Daily shot of one vinegar helped overweight people lose up to 8kg, study finds

A shot of apple cider vinegar a day helped overweight people lose as much as 8kg in three months, according to a recent study.

That's right - research has linked drinking the fermented juice of crushed apples to weight loss. A single 15ml dose before breakfast was found to also lower body mass index, blood sugar levels, and cholesterol.

A study analysed how three different amounts of vinegar impacted people who are overweight or obese. The research, published in the BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health journal, said apple cider vinegar could be a 'promising' supplement for obesity that comes without side effects.

Apple cider vinegar can be picked up at supermarkets and online. Bottles can be picked up for under £5 as with Raw Vibrant Living's Apple Cider Vinegar on Amazon (£4.45). At Boots, Braggs Organic Apple Cider Vinegar is sold for £6.99.

The World Obesity Federation anticipates over half of the global population will be overweight or obese by 2035. Since 1975, the world's obesity rate has almost tripled. There's hope that sipping on apple cider vinegar might be a straightforward and affordable way to help tackle this crisis.

"These results suggest that apple cider might have potential benefits in improving metabolic parameters related to obesity and metabolic disorders in obese individuals," said the lead researcher of the study, Dr Rony Abou-Khalil from Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, in Lebanon.

"The results might contribute to evidence-based recommendations for the use of apple cider vinegar as a dietary intervention in the management of obesity. The study could stimulate further research in the field, prompting scientists to explore the underlying mechanisms and conduct similar studies in other populations."

"Apple cider vinegar could be a promising antiobesity supplement that does not produce any side effects."

The study put cider vinegar to the test with 120 young people split into four groups. The participants, made up of 46 men and 74 women averaging 17 years old, were all either overweight or obese with a BMI between 27 and 34.

For 12 weeks, the first three groups had a daily dose of apple cider vinegar before breakfast, with amounts varying from 5, 10 or 15ml. The fourth group was given a pretend placebo drink.

They kept track of their meals in a food diary and shared details about their exercise habits. Over the course of the study, they lost an average of 6-8 kg and their BMI dropped by 2.7-3 points, depending on how much vinegar they had.

Those who had the highest dose of 15ml saw the biggest weight loss and BMI decrease after 12 weeks, going from an average of 77kg to just over 70kg. With a 10ml dose, the average weight went from 79 kg to 72kg, and at 5ml, it dropped from 79 to 74kg.

Their BMIs also fell from 31 to nearly 27, again depending on the dosage. All three different amounts of apple cider vinegar impacted waist and hip measurements and body fat ratio.

The researchers also discovered that it lowers blood glucose, triglycerides (a type of fat), and cholesterol.

Dr Abou-Khalil noted: "The study sample was small, so potentially limiting the generalisability of the findings, and a period of 12 weeks isn't long enough to gauge the possible long-term side effects of apple cider vinegar."

"These results suggest that apple cider might have potential benefits in improving metabolic parameters related to obesity and metabolic disorders in obese individuals.

He added: "The study could stimulate further research in the field, prompting scientists to explore the underlying mechanisms and conduct similar studies in other populations."

Co-owner of the journal BMJ, Shane McAuliffe concludes: “Whilst in this study, design intervention has demonstrated feasibility and effectiveness serving to encourage further trials designed to assess scalability and wider applications, at this stage caution should be exercised regarding the generalisability of the conclusions drawn on the independent effects of apple cider vinegar on the outcomes observed.

“Further research in this area would need to include detailed reporting of dietary recall or nutritional intake to explain any potential confounders and future explanatory trials would further elucidate mechanisms of impact on biochemical markers (lipids and blood glucose) in addition to weight loss.”

Join the Daily Record's WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.