Yep, you caught me talking about apple cider vinegar again. This time we’re checking out the weight loss properties inherent in the stuff – can this stuff get any better? I’m pretty sure it can and will. But before I get too far into bragging about it, let’s focus on why it makes a fantastic addition to any weight loss regimen.
What’s the Secret to Apple Cider Vinegar and Weight Loss?
There are numerous theories on how the apple cider vinegar actually works to promote weight loss – although nobody knows for sure. Some believe it is a natural appetite suppressant due to its naturally occurring enzymes (i.e. some believe the pectin from the apples absorbs some of the water and fills the tummy a little when taken as directed before meals – see below), organic acids, and other active nutrients. Others say it gradually increases the body’s metabolism when taken over time, and still more insist it works by reducing water retention or simply by giving the user a particular feeling of satisfaction or wellness. Other sources believe the constitution of apple cider vinegar helps the body to reduce cravings for sweets, fats, and salty foods.
But is there any science on these theories?
There IS some actual science on the subject to boot. According to the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a Swedish scientist team conducted a study using vinegar as an appetite suppressant. Findings showed that when vinegar was taken in liquid form before a meal, dieters are helped to eat less. Elin Ostman stated of the study results that, “There is a direct relationship between increased acetic acid and satiety.” Twelve healthy volunteers were used for the study, with each given 3 amounts of vinegar in water alongside a portion of wheat bread containing 50g available carbohydrate. Satiety was measured with a subjective rating scale and was reported to be significantly increased at 30, 90, and 120 minutes after the meal.”
And there are even more theories and research to add to that
Additional research has focused on the connection between levels of insulin and weight loss, noting that vinegar has been said to slow the increase of blood sugar after eating, as well as being remarkably effective at reducing the amount of insulin necessary for processing the meal in the first place – also resulting in weight loss.
Another study in the JAMAjournal (Journal of the American Medical Association) also took aim at the connection between insulin and weight loss. Children’s Hospital Boston researchers collaborated on a study with 73 obese young adults. Findings showed that those with high insulin levels placed on a low fat diet lost less weight than those with low insulin levels. The opposite turned out to be true with a low carb diet. This revealed that a blood test showing which they had – high or low insulin – could be useful in determining which diet they tried for weight loss – either low carb or low fat. Since adding the apple cider vinegar treatment before meals can help reduce the insulin overall, this research has proven very beneficial in these understandings.
Ready to try this at home?
In any case, when you’re ready to try the weight loss formula and prove it to yourself, simply mix one tablespoon of raw, unfiltered, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar into a glass of water and drink it before each meal. This recipe is recommended by Dr. D.C. Jarvis, M.D. and follows with an additional recommendation from Patricia Bragg (of Bragg’s Live Foods) to add a teaspoon or two of raw honey to this blend as well.
Why is this form of weight loss superior to others overall?
Both Bragg and Jarvis insist the weight loss will and should be as gradual as any other weight loss, and following a reasonable food intake to caloric burning ratio is still essential. However, the most intriguing difference between apple cider vinegar weight loss and other, faster forms of weight loss is this:
the weight loss from ACV may take longer, but itstays off permanently. For example, one may only expect to shed between 2 and 15 pounds over the course of a whole a year from the ACV method, but they can anticipate keeping it off forever. Most weight loss remedies cannot promise that, and in fact, most bring the opposite effect.
