Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)

Brittany MullinsUpdated Dec 18, 2023

717 Comments

This post may include affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

Learn more about the health benefits of apple cider vinegar including blood sugar control, lowering cholesterol and weight loss. Plus tips for how to incorporate apple cider vinegar into your diet.

It seems like everyone is talking about apple cider vinegar these days. I’m sure you’ve heard about it and are wondering if it really lives up to the hype…

So I’m going to break down the facts for you!

Spoiler alert: I’ve been using apple cider vinegar for years and love it! It’s such an easy thing to add to your daily routine and the health benefits are amazing. Read on to learn more.

A bottle of Bragg Organic Vinegar.

What is Apple Cider Vinegar

First, let’s start with the basics! Apple cider vinegar is a vinegar made from fermented apple juice. The process starts by adding yeast to crushed apples.

The yeast ferments the sugars and turns them into alcohol. At this point, bacteria is added which further ferments the alcohol and turns it into acetic acid… the main active compound found in most vinegar.

Acetic acid gives vinegar its pungent smell and flavor and is also responsible for many of ACV’s health benefits.

ACV in a tablespoon over a glass cup.

Apple Cider Vinegar Nutrients

ACV contains similar nutrients to apple juice and apple cider: pectin; vitamins B1, B2, and B6 (also known as biotin; folic acid and niacin), as well as, pantothenic acid and vitamin C.

It also contains small amounts of minerals including sodium, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium.

One tablespoon of apple cider vinegar has about 3 calories.

Health Benefits of ACV

The health benefits of apple cider vinegar aren’t something we just discovered. For centuries people have known about its antimicrobial and antioxidant effects and generations have used it in both cooking and medicine.

That said, recent research has brought many health benefits of ACV to light so let’s talk about them.

Weight Loss

Multiple studies have shown that consuming vinegar is linked to “feelings of fullness” which in turn will help manage your caloric intake. (Source)

Of course, only adding apple cider vinegar to your routine and not changing anything else about your lifestyle isn’t recommended. Still, if you’re looking for a boost to your healthy eating and exercise habits, it’s certainly worth incorporating ACV into your daily routine.

I’ve personally found ACV to help a ton with feeling full. Whenever I’m drinking 1-2 Tablespoons of ACV a day I don’t have intense cravings for food or find myself snacking mindlessly.

Blood Sugar

This one is huge because studies have shown that apple cider vinegar improves insulin sensitivity and reduces blood sugar after meals. (Source)

Researchers are excited about what this could mean for people with Type 2 Diabetes, but also for the general public as high blood sugar has been linked to chronic diseases. (Source)

Heart Health

There aren’t enough studies to link apple cider vinegar and heart health in humans, but multiple studies have shown a link between the two in animals. Animal studies have shown that ACV can lower cholesterol, blood pressure and other heart disease factors. Again, more research needs to be done with humans but the studies are promising with animals! (Source)

Digestion

Apple cider vinegar is naturally acidic so for people with low stomach acidity, adding ACV into their diet may help raise stomach acid levels, which will help with digestion and overall gut health.

ACV also has antimicrobial properties, which may help kill bacteria in the stomach or intestines. Excess bacteria can lead to gas and bloating so eliminating it with ACV may help alleviate these symptoms.

I personally love drinking ACV regularly to help with my digestion! If you feel gassy or bloated after a meal or when traveling, try drinking apple cider vinegar.

I like to take it before a meal to prep my digestive tract, but I have also taken it after eating if I was in pain and my body needed a little extra support.

Improve Your Skin

While some have noted improvements in their skin by taking apple cider vinegar internally, you can also use it topically! It has been used to improve dry skin and eczema.

If you try this, be sure to dilute the ACV and spot-test a small area of your skin before applying it over a larger area. Here’s a recipe for making your own apple cider vinegar facial toner.

WATCH MY VIDEO ABOUT THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF APPLE CIDER VINEGAR:

What Type of ACV Is Best?

There are several types of apple cider vinegar on the market! You want to look for one that is labeled organic apple cider vinegar with the ‘mother’ or unpasteurized. The ‘mother’ is made up of strand-like enzymes of connected protein molecules with living nutrients and bacteria, similar to the ‘mother’ that’s in Kombucha.

