Is Apple cider vinegar the new Health Mantra?
Learn the truth about Apple Cider Vinegar and weight loss!
In this video I explore the truth about apple cider vinegar (ACV) and the weight loss claims.
How is apple cider vinegar made? Apple are crushed, sugar turns to alcohol, which then turns to vinegar. The main active component is Acetic acid, which is the same in any other vinegar. So it doesn’t matter which vinegar you drink. For weight loss it is recommended that you take 2 teaspoons in water with each meal.
Ok so lets go over what everyone is saying.
1. It suppresses your appetite. That is a true statement. Apple cider vinegar has been shown to decrease gastric emptying. The food stays in your stomach longer and you feel full longer.
2. Apple cider vinegar balances your blood sugars. That statement is true. It will slightly decrease,your blood sugar after meals but I don’t want you to be the person who has to have a heart attack to figure out that Apple cider vinegar is not the treatment/cure of Diabetes.
3. Apple cider vinegar Balances the pH of the body. This is not true. Acetic acid is an acid. But you body has lungs and kidneys to adjust any changes in pH so that the pH remains neutral. If you do get ACIDOSIS, you will end up in a hospital. A small change in the pH of your cells and your cells will stop working and you could die. ACID /BASE imbalances are a very very serious issue please talk to a medical doctor.
4. Apple cider Vinegar kills the bad bacteria. If there were bad bacteria in the intestines you would be sick. There is nothing to kill. If you do end up getting bad bacteria, then you will need antibiotics. Also the intestine’s pH varies from 5.7-7.5. There is a reason for that. Certain enzymes work at a certain pH and certain nutrients get absorbed at a certain ph. Changing it will not only cause malabsorption but will also alter the cell lining of the intestine and cause more harm than good.
5. Drinking apple cider vinegar before bed is a great idea and causes weight loss. This is false. NO ONE should be doing this. It will burn your esophagus and could cause esophageal cancer. If you mix 15 ml of Apple cider vinegar with 8oz of water the ph changes to 3.22-4.22 And if you mix 30 ml of Apple cider vinegar with 8 oz of water the ph changes to 2.95-3.95. Still very acidic……IT WILL BURN YOUR ESOPHAGUS.
6. Apple cider vinegar contains a lot of helpful nutrients. This is not true. It doesn’t have any significant amount of minerals or vitamins.
7. Apple cider vinegar lower blood pressure. This is not true, there is no substantial evidence of it doing so.
8. Apple cider vinegar help with acid reflux. That is not true. As mentioned above it is an acid and will burn your esophagus and possibly lead to esophageal cancer.
9. You needs Apple cider vinegar because the amount of acid your stomach makes decreases as you age. There is no study that suggests that.
Ok so what are the facts: One of the main studies everyone talks about is a Japanese study published in 2009. Patients lost about 4.2 pounds with high dose and 2.6 pounds with low dose in 12 weeks. These patients lost abdominal fat and visceral fat, which is a great thing. The weight loss was minimal. The study was not long enough to see what side effects happened from the use of Apple cider vinegar. The study proposed that the Acetic acid in the Apple cider vinegar led to regulation of genes which caused some weight loss.
It was not an overnight fix.
The claims that someone lost 10 pounds in week are great but how much of that is fat? It is mostly water redistribution. To lose a pound of fat you need to be in a calorie deficit of 3500 calories. So if you do the math for you to lose 10 pounds you need to be in a 35,000 calorie deficit. That is a deficit of 5,000 calories a day. That is impossible.
Let’s also look at the side effects of Apple cider vinegar and who should not be taking Apple cider vinegar:
1. Diabetics on insulin as it may lower you blood sugar too much.
2. If you have heart disease and take Digoxin. It could lower your potassium levels to a dangerously low levels and it could kill you.
3. If you are on certain water pills. Again it can lower your potassium levels too much.
4. It slows gastric emptying, so patients who have gastroparesis(Slowed Gastric emptying) should not take it.
5. It is acidic with a ph of 2.95-4.22 even when dissolved in 8 oz of water. It can burn your throat and your esophagus and cause cancer. If you have done it and don’t have cancer, it doesn’t mean others can’t. The oldest person smoking is 114 and still smoking, but people still get cancer/COPD due to smoking.
6. It will erode you teeth and cause tooth decay. If you are using it every day, please drink with a straw and brush your teeth after drinking it.
7. Extended use can cause bone loss and osteoporosis.