As a Nutritionist, I personally use apple cider vinegar every day for the variety of health benefits it has. Although it's not literally a magic substance that can cure everything from a bloated belly to acne, it can be a useful ingredient to incorporate into your routine for some additional health perks.
Today, I'm sharing the top 5 apple cider vinegar benefits that you need to know.
#1: May Help Lower Blood Sugar Levels
This is by far my favorite benefit of apple cider vinegar. However, you can actually find this benefit with pretty much any vinegar (or even lemon). A variety of studies have found that either apple cider specifically, or vinegar in general, can help to improve blood sugar levels.(1,2,3)
Even if you're not diabetic, this is an important benefit because unstable blood sugar levels can cause increased hunger, increased sugar cravings and energy crashes - not to mention eventually lead to possible insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes concerns.
I've especially found using diluted apple cider vinegar useful when paired with Intermittent Fasting. This is why we use what I call the "ACV Sipper" in my Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle 15 minutes before the break-fast (or first meal).
You can checkout the Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle HERE.
You can unlock the 100+ recipes, 8 weeks of meal planning and Intermittent Fasting tips with my Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle HERE.
Psssst... curious how long YOUR Intermittent Fast should be? Take my FREE Intermittent Fasting Schedule Quiz by clicking the button below!
#2: May Help Promote Weight Loss
Because apple cider vinegar may help to balance blood sugar levels, it might also be useful for weight loss, too. This is because high blood sugar levels cause a spike in our storing hormone insulin. When insulin is high, fat burning is turned off. In fact, high levels of insulin are also directly tied to weight gain around the belly.(4)
In addition, one study found that when participants had apple cider vinegar with their solid meal, it helped to promote appetite suppression for up to 120 minutes after the meal.(5)
This doesn't mean that you can eat a donut and expect apple cider vinegar to reverse all of the sugar and refined carbs that you just ate. However, apple cider vinegar could be a useful tool in your weight loss journey, especially when paired with protein, fat and fiber rich foods.
#3: May Help Promote A Healthy Heart
It's well known that diabetes can increase the risk of heart disease by as much as double.(6) Because apple cider vinegar has been shown to help improve blood sugar levels, it might also be useful for improving heart health, too. In fact, one study found that apple cider vinegar might even be useful in improving various cholesterol markers (although more research is needed).(7)
#4: May Help Improve Carb Sensitivity
When starchy carbs are eaten with vinegar, it's been found to help stabilize blood sugar levels better than just eating starchy carbs on their own. Researchers have theorized this is because vinegar prevents or slows the breakdown of starches into sugar within the GI tract.(8) This is important for those who might be sensitive to carbs because they could potentially incorporate a small amount of starches without it greatly impacting their blood sugar levels (and therefore weight loss goals).
#5: May Help Improve Gut Health
Organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar contains something called "the mother". The mother is rich in enzymes and gut friendly bacteria. This in combination with other tools, such as Intermittent Fasting, could help to improve gut health. Intermittent Fasting helps to double down on gut health perks by turning on the gut cleaning process called the Migrating Motor Complex (aka the MMC). This process flushes out left behind food and bacteria that could normally build up and lead to bloating. This is why I love combining Intermittent Fasting with my ACV Sipper drink to help keep my gut health in check.
Unlock the Intermittent Fasting tips, meal plans and recipes that have helped thousands of men and women around the world with the Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle!
100+ recipes, 8 weeks of meal planning, science-backed Intermittent Fasting tips and so much more!
Head over HERE to get started!
❤️ Autumn
Autumn Elle Nutrition