In recent months, yet another diet craze has swept of the weight loss world. Many people claim drinking apple cider vinegar before meals can help kickstart your metabolism to keep those pounds off. But, are these claims true, and what research exists to back these absurd claims?
Presumed Benefits
There are many ways dieters claim this miracle vinegar can help to shed excess pounds from your waistline. By stimulating digestion, your body begins to digest your food faster and get rid of excess waste, like fats, before they have a time to absorb into your body. Getting rid of the excess waste faster means less of the fat from your food is being used for energy, so your body will naturally begin to use its fat stores instead to make up for the difference. Others have stated that this vinegar helps to stimulate protein utilization. Using the proteins from food faster allows the body to create more growth hormone, which is the key to keeping a high resting metabolism rate. Lastly, because the vinegar is sourced from apples, it contains apple pectin, This pectin has been shown to act as a appetite suppressant. Taking apple cider vinegar before meals can cut down on the calories you consume in each meal. However, with all of these proclaimed weight loss benefits, there are more downsides to jumping on this food fad.
Downsides to Vinegar
Any doctor or scientist you speak to will say the number one, most important part of any new medical information is that it is will be backed by medical research. However, there is almost no research whatsoever to back these crazy claims. In fact, the European Food Safety Authority has approved zero of these claims. Without research, most people are blindly following this new trend because they heard about it through an unknown source, usually friends or the internet. Not only is using apple cider vinegar for weight loss not backed by research, but drinking this as a beverage everyday can actually cause health problems.
High Acidity
Just like any vinegar, apple cider vinegar has a high acidity. While some acid in your diet is ok to digest, drinking too much of it can cause many health problems. Your teeth’s enamel, which keeps your teeth strong and healthy can be eroded by drinking acidic drinks. Also, your throat is not made to constantly have acid in it, which can lead to erosion of your esophagus. Acid, however, is not the only problem that is caused by drinking vinegar.
Messing With Your Body’s Nutrients
As apple cider vinegar does help to quicken your digestion, it does not give your body enough time to absorb the nutrients it does need to survive. Many people who have started this fad have low potassium levels. Without proper potassium, your muscles and nerves cannot properly send and receive the mental signals they need to work. Additionally, it has been shown that medications, like those to treat diabetes and heart disease are not properly absorbed when following this diet.
Conclusion
All in all, it is important to do your own research before jumping on a new diet bandwagon. With so many potential problems to adding apple cider vinegar into your daily drinks, this may be one diet to stay away from.
