For centuries, people have been using apple cider vinegar as a remedy for many ailments: arthritis, sinus congestion, high blood pressure, skin diseases and more. Since the middle of the 20th century, apple cider has gained a reputation for being a safe and effective weight-loss aid.

About Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is simply the liquid produced from fermented crushed apples. There are two types of apple cider vinegar available: pasteurized and filtered vinegar, which is traditionally used in cooking, and organic unpasteurized and unfiltered vinegar, which is generally used as a dietary supplement, as well as in recipes. While pasteurized and filtered vinegar is readily available in any supermarket, the organic vinegar can be found in health food stores or in the health food section of your supermarket.

Apple Cider Vinegar and Weight Loss

Very limited research has been done on the effects of apple cider vinegar on weight loss. In 1958, Dr. D.C. Jarvis touted the use of apple cider vinegar for weight loss in his book, “Folk Medicine: A Vermont Doctor’s Guide to Good Health.” Since then, a few studies have been done to prove or disprove Jarvis’ theory. These studies suggest that apple cider vinegar may help you to feel full longer and may lower glucose levels. This, in turn, may lead to fewer hunger spikes.

Diet and Exercise

While apple cider vinegar may help you to feel full longer or result in less hunger throughout the day, only a combination of diet and exercise can result in weight loss. To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume. In fact, you must burn 3,500 more calories than you consume in order to lose just 1 lb. So while it is simply diet and exercise that determine how much weight you can lose, taking apple cider vinegar may enable you to stick with your regimen, resulting in greater weight loss.

How to Take Apple Cider Vinegar

For weight-loss purposes, mix 1 to 3 tsp. of organic unpasteurized and unfiltered apple cider vinegar in an 8- or 16-oz. glass of water. Drink an entire glass of this tonic before each meal. If you have trouble with the taste of the vinegar, the tonic may be sweetened with honey or flavored with cinnamon. Alternatively, you can take apple cider vinegar tablets, which are available at health food stores and nutrition shops.

Side Effects

Apple cider vinegar is generally regarded as safe but little research has been done to verify this. Anecdotal evidence suggests that some users of apple cider vinegar may experience digestive upsets such as heartburn and stomach pains. There have been some documented reports of more serious side effects in long-term users including low potassium levels and osteoporosis. To minimize the risk of side effects, do not exceed 7 tsp. per day and always dilute the vinegar in water before drinking.