Is vinegar healthy for weight loss?

In this brief guide, we will address the query “Is vinegar healthy for weight loss?” Additionally, we will explore the health benefits and health concerns of using vinegar for weight loss.

The present article will focus on apple vinegar, because there is not too much concluding research regarding white vinegar for weight loss.

Is vinegar healthy for weight loss?

Apple vinegar, rather than white vinegar, has shown to be healthy for weight loss. It is important to note that most studies use between 15 and 30 ml a day of apple vinegar, this is enough to help reduce weight loss (1,2).

Why can vinegar aid in weight loss?

According to the literature, vinegar can help for weight loss by the following reasons (1):

  • All organic acids like acetic acid (the main acid in vinegar) can delay the gastric emptying, which can increase your satiety time. This way you will need to eat less frequently.
  • Vinegar can activate metabolic pathways that increase your usage of sugars and fat oxidation to convert them into energy. 

What other health benefits does vinegar offer apart from weight loss?

Vinegar can provide other health benefits apart from weight loss, for example (2):

  • Increase the insulin production and insulin sensitivity.
  • Vinegar can reduce cholesterol and regulate blood lipids, therefore is considered as a cardio protective food.
  • Helps prevent cancer cells proliferation by induction of apoptosis (natural cell’s death cycle).

Are there any health concerns from using vinegar for weight loss?

There is not too much evidence about the health risks of using vinegar in moderate amounts (15 – 30 ml daily). However, a study showed that people with diabetes can present hypoglycemia, especially people who depend on insulin administration (1).

To avoid any health risk, you should ask for professional advice from a nutrition specialist. He or she will also adjust all your macronutrients’ intake to ensure a healthy weight loss.

How should vinegar be consumed for weight loss purposes?

You can add vinegar to your salads with vinaigrette and other salad dressings. Vinaigrette is a delicious dressing and simple to prepare, this way you can add not only vinegar, but healthy vegetables which also help you reduce weight (3).

Launholt et al. (1) and Samad et al. (2) reviewed several scientific studies regarding the health beneficial effects of vinegar; according to their findings, just 15 ml of vinegar is enough to help you for weight loss. It is important to note that most studies followed up the consumption of vinegar by 12 weeks (approximately) to notice any beneficial effect.

Therefore, you can have 15 ml of apple vinegar, or 20 to 30 ml of vinaigrette to ensure the health benefits of vinegar. 

Vegetables are a rich source of fiber and antioxidants that aid in weight loss. Additionally, remember that a complete nutrition includes all food groups, including vegetables (4).

You can check for vinaigrette recipes here! You can also find a brief guide of vinaigrette for sandwiches in this link.

Conclusion

In this brief guide, we addressed the query “Is vinegar healthy for weight loss?” Additionally, we explored the health benefits and health concerns of using vinegar for weight loss.

References

  1. Launholt TL, Kristiansen CB, Hjorth P. Safety and side effects of apple vinegar intake and its effect on metabolic parameters and body weight: a systematic review. Eur J Nutr, 2020;59(6):2273–89.
  1. Samad A, Azlan A, Ismail A. Therapeutic effects of vinegar: a review. Curr Opin Food Sci, 2016;8:56–61.
  1. Abedinzadeh S, Torbati M, Azadmard-Damirchi S. Some Qualitative and Rheological Properties of Virgin Olive Oil- Apple Vinegar Salad Dressing Stabilized With Xanthan Gum. Adv Pharm Bull, 2016;6(4):597-606.
  1. Cena H, Calder PC. Defining a healthy diet: Evidence for the role of contemporary dietary patterns in health and disease. Nutrients, 2020;12(2):334.

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