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. I use ACV regularly to control heartburn and acid reflux. I’ll take about 2 tbls right before a meal. I’ll never take an over the counter pill to treat heartburn again. I swear by ACV for preventing digestive/heartburn issues.

  2. Cayenne pepper in shampoo also helps grow hair back to Brandon. Never heard of access or castor oil will help much

    1. Hi Ally how much Cayenne pepper is used to put into your shampoo? And I agree with you on the castor oil.

  4. i have high blood presser can apple cider vinegar help me an if it could how do i
    consume it can any help me please thank you.

    1. Angel, if you cannot find the unfiltered vinegar in a store in Nigeria you can order it online.
      Iherb.com or possibly even Amazon. Otherwise try Whole Foods website or GNC’s website.

    2. For Hemorhoids, you’ll have to find what works best for your body (everyone’s body reacts differently to different methods – I have a roommate that uses Hazelnut dry coffee creamer in her daily coffee and that regulates her bowel movements. Weird, I know, and not very natural, either). For me and establishing my own regularity, I go with apples. I usually can correct things in 24 hours with eating 2 apples (not necessarily one after another), and then follow-up with an apple a day or every other day, whatever fits your tastes/appetite. You simply have to try different things.

      Drinking water is critical to keeping things flowing, so to speak, in your digestive system. I am not a health professional, and I love my coffee, but if you have, say, 3-4 cups of coffee a day, I think at the minimum you should try to match that in water, just as well, for daily consumption. Daily water intake seems to be related to a decent functioning of the upper and lower GI tract, or lack thereof.

      I would also recommend you consider (if you can afford them – i think they are expensive) using a daily Probiotic pill (in addition to a yogurt/kefir/sauerkraut/ element in your diet). I agree with one of the other commenters on this thread that http://www.mercola.com is a good place to use as a reference. There you will find Probiotics for sale/purchase. I have purchased Probiotics from Amazon, and I noticed their impact for the positive. They aren’t miracles, but I did notice a change in regularity.

      I have begun to learn that in my later 30’s certain beans (legumes) don’t affect my regularity as they used to, so I am having to be more attentive to what works now and calibrate as needed.

      Also, for anyone looking for Apple Cider Vinegar, I would recommend Amazon.com

    4. Try Googling using the squatting position to defecate. This is how our ancestors did (and much of the world today still do) their business. It lines up your colon in a straight line, and reduces pressure so things just flow out.

      Sitting on a Western seat with a bent up colon and pushing causes higher pressure on the veins. If you are overweight, unsteady or have bad knees it may take a bit of getting used to. You can try building up little platform on the sides of the bowl to stand on. They sell commercial adapters too. I just stand on the seat, haven’t had any since. Helps too when you’re constipated to prevent tearing. I know, poo talk is gross but it seriously helps a lot.

  7. Do you have a link for the Meta-D recipe you refer to? I am interested in trying different ACV combinations to mix it up a little during the week. Thank You!

    1. The meta-d recipe is part of the Tone It Up nutrition plan and I don’t have permission to share the recipe. Sorry!

  8. Since I started drinking Braggs apple cider vinegar — 2 tablespoons in a 12 oz room temperature glass of water, once a day, my knees and back have stopped aching. I also drink 3 fresh lemons squeezed into a glass of 12 oz water at least once a day. My complexsion is very clear and bright.

  10. You should not be taking ACV straight off a teaspoon. It will destroy the enamel on your teeth among other things. I use 1Tbsp in 16 oz of water. Fraser, if you’re going to make an assertion like this (dangerous), could you please provide some documentation? Thanks.

    1. Actually, you just did Tom. Damage to teeth and throat and stomach if the acidity (ie., acid) isn’t brought under control. Brittany states 2 tablespoons into a glass of water, no mention how much water. A small amount of water may not be enough to counter the acid. I take ACV, and feel better, although I can’t provide testimony that it is the cure all to end all cure alls, it isn’t. And most of the aforementioned health claims are not substantiated…

      Anyway, for documentation, all one has to do is a Google search for recommended safe dose, and you will have hundreds of hits…

      Please no drinking straight, yikes!!!

      1. Thanks. It’s true that most of the claims are unsubstantiated. I like Dr. Joe Mercola’s position on it, a man I trust implicitly. You can see it at Mercola.com

    2. Ok, I’ll add my two cents’ worth. I’ve taken it straight-up and undiluted for years and never had a problem. The bottom line is- your system needs to adjust to it. It’s never a bad thing at all. Take it a bit at a time (undiluted) with some food or water until you can handle it. Straight up is the best way.
      In fact I’ll very happily pop the cap off a bottle of ACV and sip on it occasionally all through the day like a glass of fine wine. Even better in summer- it cures the thirst and hunger pangs and replaces them with healthy vitamins and minerals.
      Tooth enamel has never been a problem- but the same goes with lemon juice and soft-drinks. And this is FROM a dentist-
      “DO NOT keep the liquid in your mouth and swish it around- lemon juice, ACV or soft drinks- one’s just as bad as the other. It is fine for your tooth enamel- but always make sure you drink it instantly and do not keep it in your mouth.”
      I used to take lemon juice three times a day as well. I’d go to the dentist and there was NEVER a tooth enamel problem.
      Regards, Nigel

      1. Nigel,
        I agree with you. I have been taking ACV for about three years straight off a tablespoon and sometimes just right from the bottle and it did wonders for my acid reflux issues. BUT… Then I started reading this thread and thought I should be diluting it as some posters were suggesting it was “dangerous” or unwise. Thus I started diluting it. About a month later I left the country and forgot to pack the bottle. Unfortunately, I was unable to find a store that carried it where I was vacationing. By the time I returned home, my Acid Reflux was back with a vengeance. I started my regime again but in its diluted formula and after several weeks there had been no improvement. So quite recently I decided to go back to the undiluted state and I can see a difference already. I will be listening to my body from now on.
        Also, I tried Bragg’s ACV but I do not find it as good as my regular brand Omega Nutrition Organic Apple Cider with “mother” Unfiltered and Unpasteurized. The Bragg product has water addes to it whereas the Omega Nutrition product is just the vinegar.
        Peggy