[Effects of Apple Cider Vinegar] 3 Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar That Improve Diet Efficiency

Hello, I am Jinny, a pharmacist.

I do not recommend consuming natural foods for health management purposes. It is true that natural foods contain beneficial ingredients, but as they have not been purified, the content of the active ingredients is low, so to fully consume them, you need to consume large amounts, which can cause side effects due to excessive intake.

However, the natural food that changed my way of thinking is apple cider vinegar. In fact, until I first began to conduct an academic review of apple cider vinegar, I had a negative thought, thinking, 'Even if it is a food prescribed by Hippocrates, can it have the level of effectiveness that can be verified in empirical research?' As I looked at the research results, I realized that the wisdom passed down from the past is not something that can be ignored.

Apple cider vinegar refers to traditional vinegar obtained through natural fermentation of apple juice, not the alcohol-fermented brewed vinegar that we can easily find at the supermarket. Unlike the modern method, where quick fermentation ends in 1-2 days, apple juice turns into cider and then slowly changes into apple cider vinegar under the influence of fermenting bacteria, so fermentation and maturation take place over a long period of time. As a result, it has a different microbial population and chemical composition than regular vinegar.

Today, I will introduce you to the results of a human application test study on apple cider vinegar, the main character that broke my prejudice against natural foods.

When we feel the need to lose weight, the first thing we try is diet. Calorie restriction diet, which attempts to reduce the number of calories consumed, is the most commonly tried diet therapy around the world. However, if you do not feel any special dieting effects just by restricting calories, you may want to try consuming apple cider vinegar before lunch and dinner.

In 2018, the results of a human trial was publishe din the Journal of Functional Foods evaluating the effect of consuming apple cider vinegar during a calorie-restricted diet. Under the condition that all participants consumed the same diet, only the test group ate lunch and dinner. As a result of consuming an additional tablespoon (15 ml) of apple cider vinegar, a significant decrease in body weight, BMI, hip circumference, visceral fat index (VAI), and appetite was confirmed in the apple cider vinegar consumption group compared to the control group.

When we lose weight, we limit calories, but we also try to eat as few carbohydrates as possible and mainly eat protein and vegetables. In fact, the reason this diet is important is because refined carbohydrates are associated with a rapid rise in blood sugar levels. When blood sugar levels in the body rise rapidly, excessive insulin is secreted and glucose is stored as fat, resulting in an increase in body fat.

We would like to introduce you to research results showing that apple cider vinegar is helpful in controlling blood sugar levels, which are inextricably linked to weight and body fat management. In 2019, a human trial research paper was published in Drug Invention Today that evaluated the benefits of consuming apple cider vinegar in type 2 diabetics and obese patients with high insulin resistance. This study reports that consuming just over a tablespoon (20 ml) of apple cider vinegar before bed for 30 days reduced blood sugar levels and weight.

I mentioned earlier that when blood sugar levels in the body rise rapidly, excessive insulin is secreted, and glucose is stored as fat. In general, through this process, blood sugar levels fall back to normal levels. However, the condition in which blood sugar does not fall even though insulin is secreted is called insulin resistance (IR). It is a type of insulin resistance caused by a continuous rise in blood sugar levels. In this case, high blood sugar levels are maintained, increasing the likelihood of developing metabolic diseases.

In 2004, the academic world already reported the results of a human application test that evaluated the effects of apple cider vinegar intake on non-diabetic and type 2 diabetic patients with high levels of insulin resistance. In this study, subjects were asked to drink 20g of apple cider vinegar diluted in water right before a meal. All apple cider vinegar consumption groups showed significant improvement in insulin sensitivity compared to the control group.

Today, we reviewed human application research on apple cider vinegar, a beneficial natural food that many people may have known about before me. It is a food that not only helps with weight loss, but also affects insulin sensitivity, blood sugar, and appetite control, ultimately helping with weight loss, so it would be a good idea to try it when dieting or having concerns about insulin resistance.

Also, after reviewing the research, I found that the daily intake was not that much as I thought, but it was often taken one tablespoon (15ml) once or twice a day, diluted in water, right before meals. Basically, it is a food with high acidity, so when consuming it, please refer to the dosage indicated in the human application test to ensure safe consumption.

I hope you have a healthy day both physically and mentally. This was Jinny.