Apple Cider Vinegar Benefits: Healthy Weight Management, Gut Health and Skin Health

Apple cider vinegar is made by fermenting apple juice using acetic acid bacteria.^[1] Beyond its use as a condiment that helps preserve food, ACV has been considered a traditional remedy for thousands of years. For example, Japanese samurai drank vinegar tonics for power and strength.^[2] Additionally, US President John Adams sipped ACV with breakfast each day. From China to France, health practitioners used ACV to treat various ailments throughout history.

How can you integrate ACV into your health and wellness routine – and why should you never drink shots of it? Read on to learn what vinegar can and can’t do for you, along with tips on choosing an apple cider vinegar supplement.

What is ACV?

Making vinegar is a simple and ancient process, with legends dating it back to 5000 BC or even earlier^[3]. The name comes from two French words, vin aigre, or sour wine.^[4] Though it is like wine, vinegar takes longer to ferment, until sugars become alcohol and then acid. In the case of apple cider vinegar, crushed apples or apple juice are fermented until bacteria convert the alcohol to acetic acid at a concentration of at least 4%.^[5] The acid is responsible for vinegar’s sharp, sour flavor and scent. Anything with a lower acidity is not legally allowed to be called “vinegar” in the United States.

Unpasteurized apple cider vinegar with the mother is cloudy with visible strings or sometimes a thick disc in the bottom. The bacteria form the vinegar “mother,”^[6] made of cellulose and fermentation by-products. The mother contains the vinegar’s antioxidants, trace minerals, enzymes, phenols and other bioactive compounds.

When choosing ACV, look for organic varieties for more benefits. A 2016 study found that organic ACV contained more strains of bacteria compared with conventionally produced ACV (96 vs 72).^[7]

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Proven health benefits of apple cider vinegar

Supports metabolism, preserves lean body mass and curbs cravings:
A 2014 study published in Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry found that consuming vinegar daily may help support metabolic health by supporting healthy body weight.^[8] In that study of Japanese adults, 155 participants who were considered obese were divided into three groups. One drank 500 ml of a beverage containing 15 ml of vinegar, another drank 500 ml with 30 ml vinegar and the final group consumed a placebo. Both vinegar groups reported positive body outcomes.

In a 2022 literature review, researchers found that ACV increased satiety in four of six short-term studies,^[9] but longer-term studies did not replicate the same results.

How to Safely Consume ACV

While apple cider vinegar shots are popular, acidic foods and drinks can contribute to dental erosion.^[10] Over time, acid weakens teeth and causes discoloration. Its acidity can also harm the stomach and esophagus. If you do choose to drink ACV, opt for raw, organic versions that are unpasteurized. Dilute it, then drink plenty of water afterward, or use it in salad dressings and other sauces. Consuming apple cider vinegar gummies or other forms can help reduce exposure to acidic ACV while delivering the desired benefits.

Other ACV gummies contain only apple cider vinegar. Our formula combines it with Brain Octane Oil and chromium picolinate. These sugar-free gummies are designed to maximize your routine with apple cider vinegar plus additional metabolism-supporting ingredients.† Apple cider vinegar helps control cravings when paired with a balanced diet, while chromium picolinate helps reduce body fat and control cravings.†