Clear vinegar is processed and doesn’t have any of the benefits that raw apple cider vinegar has. There are different brands out there but I use Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar which you can find at most grocery stores and on Amazon.

How to Drink

Now that you know all the benefits I’m sure you’re wondering how to incorporate ACV into your daily routine. You can totally just dilute it with water and drink it that way, but if you’ve tasted ACV diluted with water you’ll know that it’s not for the faint of heart. It’s pretty pungent and doesn’t taste all that pleasant on its own.

Lucky for you, I have a ton of drink recipes to share!

A glass of an apple pie vinegar drink with salt around the rim.

These recipes make drinking ACV enjoyable and delicious!

More ACV Recipes

Of course, you don’t have to drink your apple cider vinegar! There are a ton of other ways to incorporate it into your diet. I love adding it to my salad dressings or using it as a marinade for protein. Here are some of my favorite recipes with ACV.

How Much Should You Drink Daily? 

I drink 2 Tablespoons a day, in the morning, and I usually make one of those drinks that I linked above. I also incorporate ACV in a variety of recipes, which I shared above.

What Happens When You Take ACV Daily?

It’s hard for me to tell if the habit of adding in ACV daily is working wonders on my body and helping in ALL the ways I mentioned above, however I do know that my complexion has been really clear since I’ve started taking it and I crave my apple cider vinegar drink every day now.

In the morning I make my drink in a large mason jar. I’ll sip on it throughout the morning or have it after lunch with my afternoon snack. The biggest thing I’ve noticed is that it helps to keep me feeling full and less hungry, which is huge for me because I tend to have a habit of mindless snacking!

Disclaimer – Due to the lack of supporting research, apple cider vinegar cannot be recommended for treatment or prevention of any health problems. Also, please consult with your physician, pharmacist, or healthcare provider before taking any home remedies or supplements. I’m just sharing my experience and what works for one person doesn’t always work for another. 🙂

Categorized as:

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

More about Brittany

717 Comments

  1. Hi
    Can you use this on children specifically aged 11 yrs and 8 yrs. My 11 year old is getting a lot of spots and her skin is very dry in places and oily in other she is to young to have any medical treatments. If anyone has any advise I would appreciate it Thank you

    1. I give it to my four year old. It really helps with his hyperactivity. He is like a different kid. He used to never stop talking. He is so nice and quiet now! One teaspoon two or three times a day does the trick. I add it to a little bit of apple juice.

  2. I have sinus issues and routinely wake up with a sinus headache in the morning during the winter. Up until a month or so ago, I would control this using prescription steroid nasal spray. I am not big into alternative remedies, but decided to try ACV because I didn’t like the dependence on the steroid. The results have been excellent. Since I’ve started ACV I’ve been able to stop using the nasal spray. I drink three glasses of water a day with 2 tablespoons of ACV in each. Through experimentation I’ve found if I drink the last glass right before bedtime, I do not wake up with a headache. If I skip the last glass, I wake up with a headache. Frankly, I don’t care if its a placebo effect or actually doing anything, I just know it is working for me.

    1. Hi Bob how long did you take ACV before you noticed the difference with your headaches? I have sinus issues also and I take 1tbs 3x’s a day and haven’t really noticed a difference. I did try for a couple of days taking it your way, it seems to be to much for me but I want to know how long before it helped you? Any suggestions?

      1. Hello Marie,

        I noticed the difference fairly quickly, I’d say within a week. Incidentally, I ran out of ACV last week and haven’t been able to pick more up, and I’m already back to my old sinus/headache symptoms. There’s definitely a direct correlation for me. Perhaps how effective it is depends on the cause of your sinus issues. Mine (at least according to the doc) are from indoor air allergies. I’m not sure of what might work for you, I did notice though that it looks like you were talking half as much as I am. I also found that if my sinuses do start to become congested, nasal irrigation with a netti pot helps quite a bit. Between the ACV and doing the occasional nasal irrigation, it’s worked really well for me this winter.

