Why Apple Cider Vinegar Works for Weight Loss

author avatar Dr. Eric Berg 08/31/2023

I know, drinking apple cider vinegar isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you’re making decisions about what will help you lose weight.

You may recoil at the idea, thinking you have to hold your nose and down it while trying not to gag.

I can almost hear you thinking, “Dr. Berg, will it really help me lose weight? Because it might taste awful. Is it worth it?”.

Let me tell you: it is.

Here’s why.

a picture of a bottle of apple cider vinegar, a full glass of it, and an apple


Why It Works For Weight Loss

Yes, apple cider vinegar works for weight loss, though it really has nothing to do with nutrition in the liquid. It’s due to the acetic acid, the main component of vinegar apart from water. Acetic acid has a distinctive sour taste and pungent odor.

As well, acetic acid can confer some pretty incredible weight loss benefits. It:

Lowers your output of Fat Storing Hormone

This will not only help with weight loss but slow down the damage to your body that chronically high Fat Storing Hormone can cause. The damage may include

Type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Improves Fat Storing Hormone resistance

Fat Storing Hormone resistance is a dangerous pre-diabetic state that causes chronically high Fat Storing Hormone levels and its resultant damage. Since Fat Storing Hormone is the main hormone that causes you to gain weight, anything that helps you reduce Fat Storing Hormone will help you lose weight.

Decreases your blood sugars

The most successful application of vinegar to date is for people with type 2 diabetes, which is characterized by high blood sugar levels, either because of Fat

Storing Hormone resistance or an inability to produce Fat Storing Hormone.

However, high blood sugar can also be a problem in people who don't have diabetes. It’s a major cause of aging and various chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease.

Even if you don’t have diabetes, you’ll benefit when you keep your blood sugar levels in the normal range. The most effective and healthiest way to do that is to avoid refined carbs and sugar - in other words, go on the keto diet. And apple cider vinegar can boost the powerful effect of keto.

Apple cider vinegar also improves A1C, which is a count of your average blood sugars over about three months.

Reduces fat storage

Apple cider vinegar reduces your fat storage when it lowers the output of the Fat Storing Hormone - because Fat Storing Hormone signals your body to hold on to fat.

Increases fat burning

Your fat-burning will increase when apple cider vinegar reduces your Fat Storing Hormone levels.

Reduces appetite

Some studies have shown that apple cider vinegar promotes fullness, which can decrease calorie intake. In addition to its appetite-suppressing effects, apple cider vinegar has also been shown to slow the rate at which food leaves your stomach; leaving you feeling full for longer periods between meals. (Which means this will also help you with intermittent fasting.).

That’s not all. There’s more!

Check Out These Additional Health Benefits

In some ways, apple cider vinegar is miraculous. In addition to the weight loss benefits listed above, there are more health benefits available too. It can:

  • Improve polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) symptoms: In a small study of women with PCOS who took vinegar for 90 to 110 days, 57% resumed ovulation, likely due to improved Fat Storing Hormone sensitivity

  • Decrease cholesterol levels: Studies in diabetic and normal rats and mice found that apple cider vinegar increased HDL cholesterol. It also reduced LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.

  • Lower blood pressure: Animal studies suggest that vinegar may decrease blood pressure by inhibiting the enzyme responsible for constricting blood vessels.

  • Kill harmful bacteria and viruses: Vinegar fights bacteria that can cause food poisoning, including E. coli. ,

Pretty amazing, isn’t it?

Which Kind To Use?

I prefer Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar. It’s organic and it contains what’s called the mother. Also known as mycodermaaceti, the mother is made of acetic acid bacteria that develop on fermenting alcoholic liquids, which then turns the alcohol into acetic acid.

The mother is rich in prebiotics, which serves as food for beneficial bacteria that live in your gut. And one of the biggest benefits of the mother is that it concentrates powerful antioxidants like gallic acid in much higher concentrations than the vinegar itself. If you’re familiar with kombucha, the mother is similar to the SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast) in the kombucha-making process.

Whichever kind you decide on, please make sure it’s organic and contains the mother. Try a few different brands to see which one tastes the best to you.

How To Get Apple Cider Vinegar In Your Diet

You’re probably wondering how you can include apple cider vinegar in your diet. Well, there are several easy ways, including:

  • Use it with olive oil as a salad dressing. It’s especially delicious with leafy greens and cucumbers.

  • Use it for pickling vegetables.

  • Simply mix it into the water and drink it.

Here’s a simple recipe I created. I make this drink and consume it twice a day.

RECIPE:

  • 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

  • 1 glass of water (12 ounces)

  • 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (which also helps your blood sugars)

  • 5 drops of liquid stevia

Mix all the ingredients together and drink. You can add ice if you prefer it cold.

Drink 1 glass in the morning and 1 glass in the evening. As well you may add one drink with meals if you have a digestive system problem.

I know some people who drink this right before bed, and when they awake they experience lower blood sugar levels.

Just one thing: because vinegar can erode your tooth enamel, sip it through a straw instead of drinking straight from the glass. This will lower your risk of tooth enamel erosion.

See how simple it is to add this health treat to your diet?

You Don’t Have To Hold Your Nose And Endure Apple Cider Vinegar!

Apple cider vinegar is actually quite flavorful, especially when mixed with other ingredients into a tasty drink or dressing.

So if you were dreading it, don’t worry - you could end up really enjoying the taste. All I ask is that you try it for awhile; long enough to experience its benefits. Don’t let any preconceived ideas keep you away from the health and weight-loss potential that awaits you.

PS If you’re convinced you want to try the keto diet to experience its many benefits , you don’t have to try to figure it all out by yourself.

I created a free keto mini course to guide you. Come join us! I’d love to see you there.

a happy woman standing on a scale and celebrating her weight loss


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Disclaimer: Our educational content is not meant or intended for medical advice or treatment.

Editor’s Note: This post has been updated for quality and relevancy.

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