Apple cider vinegar has become a popular item in many people’s pantries. But, even with its popularity, some people believe it is a magical ingredient for fast weight loss. For many years, vinegar has been useful as a powerful ingredient for cooking and cleaning. This is because it contains acetic acid that builds up during the fermentation process.
In the recent past, more and more people have included apple cider vinegar in the diet to help with weight loss. But, there are still controversies of how it works and the impact it has on weight loss.
This article can be a great resource if you are wondering how to drink apple cider vinegar for weight loss. It highlights the various health benefits of apple cider vinegar, how it works, and the science behind it.
Table of Contents
What is Apple Cider Vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar is basically alcohol made from fermenting apple juice. It is prepared by adding yeast in the apple juice, whereby the yeast eats the sugar. As a result, the juice turns into alcohol from the fermentation process.
The process produces an off-gas, which gives the vinegar its sour taste and strong smell. You have probably seen apple cider vinegar in stores with ‘the mother.’ This type of apple cider vinegar has a cloudy substance resulting from the fermentation process.
The cloud is usually yeast and bacteria from the entire brewing process. These micro-organisms are probiotics meaning they may give your digestive system a boost. However, there isn’t much research surrounding the impact of apple cider vinegar with the mother.
The vinegar with the mother means it is unrefined, unpasteurized, and unfiltered. In this case, it presents like SCOBY in Kombucha. ‘The mother’ looks like a fibery fluff in brown or whitish colour in a bottle of apple cider vinegar. Most people find it gross, but it is full of healthy bacteria, proteins, and enzymes.
Apple Cider Vinegar Diet for Weight loss
The apple cider vinegar diet has gained popularity among people seeking to lose weight. Most people suggest using a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water. This claims to improve your metabolism, which in general terms, helps with burning fat [1].
On its own, apple cider vinegar has shown very little impact on weight loss. It is, therefore, clear that you have to combine its use with other healthy practices to gain benefits. That is eating a healthy, wholesome diet and exercising regularly.
The best way to get the most out of this healthy drink is first adopting a healthy lifestyle in many aspects. Seek to improve the quality of your food by eating more whole foods. Add vegetables and fruits into your diet and create a calorie deficit.
On this note, cut your food portions to help your body switch to stored fats for energy. If you want long term results taking an apple cider vinegar weight loss drink, make sure you practice mindful eating. As mentioned, you will only get the apple cider vinegar benefits while eating healthy.
How to Use Apple Cider Vinegar for Weight Loss
Once you have your eating habits in check, cider apple vinegar can help to boost your metabolism. But, you want to ensure you use it correctly to get the most out of it. When it comes to the dosage, for this particular drink, It does not mean taking more of it will yield better results.
In fact, overusing apple cider vinegar can bring about some negative impacts. For example, this particular vinegar has high levels of acetic acid. If you drink it straight from the bottle, the high acid levels can erode your teeth and burn.
On this note, it is advisable to dilute it with water or another drink. A tablespoon or two before meals works as fine. The good thing is that is is a low-calorie drink and therefore does not derail your progress.
You can also use apple cider vinegar to make dressings for your salads. If you struggle with eating raw salads, the sour taste of the vinegar can improve the taste and make them bearable to eat. You can mix it with olive oil and some herbs and add to your salads.
Some people use this vinegar for preparing vegetable pickles. As its use in raw salads, apple cider vinegar helps to enhance the taste of pickled foods. If taking apple cider vinegar is unbearable for you, try cooking with it.
Some of the foods you can make with apple cider vinegar are baby kale, butternut squash, chicken, beans, etc. You can use a tablespoon or two in preparing sour sauces and dips.
Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar for Weight Loss
Apple cider vinegar has acetic acid, but, how does that help with cutting weight and overall health? Here are apple cider benefits.
Lowers Blood Sugar
The most effective way of keeping blood sugar at lower and healthier levels is by avoiding refined carbs and sugar. But, apple cider vinegar can help bring high sugar levels down. The acetic acid in the vinegar may help improve insulin sensitivity during high carb meals. This activity can significantly reduce blood sugar levels by improving insulin response.
However, it is essential to stick to a healthy diet and lifestyle in general for long term weight loss results. In this case, the vinegar helps to improve insulin function; that is if you make it part of your diet by taking it before meals.
Boosts Metabolism
Your body’s metabolism plays a significant role in how fast or slow you lose weight. If you are looking for ways to enhance your metabolism, consider adding apple cider vinegar to your diet.
The acetic acid in vinegar may help to increase certain enzymes essential for the digestive process. On this note, it can help enhance the fat burning process and ultimately help you lose weight. It is important to note, however, that you have to include additional weight-loss strategies such as exercising and eating the right foods.
Suppresses Appetite
The acetic acid in this vinegar may suppress the parts of the brain that control how much you eat. When you take an apple cider vinegar diet, you train the brain to control your appetite and only eat until you are full.
Additionally, a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in water before meals adds on to how full you feel. This, in turn, results in you eating less food, thereby controlling how much calories you consume. With a consistently healthy diet and apple cider vinegar, you can take control of your appetite and manage your cravings.
May Aid in Digestion
Apple cider vinegar could aid in the digestion of starchy foods such as wheat and potatoes. The acidic levels of the drink can potentially slow down the digestion of these foods. This, in turn, can help with boosting your metabolism, ultimately burning fat in the process. However, the impact it has on digestion is minimal, and therefore maintaining a healthy diet is recommended.
Side Effects of Apple Cider Vinegar
Like most things, it is best to use this vinegar sparingly. Most people looking for quick fixes often jump on to the hype and overdo popular trends in this topic. While some of the trends might help you lose weight, overusing apple cider vinegar might be more detrimental than helpful.
One, the vinegar has high levels of acetic acid resulting from the fermentation process. Although this acid is beneficial, too much use could damage your teeth and bones. Acetic acid has corrosive properties that could erode your teeth enamel and weaken your bones resulting from overexposure [2].
Also, since acetic acid has been shown to lower blood sugar, it may reduce it too much to unsafe levels. Therefore, people with diabetes or those at risk of the disease need to use it sparingly. A great approach would be to talk to your doctor about its safety with any underlying conditions that you may have.
Apple cider vinegar is a useful fermented drink; however, it may interact with certain drugs’ chemical composition. For example, medications such as insulin and diuretic drugs may interact negatively and cause more problems than benefits. This is why it is essential to talk to your physician before using apple cider vinegar as part of your regular diet.
Before you use apple cider vinegar to lose weight, it is crucial to ascertain that your digestive system can handle the acidity. On this note, people with chronic heartburn, acid reflux, or stomach ulcers should not take apple cider vinegar. The acidity of the drink may worsen the symptoms and potentially bring about additional issues.
The Bottom Line
Apple cider vinegar can be a great addition to your healthy lifestyle. Using it every day before meals could aid in digestion, boost your metabolism, and help to lower blood sugar. Although it has many health benefits, it is essential to note that you have to incorporate exercise and healthy meals for a fruitful weight loss journey.
