Apple cider vinegar is said to burn fat – effectively and quickly. The apple cider vinegar diet is based on drinking a small amount of this acetic acid before each meal. In addition, the body's own fat burning is boosted by significantly reducing calories. This blog article examines whether this hype makes sense and whether the apple cider vinegar cure works. However, one thing is certain: radical calorie-restricted diets, which include the apple cider vinegar diet, are often not sustainable and can cause problems.
This is how the apple cider vinegar diet works
At the Apple Cider Vinegar Diet As is often the case with diets, there are different ways to implement them. What they all have in common is that 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar mixed in a glass of water are drunk before each meal. The effect of apple cider vinegar is said to be fat-burning - even if you don't change your diet. Whether this works will be examined later in the text. In most cases, however, a low-fat mixed diet with lean meat, whole grain products, fresh fruit and vegetables is recommended. The specified amount of apple cider vinegar is then drunk before all three main meals. This low-fat, low-calorie diet, which only consumes around 1,200 calories, should help you lose around two kilos per week 1 .
There is also an even more radical version of the method in which you fast for a few days and only drink water and apple cider vinegar.
What is the physiological explanation behind the apple cider vinegar cure?
Science and biochemical explanations are such a thing with “crash diets”…
Most of the time, the background is explained in a relatively unspecific manner, so that the average consumer is convinced without much questioning.
At the Apple Cider Vinegar Diet It is propagated that vinegar prevents food from being completely digested. The fact that more macronutrients would then be excreted would result in weight loss. In addition, the effect of apple cider vinegar is said to suppress appetite and the acids it contains stimulate the metabolism. The apple cider vinegar diet is therefore often referred to as a so-called detoxification treatment. The vitamins and minerals contained in the apple cider vinegar diet drink are also highlighted as health-promoting.
Losing weight with apple cider vinegar – total nonsense or science?
Basically, it is completely nonsensical that one food alone should have the total fat burner effect. It is not uncommon for marketing concepts to bring such myths into society in order to sell their products or guides. In any case, the physiological mechanisms of action mentioned cannot be proven. It is simply an illusion that you can lose weight without making lasting changes to your diet by drinking an apple cider vinegar drink three times a day, popping a pill or eating a supposed miracle fruit.
Success in losing weight depends on intestinal health and on the one hand Blood sugar stabilization and the associated hormone balance; on the other hand, the calorie balance naturally plays a role in the end. That brings us to the topic, because weight loss success is only achieved with apple cider vinegar diets in which calories are reduced or other healthy eating habits are adopted. Simply drinking apple cider vinegar before meals does not have the desired effect.
So it's actually the extreme reduction in calories in the Apple cider vinegar diet that leads to rapid weight loss. Such crash diets are neither healthy nor sustainable, as a yo-yo effect is guaranteed to follow. Just extreme low-fat diets can also be dangerous and lead to nutrient deficiencies.
You can only increase calorie burning by building muscle through training and the right diet to make the calorie burning engine stronger, anything else is nonsense!
What does apple cider vinegar really do?
Despite its low pH value, apple cider vinegar has an alkaline effect on the human body. This is because the acetic acid is used by the organism to generate energy and in the end only the basic minerals of apple cider vinegar remain. These regulate the acid-base balance. Apple cider vinegar, with its alkaline effect, has a positive influence on a slightly acidic organism. If you have digestive problems and frequent belching, acetic acid can also increase stomach acid, allowing heavy proteins from meat to be digested more quickly. However, if you have heartburn, it is essential that you do so Apple Cider Vinegar Diet and other acids are not recommended.
The apple cider vinegar and the blood sugar
What is very interesting, however, is that apple cider vinegar has a positive influence on stable blood sugar levels: If you drink 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in water 1 to 10 minutes before a carbohydrate meal, the blood sugar spike is measurably significantly smaller. This is because apple cider vinegar signals our muscle cells to absorb the broken down sugars from the carbohydrates we eat more quickly 2 .
Constant Blood sugar spikes lead to a disturbed insulin balance, which means that the hormonal balance is disturbed. This then leads to weight gain and many other metabolic problems. Stable blood sugar can help you lose weight, because without a constant blood sugar roller coaster, there are no more constant cravings and less sugar is converted into fat and stored. However, the message should not be misunderstood: apple cider vinegar will not be able to absorb extreme blood sugar peaks caused by a mountain of sweets, wheat or sweet drinks. However, acetic acid can reduce the blood sugar-increasing effect of a lunch consisting of vegetables, rice and meat.
The bottom line on losing weight with apple cider vinegar
Losing weight with apple cider vinegar alone is a complete myth. The extremely low-calorie and fat-reduced diet that is often combined with this can cause the pounds to fall off in the short term, but can also have long-term health consequences and an undesirable yo-yo effect. Losing weight with apple cider vinegar alone is hardly possible. There is no scientific evidence that the Apple cider vinegar drink inhibits calorie intake before each meal. However, 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar 1 to 10 minutes before a balanced meal with complex carbohydrates has a blood sugar stabilizing effect and can therefore avoid food cravings.
Sources:
1 Hellmiß, Margot (2009): Heal naturally with apple cider vinegar: The proven home remedy for everyday health problems from A to Z. Munich: Südwest Verlag.
2 Santos, O. Heitor et.al. (2019): Vinegar (acetic acid) intake on glucose metabolism: A narrative review.
Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2019 Aug;32:1-7.doi: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2019.05.008. [ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31221273/ ; July 11, 2021]
