Apple cider vinegar has been used in cooking and herbal medicine for thousands of years. Many claim it has health benefits, including weight loss, raising blood sugar, relieving indigestion, and helping to lower the risk of heart disease and cancer.
What happens in your body when you consume apple cider vinegar
It can be difficult to know how much apple cider vinegar to consume each day. Dosage recommendations may vary. Drinking 1–2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with water before or after a meal can be beneficial, experts say.
This article outlines how much apple cider vinegar you should drink to get various health benefits.
Helps manage blood sugar
Apple cider vinegar is often recommended as a natural way to control blood sugar.
When taken before a high-carbohydrate meal, vinegar slows the rate of stomach emptying. Prevents high blood sugar spikes.
It also improves insulin sensitivity. This helps the body remove more glucose from the blood and into the cells, thereby lowering blood sugar levels.
Only a small amount of apple cider vinegar is needed to have these effects. In general, taking four teaspoons or 20 ml of apple cider vinegar before a meal has been shown to significantly reduce blood sugar levels after a meal. This should be mixed with water and consumed just before a carbohydrate-rich meal.
Apple cider vinegar does not significantly lower blood sugar when taken before a low-carb or high-fiber meal.
It relieves the symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal condition associated with abnormal menstrual cycles, high levels of androgen hormones, ovarian cysts and insulin resistance.
One study found that women with PCOS who drank 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar mixed with about 100 ml of water immediately after dinner improved the level of hormones in the body. Although more research is needed to confirm these results, one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar each day appears to be an effective dose for relieving PCOS symptoms.
It helps in weight loss
Although more research is needed on the long-term effects of vinegar, it may help with weight loss. Helps suppress appetite when taken with food.
In a 2009 study, 1 or 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar a day for 3 months helped overweight people lose an average of 1.2 pounds to 1.7 pounds.
However, a recent study concluded that there is insufficient evidence to support the use of apple cider vinegar for weight loss. Therefore, more research is needed.
You can mix the amount of vinegar in a glass of water. You can drink it before meals or mix it with oil to make a salad dressing. Apple cider vinegar is more likely to help with weight loss when combined with other diet and lifestyle changes.
Improves digestion
Many people consume apple cider vinegar before protein-rich meals to improve digestion.
Experts say that apple cider vinegar increases stomach acidity. This helps the body create more pepsin, the enzyme that breaks down protein.
Although there is no research to support the use of vinegar for digestion, other acidic supplements such as betaine HCL can help significantly increase stomach acidity. Acidic foods like apple cider vinegar may have similar effects, but more research is needed.
Those taking apple cider vinegar for digestion usually drink 1 to 2 tablespoons with a glass of water before meals. However, there is currently no evidence to support this amount.
It protects the body from diseases
Other reasons to drink apple cider vinegar include protecting against heart disease, reducing the risk of cancer, and fighting infections.
There is limited scientific evidence to support these claims and no recommended doses for humans are available. Animal studies suggest that vinegar may reduce the risk of heart disease. It may protect against cancer and slow the growth of bacteria in the body, but no human studies have been conducted.
Several studies have found that people who regularly eat salads with vinegar tend to have a lower risk of heart disease. They also accumulate less belly fat, but this could be due to other factors.
More research is needed to find out what the best dose of vinegar is for the body’s health.
