From fighting cancer to controlling blood sugar and now weight loss… the TRUTH about apple cider vinegar’s purported health benefits

A quick internet search may lead you to believe that apple cider vinegar is the ultimate miracle cure.

From celebrities and influencers to scientific studies, the story goes that the acidic liquid, which costs just £2.50 in health food stores, can do everything from help you shed a few extra pounds to cure cancer.

But is apple cider vinegar really a cure for all ailments? Or just overhyped?

While it’s tempting to trust these fantastic health claims, experts warn that many of these benefits have only been recorded in petri dishes, and not in humans.

Here, MailOnline analyzes some of the biggest health claims to find out whether they are true.

It CAN help lower blood sugar levels

One of the most common health claims about apple cider vinegar is that it can help control blood sugar levels.

A 2004 study published in the Journal of the American Association of Diabetes suggested that consuming the vinegar as part of a meal that contains carbohydrates, such as potatoes or rice, can improve glucose and insulin levels after you eat.

This, in theory, helps combat high blood sugar levels that can lead to problems like diabetes.

Researchers gave participants a meal consisting of a bagel with butter and a glass of orange juice.

After the meal, the participants were then given 20 grams of apple cider vinegar or a placebo.

All participants’ blood glucose levels were then checked 30 minutes and again an hour after meals.

This showed that those who had the vinegar had lower blood sugar levels.

Other studies using people and not just test tubes also reached similar conclusions.

But researchers in one 2016 study found that the vinegar is more effective in healthy individuals than in diabetics.

However, drinking a splash of apple cider vinegar after a meal will not take the place of diabetes medications.

Although many studies suggest there is a beneficial effect on blood glucose, many of these are ‘very short and often not blinded’, says Professor Gunter Kuhnle, an industry-recognised nutritional scientist at the University of Reading.

A study that is blinded means that participants do not know which substance they are using as part of the experiment.

“I don’t think they are enough to confirm an effect,” Professor Kuhnle added.

It does NOT cure cancer

Despite studies to the contrary, taking apple cider vinegar will not “cure” cancer.

Most studies on the link between apple cider vinegar and cancer have been conducted in test tubes and not in humans.

One USA studyconducted in 1996, suggested that cancer cells grow more aggressively in an acidic environment.

Because apple cider vinegar, once digested by the body, becomes alkaline, the opposite of acidic, others have theorized that it could help fight cancer.

But there is no evidence that cancer cells do not grow in an alkaline environment.

And another, this time 2014 study published in the journal Gastroenterology and Hepatology, found that the acetic acid in apple cider vinegar could kill stomach cancer cells of rats and humans in a test tube.

Researchers also suggested that it showed potential for treating some stomach cancers.

However, this is not proof that drinking apple cider vinegar will fight cancer in a human body.

‘This is based on an observation about the metabolism of cancer cells in the laboratory and other experimental models and not in humans,’ says Dr Duane Mellor, a registered dietitian at Aston University in Birmingham.

He even explained that it is actually illegal in Britain to advertise these types of treatments to people with cancer, under the Cancer Act 1939.

“It has been linked to the scientifically discredited theory of alkaline foods such as apple cider vinegar and lemon water,” he added.

Celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Victoria Beckham and Jennifer Aniston swear by the drink for its fat-burning properties.

A 2018 studypublished in the Journal of Functional Foods, showed that drinking 15 ml (2 tablespoons) of apple cider vinegar with lunch can help people lose weight.

Participants in the experiment ate a diet that contained 250 calories less than their estimated daily needs.

The group that drank apple cider vinegar lost an average of 1.3 kg more than those who just followed the calorie deficit diet.

Now, new research from Holy Spirit University of Kaslik also suggests that the vinegar can help you lose up to 8kg in just three months after drinking a single 15ml scoop before breakfast.

But not everyone is convinced.

Critics have torn up the recent study of just 120 people, arguing it was deeply flawed and proved nothing.

The duration of the twelve-week study and the fact that the participants were not ‘weight stable’ at the start of the study were among the criticisms.

The Lebanese researchers also admitted that they did not know why apple cider vinegar could have a slimming effect.

However, they argued that studies in animals have shown that it improves insulin sensitivity and energy levels.

Dr. Mellor explained that the weight loss benefits may not be unique to apple cider vinegar.

He said: ‘Any vinegar added to a meal slows down how quickly our stomachs empty after we eat a meal, so this is not unique to apple cider vinegar.’

So while apple cider vinegar may have a modest effect on weight loss, there isn’t enough research to prove that you should ditch dieting and the gym.

It does NOT control high blood pressure

Another claim made online is that apple cider vinegar can control high blood pressure and cholesterol.

But a lack of evidence suggests this is just another popular myth.

Although studies do show some improvement in blood pressure, this is only the case in animal studies.

Only one 2006 study by researchers at Arizona State University, which tested the theory in rats, showed a reduction in systolic blood pressure in rodents fed a diet containing acetic acid, compared to rodents not fed the substance.

However, there are no studies that replicate this in humans enough to support the recommendation.

It CAN kill bacteria

Vinegar has traditionally been used for centuries to clean and preserve food.

But one study in 2005 also suggested it could be used to reduce the risk of salmonella, a type of bacteria that can cause food poisoning.

Researchers treated infected rocket leaves with vinegar, lemon juice or a combination of both. They found that mixing lemon juice and vinegar reduced the growth of salmonella.

But it is not recommended to rely on this to prevent salmonella poisoning.

Professor Kuhnle said: ‘It is probably antimicrobial, but it has this in common with other types of vinegar in that the acetic acid will kill many (but not all) insects – however, I am a bit skeptical as to whether this has any effect in the human body as it is quite is quickly buffered and used for energy (or something else).’

Dr. Mellor also said that vinegar is likely to reduce the growth of bacteria, but emphasized that this is more likely to be seen in petri dishes than in the internal environment of human bodies.