinegar would carry positive effect to control your appetite (promoting satiety). Taking the vinegar before or with meal would help on this!

Also, ACV is almost free of calories. One tablespoon of ACV only contains three calories, which is considered very low.

A Japan study, which observed participants in 3 months, found that participants with the consumption of 30 mg of the vinegar every day had a modest 1-to-2 pounds of body weight reduction. The vinegar might also have a role to reduce visceral fat (abdominal fat), waist circumference, and triglycerides [6].

Apple cider vinegar might also help for blood sugar control with the following ways: