The apple cider vinegar diet has been around since the 1950s, but its effectiveness for weight loss is unproven. Some studies suggest it may have positive effects on cholesterol and glucose levels, but prolonged use can cause health problems. It is not a substitute for healthy eating.
The apple cider vinegar diet can’t exactly be called a fad diet since it has been around since the 1950s. People first became interested in promoting that diet after the publication of Folk Medicine: A Vermont Doctor’s Guide to Good Health, written by Dr. DeForest Clinton Jarvis (often known as DC Jarvis) in the late 1950s. Among the things recommended in Jarvis’s book was the suggestion to use apple cider vinegar mixed with honey.
Since then, claims that consuming apple cider vinegar is healthy have varied. Many consider it a real diet that will promote weight loss. Others see it as an intention to help those with different health conditions. In the latter use, there is some real scientific research into the potential benefits of vinegar, but so far, there is little evidence to indicate that this type of diet is healthier than others.
As a weight loss aid, the basic instructions for the apple cider vinegar diet are for people to consume 1 to 3 teaspoons (4.9 to 14.7 ml) of the vinegar, either once a day or three times a day. This can be diluted in other drinks. An additional approach is to use apple cider vinegar supplements, which do not have the vinegary taste issues involved. It has been suggested that the diet works because it promotes satiety, but the diet does not work for everyone and may be completely ineffective for most people. It doesn’t necessarily replace bad eating habits with good ones, and this has been shown to be much more effective than any apple cider vinegar test.
Other people are not as interested in losing weight, but have other health problems that they plan to treat with vinegar. Preliminary studies suggest that it might be beneficial to use vinegar to lower cholesterol, but more importantly there are some research trials that suggest that it might have a positive effect on diabetes. While these are unproven, and an apple cider vinegar should not be tried in lieu of standard treatment, science may ultimately prove that apple cider vinegar supplementation is appropriate for people who are diabetic.
The positive effects on cholesterol and glucose levels are noteworthy, but prolonged use of apple cider vinegar has also been associated with problems. An apple cider vinegar diet can increase the risk of osteoporosis, can cause tooth decay from acidity, and create digestion problems for some people. Those contemplating this diet should also weigh these issues.
Ultimately, the diet has not been shown to be effective for weight loss, although there are many anecdotal accounts of weight loss. In general, it is not the best diet option and it is not a substitute for healthy eating. In time, such a diet might be considered for people with certain health conditions, but that time has not yet come.
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