Is apple cider vinegar actually good for you?

The popular new Netflix show Apple Cider Vinegar isn’t about the titular vinegar – it’s about the influencer Belle Gibson claiming she cured brain cancer by adopting a whole food diet.

Yet apple cider vinegar is a fitting symbol for society’s obsession with miracle health cures.

For millennia, healers, herbalists and wellness enthusiasts of all stripes have sworn by apple cider vinegar’s supposed benefits. Search “apple cider vinegar + [insert ailment]” and you’ll find someone claiming it helps with everything from sunburn to kidney stones to even neurodegenerative disease. Infused with garlic, onions and hot peppers, it becomes fire cider, a folk remedy said to boost immunity and take the edge off colds. A few tablespoons mixed into water? A digestive aid. Dabbed on to bruises? A home remedy.

Many of the health claims people make about apple cider vinegar are based on anecdote and tradition. But some of its applications draw on clinical research and are considered worthwhile by doctors and dietitians. So what does the science really say about apple cider vinegar’s health effects and practical uses?

Is apple cider vinegar safe?

Apple cider vinegar is neither magic nor snake oil. Rather, it’s a healthy pantry staple most people can incorporate into their diets safely.

Unpasteurized apple cider vinegar with “the mother”, a brownish murk of friendly microbes, is rich in polyphenols, a kind of antioxidant, and probiotics, which contribute to beneficial gut bacteria.

The typical serving recommendation is a tablespoon of vinegar diluted in 8oz of water. Effects will depend on the individual. For those with acid reflux, ulcers or gastritis, vinegar’s high levels of acetic acid may feel too harsh. As with any supplement, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor before incorporating apple cider vinegar into your routine, particularly for those on diabetes medications or drugs that affect potassium levels, or those with kidney disease, as their kidneys may struggle to process high doses of acid. It’s also worth noting that acid can be hard on tooth enamel.

Apple cider vinegar is anti-microbial against pathogens, which means it can do double-duty as a salad dressing ingredient and a sanitizer for any sneaky Ecoli hanging out on your lettuce. Adding it to a bowl of water when washing produce can help kill off microbes, and keep your veg fresh for longer in the fridge.

More research is needed before we know whether vinegar can be officially recommended for fighting pathogens inside the body, but the research so far paints a compelling picture of an accessible way to inhibit bacterial growth in vitro.

Can apple cider vinegar help with blood glucose levels and diabetes?

Much of the research about drinking apple cider vinegar to control blood sugar has comprised only small, short, interventional trials. One 2023 study, with a cohort of 80 adults with type 2 diabetes, found that those who consumed two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar a day had significantly greater reductions in their blood sugar levels, as well as larger improvements in their cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and greater weight loss than the control. A 2021 meta-analysis found fairly consistent reductions in blood sugar spikes and triglycerides in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Several studies have found apple cider vinegar may support metabolic health by slowing digestion, leading to a steadier release of glucose into the bloodstream – potentially useful when consuming meals high in simple carbohydrates. Additional research supports that apple cider vinegar may also enhance the body’s ability to process fat and glucose more efficiently.

However, Dr Dan Bessesen, a professor of endocrinology, metabolism and diabetes at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, takes these studies with a grain of salt.

“When you’re looking at something like glucose or cholesterol or weight, these are chronic conditions where you would want to see some meaningful long-term benefits,” such as the prevention of heart problems or type 2 diabetes. “But there really are no long-term studies,” he says.

Perhaps apple cider vinegar “was the GLP-1 agonist of 1,000 years ago”, says Bessesen, but compared to the glucose-lowering drugs available today, its effects are significantly less potent and reliable, he says: a complementary tonic perhaps, but not a replacement for diabetes medication.