        1. Hi Bob,
          Thanks for replying. I’ll have to try it your way (doubling up on the ACV) and see if clears up my congestion. I’ve heard so much about the benefits of using a netti pot… I guess it’s time I try it too!

  3. Please help I have this feeling it flare up my knee ,feet arms apinfull and I’m worried all the time do u Ishould use AVC too but maybe I have too much acid already .

  4. I have this felling in my knees feet arms it flare up painfull all the time and I’m worried abou it Reading ur rticles make me feel like AVC could help me .PLease give advice what to do desperate need help

  5. Is their any Scientific facts to back these claims ? Because let’s be real folks, don’t forget the placebo effect. Also companies who sell supplements and natural cures , post outrageous claims to sell their products. Good luck.

  6. I would like to know if you can use any kind of apple cider vinegar? I have Heinz. Does it do the same. I hear its good for belly fat is it?. Someone answer me please. Thank you

    1. You cannot use Heinz,,, EVER! That stuff is garbage. You have to use the organic, unfiltered variety for benefits. Just use Braggs.

      1. Hi Tom,
        I just purchased Heinz vinegar, it is also organic and u nfiltered(it says so on the bottle anyway)!
        Am I missing something?!?! Please advise…

        Thanks-
        Melanie

        1. I started drinking ACV about 5 weeks ago. I first bought Bragg Organic Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar with the mother. I was going through the 16oz. size bottles rather fast, so one day I went to the local Wal-Mart store (everyone always say that you can find pretty much everything there) and surprisingly I found organic raw unfiltered acv! It came in 32 oz. glass bottle, the price was cheaper and it was from Heinz. I bought just to see if it is the same as Bragg’s.

          Well, here is my verdict: Bragg tasted better. I couldn’t stand the taste of Heinz. Yes, I realize that I will be spending more money, but at least I am able to swallow my acv drink (and I find it refreshing, too!).

          For anyone curious, I dilute 1/2 cup of Bragg above mentioned vinegar in 1.5 liter (=0.396258 US gallon) room temperature filtered tap water (I use PUR counter filter for that). I do not add any honey to it, or any other stuff, so I don’t need to deal later with extra calories. Your taste buds will get used to the less sweet taste in a week or so, so just drink it. It’s worth it.

        2. I’m not sure about Heinz, but Braggs is raw which I don’t think Heinz is. If it doesn’t have “The Mother” it’s probably pasteurized.

          1. I was talking about Bragg Organic Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar with the mother and Heinz Unfiltered All Natural Apple Cider Vinegar with the ‘mother’. So both products are natural. I just prefer the taste of Bragg.

        3. Personally, I would not trust that brand. I would use it until it’s gone and then use Braggs.

  7. I’ve just started using acv yesterday, cause a month ago I lost 5 kg in about 3 weeks by cutting out sugar, gluten and milk for that time. Over holidays I put on two again, now I started taking acv, 1 tsp per 500 ml water x 4 a day and sip that throughout the day. I had major runny tummy this morning and stomach feels weird, why is that happening? Normal? Also my daughters have got acne, what can I do to help their skin using acv . Appreciate your advice.

  8. I started incorporating acv in my meals 3 days ago and I feel great. I’m still nauseous when I drink it first thing in the morning. Any recommendations?
    I found that if you add it in your smoothies it’s great. If you’re a snacker you sip the smoothie while at you’re at your desk or watching television, you feel a difference in 2 days. And Bragg is a great brand of acv

  9. My partner began using Bragg Raw Apple Cider Vinegar after hearing that it was good for his skin condition. For some reason I cannot remember the name of his condition, but it causes his skin to harden, turn red and sore up. He’s been taking it internally as well as using externally on his skin for 5 days now and there’s a noticeable difference in his skin. His skin is going back to normal, the colour is back, and feels like brand new skin. Of course he still has a ways to go before it is all clears up, but I can’t believe how fast it’s working. He feels so much better about his looks and is happy that his skin condition will finally go away. I can’t believe how amazing this stuff really is and I started taking it today just for overall health reasons.

  10. My whole family drinks ACV. My great-grandfather was a doctor and lived to be 105 ! When asked how he stayed so healthy he would always say to drink a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar every day. He swore by it!!!!