Apple cider vinegar shows promise for weight control in overweight and obese individuals

Apple cider vinegar shows promise for weight control in overweight and obese individuals

Small daily amounts of apple cider vinegar for 12 weeks help control weight in overweight or obese people, according to results of a small comparative clinical trial published in the open access journalBMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health.

Over a three-month period, apple cider vinegar consumption was associated with significant decreases in body weight, body mass index (BMI), and blood sugar, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels, leading researchers to believe it may be a useful supplement in the treatment of obesity.

Since 1975, the global prevalence of obesity has almost tripled, and the World Obesity Federation predicts that by 2035, more than half of the world's population will be overweight or obese.

In recent years, apple cider vinegar has become increasingly popular as a weight loss agent, say the Lebanese researchers, who set out to test its potential on 120 young people (46 men and 74 women; average age 17) who were overweight or obese. with a BMI between 27 and 34.

Each participant was randomly assigned to one of four groups. The first three participants were asked to drink apple cider vinegar in amounts of 5, 10 or 15 ml (containing 5% acetic acid diluted in 250 ml of water) once a day for 12 weeks first thing in the morning, before eating. The participants in the fourth group received a dummy liquid (placebo) instead.

The timing was chosen to avoid the potential influence of other foods and drinks and to take into account their potential to reduce appetite and increase satiety.

Participants recorded what they ate and reported physical activity in a food diary: diary entries and physical activity records differed little between groups over the course of the study.

Compared to those given the placebo, the cider drinkers lost significant weight and reduced their BMI, with those who drank the highest "dose" of 15ml seeing the biggest decline after 12 weeks.

On average, those who drank apple cider vinegar once a day during this period lost 6-8 kg of weight and reduced their BMI by 2.7-3 points, depending on the dose.

With daily amounts of 5 ml the average weight fell from 79 kg to 74 kg, with 10 ml it fell from 79 kg to 72 kg and with 15 ml the average weight fell from 77 kg to just over 70 kg.

The BMIs also fell from just over 31 to just over 29 or from just over 30 to just over 27 or from 30 to just over 27.

The decreases in weight and BMI were much smaller in the placebo group over the same period: from just over 79 kg to just under 79 kg and from 30.7 to 30.6 BMI.

All three different amounts of apple cider vinegar were also associated with significant reductions in waist and hip measurements and body fat percentage compared to placebo. These reductions were similar regardless of dose, suggesting that the effect does not depend on quantity, the researchers say.

Apple cider consumption was also associated with decreases in serum glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol, although these appeared to depend on dose size, with the largest decrease occurring in those who took 15 ml once daily.

The study's sample size was small, potentially limiting the generalizability of the results, and a 12-week period is not long enough to estimate the potential long-term side effects of apple cider vinegar, the researchers admit.

But they say: "These results suggest that apple cider may have potential benefits in improving metabolic parameters associated with obesity and metabolic disorders in obese individuals.“

And they come to the conclusion: “The results could contribute to evidence-based recommendations for the use of [apple cider vinegar] as a dietary intervention in the treatment of obesity.

“The study could stimulate further research in this area and lead scientists to explore the underlying mechanisms and conduct similar studies in other populations.”.”

Shane McAuliffe, Senior Visiting Academic Associate, NNEdPro Global Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health, which co-owns BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health with BMJ, said: “While in this study design the intervention has been shown to be feasible and effective, which serves to stimulate further studies to assess scalability and broader applications, caution should be exercised at this stage regarding the generalizability of the conclusions regarding 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 food intake to explain possible confounding factors, and future explanatory studies would further elucidate the mechanisms of impact on biochemical markers (lipids and blood glucose) in addition to weight loss.”“

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