BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

• Alternative remedies for weight-loss are popular, but their evidence for their efficacy is often lacking
  • Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has shown benefit in animal studies and some small-scale studies in humans
• Abou-Khalil et al. (BMJ Nutrition Prevention and Health, 2024) investigated the effects of ACV consumption on weight, blood glucose, triglyceride and cholesterol levels

METHODS:

• Randomized controlled trial
  • Lebanese population
• Participants
  • Overweight and obese adolescents and adults  12 to 25 years
    • BMI: Between 27 and 34 kg/m2
  • No chronic diseases
  • No intake of medications
• Intervention
  • ACV (5% acetic acid diluted in 250 ml of water)
    • 5 mL | 10 mL | 15 mL over 12 weeks
  • Placebo
• Study design
  • ACV taken in the morning on an empty stomach
  • Lactic acid was used to give placebo a similar acidic taste
  • Measurements were taken at 0, 4, 8 and 12 weeks
• Primary outcomes
  • Anthropometric parameters
  • Fasting blood glucose
  • Triglyceride and cholesterol levels

RESULTS:

• 120 participants
• No change in diet diary and physical activity throughout the study
• Consuming 5 mL, 10 mL or 15 mL of ACV resulted in significant decreases in body weight and BMI by week 12 (P<0.05)
  • Body weight at week 12
    • 15 mL ACV: 70.2 kg (SD, 25.0)
    • Placebo: 78.8 kg (SD, 28.6)
  • BMI at week 12
    • 15 mL ACV: 27.2 (SD, 2.9)
    • Placebo: 30.6 (SD, 3.2)
• Serum glucose, triglyceride and cholesterol levels all decreased significantly with ACV by week 12 (P<0.05)
• There were no significant adverse effects

CONCLUSION:

• Consuming ACV (either 5, 10 or 15 mL) daily led to improved anthropometric and metabolic parameters for adults and adolescents with overweight and obesity 
• The authors state

Biological action of acetate may be mediated by binding to the G-protein coupled receptors (GPRs), including GPR43 and GPR41

These receptors are expressed in various insulin-sensitive tissues, such as adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, liver, and pancreatic beta cells, but also in the small intestine and colon

Learn More – Primary Sources:

Apple cider vinegar for weight management in Lebanese adolescents and young adults with overweight and obesity: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study