Apple Cider Vinegar Diet

Apple cider vinegar for health.]

By Deana Case

The apple cider vinegar diet is based on the idea that consuming a few teaspoons of apple cider vinegar prior to meals curbs the appetite and reduces cravings. This idea was popularized in the 1950's by Dr. D.C. Jarvis in his book Folk Medicine: A Vermont Doctor's Guide to Good Health. Dr. Jarvis also believed that consuming apple cider vinegar would cause the body to burn fat instead of store it. Apple cider vinegar has also been used by people with diabetes, high blood pressure, and those following the alkaline acid diet. Studies on the efficacy of apple cider vinegar involving humans are limited.

Apple Cider Vinegar as a Dietary Supplement

ACV can be found in most health food stores and can often be found in the health supplement section of grocery stores. Unpasteurized apple cider vinegar is a golden brown color and has cloudy sediment at the bottom of the bottle known as mother of vinegar. Mother of vinegar is rich in acetic acid, which is one of the main active ingredients in apple cider vinegar.

ACV with the mother.

Apple cider vinegar also contains malic, lactic, and citric acid. This high acid level is believed to aid in digestion and destroy harmful bacteria in the digestive system. It is also thought to help the body maintain a healthy alkaline level.

Apple cider vinegar is taken in liquid form by the teaspoon and also comes in pill and capsule form. There are no official guidelines regarding what the daily intake of apple cider vinegar should be. Many people take two teaspoons per day mixed with juice or water. When apple cider vinegar is taken in its pill form, 285 milligrams is the dosage commonly found in instructions which accompanysupplements.

Pill vs liquid

Obviously, apple cider vinegar in pill form is easier on the palate. However, because these pills are dietary supplements they are not tested for content or basic safety. In 2005, a study of eight different ACV supplements revealed that the labeling on the box did not reflect the ingredients in the supplements, a wide disparity of dosages and ingredients brought into question whether or not the supplements actually contained apple cider vinegar. If you are going to use apple cider vinegar as a dietary supplement, you may wish to use the liquid form to be sure of your dosage size, plus it is more economical.

Health Benefits of the Apple Cider Vinegar Diet

Several different health conditions are thought to benefit from the apple cider vinegar diet. The proponents of this diet believe that consuming a certain amount of apple cider vinegar each day may alleviate symptoms of the following health conditions:

·         Obesity - thought to aid the body's ability to burn fat and stop cravings; people use apple cider vinegar as part of a weight loss plan. In 2005, a small study involving 11 people did find that those who had bread with vinegar before a meal felt more satisfied than those who only ate bread. More research needs to be done, but there is some indication ACV lowers the glycemic index.

·         High Cholesterol - a study performed in 2006 showed that rats who were given ACV had lowered cholesterol levels.

·         Alkaline Acid Balance - proponents of the alkaline diet believe that better health is achieved by keeping the body's alkaline level at 7.4 percent. Apple cider vinegar is an acid, but is thought to produce alkaline in the body when it is metabolized. ACV is often recommended as a supplement to an alkaline diet.

·         Diabetes - Several studies have shown that vinegar lowers blood glucose levels. Acetic acid present in ACV is believed to slow the digestion of starch. This digestive change lowers the glycemic index of starchy foods. All of these studies have been small and further research is needed to provide definitive results.

Risks and Considerations

Most of the recommended eating plans associated with this diet are based on low calorie meals. If you plan to use the apple cider vinegar diet for weight loss, you might want to consider just following the low calorie diet and exercising twenty minutes three times per week instead. Some of the reasons to consider skipping apple cider vinegar as a supplement are:

·         The acetic acid in ACV may damage tooth enamel, parts of the digestive tract, and the esophagus.

·         Excessive consumption of ACV has been known to have a negative affect on potassium and bone density levels.

·         Problems with drug interactions.

Before starting any diet plan to improve your health, speak with your physician about the plan and the goals you hope to achieve.