5 Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

May 15, 2023Chad Richardson

Apple cider vinegar might be one of the hottest wellness hacks on the market. It’s been used as a home remedy for treating a variety of different conditions. Due to its many reported health benefits, many people have made it a staple in their diet.

You may have heard of apple cider vinegar’s antimicrobial and antioxidant properties (these are some of the more well-known benefits) but did you know that apple cider vinegar may also be good for:

Stimulating weight loss
Lowering cholesterol
Reducing and stabilizing blood sugar levels
Improving digestive health
Reducing inflammation

The most-noted drawback when it comes to consuming apple cider vinegar is that, quite frankly, it just doesn’t taste very good. Fortunately, better tasting options like apple cider vinegar gummies have emerged as an alternative to drinking bitter apple cider vinegar straight, while still enjoying the health benefits.

Apple Cider Vinegar — What Exactly Is It?

Apple cider vinegar has been used as a go-to home remedy for centuries. It gets made from crushed apples that are then fermented. Fermentation occurs when one specific substance breaks down into a simpler one. In the case of apple cider vinegar, the apple’s sugar gets transformed into alcohol, and then eventually, acetic acid (which is where vinegar gets its distinct odor from).

Main Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

1. Reduce blood sugar and help with diabetes

Some of the biggest proponents of including apple cider vinegar in your diet will point to the fact that research indicates it may be beneficial for helping manage diabetes. And really, just anyone who has high blood sugar in general.

Insulin resistance (i.e. when your body fails to produce enough insulin to keep up with the blood sugar in your bloodstream) triggers high blood sugar levels. Over time, consistently higher blood sugar levels can lead to the development of diabetes and other chronic health diseases.

Maintaining healthy and stable blood sugar levels is critical to your health, considering high blood sugar levels and large fluctuations or spikes have been linked to various diseases, such as heart disease or stroke. These are detrimental to your health and may shorten your life expectancy if you don’t get them under control.

When it comes to managing blood sugar and insulin levels, here’s what research has found:

After consuming 50 grams of white bread, one study with 5 participants saw a reduction in blood sugar by 31.4% on average.
Another small study indicates apple cider vinegar may boost insulin sensitivity between 19-34% while eating a meal high in carbs and drastically decrease your blood sugar levels.
A systematic review of nine studies concluded that apple cider vinegar drastically lowered blood sugar levels in test subjects and also found a substantial decrease in hemoglobin A1C, a type of protein that’s often associated with diabetes.

Overall, research shows apple cider vinegar may be a hack for reducing blood sugar levels and improving insulin sensitivity. Both are key when it comes to treating diabetes.

2. Weight loss

What’s the one thing people struggle with most when it comes to losing weight? Odds are, if you’ve ever tried to lose weight, overeating is one of the main things that’s tripped you up along the way. It’s frustrating! But when you’re hungry, you’re hungry, right?

On the other hand, when you’re feeling full and satisfied, it can help you fight off snack cravings throughout the day and other late night snacks. Ultimately being full enables you to stick to your diet, eat less, and shed a few pounds.

Research indicates apple cider vinegar has a satiating effect that makes it easier to fight off hunger:

In one study, taking apple cider vinegar in conjunction with a high carb meal actually saw participants eat between 200-275 calories less per day.
175 people with obesity participated in a study that saw consuming apple cider vinegar resulted in fat loss around the stomach and also weight loss. Over the 3-month study, consuming 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar resulted in 2.6 pound weight loss on average, and 2 tablespoons, 3.7 pounds of weight loss.
A 2018 study found that the 39 participants (all considered overweight or obese) saw decreases in body weight, BMI, and hunger.

3. Better gut and digestive health

Constipation, bloating, diarrhea, indigestion. Just think about when you get backed up. It’s not a very good feeling at all, is it? When that happens, all you want is some relief and help with digestion.

If you’re looking for something to improve your gut health and aid in digestion, then apple cider vinegar may just be the thing for you.

Apple cider vinegar has an acidic pH level, which is good for breaking down your food and guarding against indigestion. This is useful if you suffer from digestive issues like bloating, constipation, and bowel conditions like IBS.

Acid reflux is another big thing apple cider vinegar may help out with. The probiotics in apple cider vinegar promote a healthy gut, which can help your body limit the number of acid reflux occurrences and the severity when they do happen.

4. Decrease Inflammation

Because of the many different antioxidants that comprise apple cider vinegar, it may be a viable option for helping to manage arthritis and joint pain.

One pilot study concluded that because of its many antioxidants and flavonoids, it may present anti-inflammatory benefits to help those dealing with rheumatoid arthritis.

Apple cider vinegar also possesses polyphenol compounds, which are an antioxidant that helps fight free radicals in the body, which cause inflammation. An Autoimmunity Reviews study in 2019 concluded polyphenols as being advantageous when it comes to healing from autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

While there have not been any direct studies on using apple cider vinegar to treat rheumatoid arthritis, considering arthritis and joint pain are caused by chronic inflammation, apple cider vinegar may exist as a feasible option to help with alleviating symptoms.

It should be noted that people who suffer from arthritis and joint pain often include apple cider vinegar into their anti-inflammatory diets to help ease their symptoms and provide some relief.

5. Lower cholesterol levels

When you have high cholesterol, fat builds up in your blood vessels. Over time, these fatty deposits expand and restrict blood flow in your arteries. Eventually, the fat deposits might even burst or rupture, which can lead to heart attack, stroke, or aneurysms.

The good news is that research suggests consuming apple cider vinegar may lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Higher levels of both cholesterol and triglycerides have been linked to elevated risks of developing heart disease. A review of 9 studies found that apple cider vinegar drastically reduced cholesterol levels in the study’s test subjects.

How to Take Apple Cider Vinegar

You can take apple cider vinegar in a multitude of different ways. There are liquids, tablets, capsules, and gummies. You’ve probably seen that a lot of people are gravitating toward gummies as of late to take their supplements. Why? Because gummies have a more palpable taste. Most gummies are sweet, chewy, and can help you avoid the bitter taste of other forms of apple cider vinegar.

Here are some reasons in more detail on why you should consider taking apple cider vinegar gummies:

They’re portable and you can take them on the go with you. This is especially convenient for when you’re in a time crunch or just want something fast and quick. There’s no measuring out (like you would have to do with apple cider vinegar in liquid form). With gummies, all you have to do is plop into your mouth and enjoy!
People flock to gummies—because, let’s be honest—they usually taste better than a lot of the supplements out there on the market today. When something tastes good, you won’t forget to take it.
Taking gummies can turn back the clock and help you feel like a kid again. When you’re having fun with something, it doesn’t make doing it feel like such a chore. In this case, taking gummies can be something fun you look forward to each day.

Key Takeaways on Apple Cider Vinegar Benefits

There are so many benefits of incorporating apple cider vinegar into your diet—from encouraging weight loss and helping manage blood sugar levels—to improving digestive health and working to decrease inflammation.

Recently, there’s been a shift toward tastier options when it comes to consuming apple cider vinegar—the most notable being apple cider vinegar gummies. And for good reason too:

They taste a whole lot better than just drinking apple cider vinegar straight.
Gummies are portable so you can take them with you wherever you go
Taking gummies brings out the inner-kid in you. They’re fun, and when you enjoy something, you’re more likely to stick to it.

Rather than suffer through the bitter taste of straight apple cider vinegar on its own, give our apple cider vinegar gummies a try today! They’re packed with all the healthy nutrients apple cider vinegar is known for. You won’t be disappointed!