Please note that before anyone changes their diet that they should speak to their doctor about their health goals and their desire to use ACV to reach them.
Losing weight is a cumulative process involving one’s dietary consumption, lifestyle, fitness/activity levels, stress, sleep, and digestion. The point being that just adding ACV into one’s diet does not imply one will automatically lose weight. That said, there is a 2017 study involving rats showing that ACV attenuates oxidative stress and reduces the risk of obesity. No word on how this impacts humans, but I believe ACV could help humans similarly as long as there is a moderation of food and ample movement, sleep, and intent to lose weight. The ACV dosage for weight loss is 2 teaspoons diluted in 16 ounces of water daily. Food should be combined with a protein (at every meal) for the metabolism boost needed to change the way the body processes food. A sensible weight loss diet consists of adequate protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. To understand how much is recommended daily, one should seek the support of a nutritional therapist or dietician.
One should NOT combine ACV with foods with baking soda. Mixing vinegar and baking soda can cause an acid-base reaction creating carbon dioxide inside the body.
ACV can prove to aid in weight loss when combined with a SENSIBLE nutritious diet, moderate exercise, and adequate sleep. For many people it work as a natural appetite suppressant allowing one to reduce their appetite and shrink their stomach. Again it is one factor in weight loss – and there are many others (quantity of food, stress, sleep, activity, etc.).
Aside from dietary reasons, ACV is used for a number of health/cleaning/detox goals, and the dosage varies for each goal. For ramping up the antimicrobial capacity to best manage candida albicans (yeast that causes infections in the mouth, intestinal tract, and/or vagina), the dilution would be 1:2 ACV. The dilution would be 1:50 to inhibit the growth of E-coli. Of course many people use ACV diluted in equal parts for gargling to relieve sore throat or bad breath. Those suffering from acid reflux have experimented with ACV to help the root cause of their reflux. For those that have reflux due to insufficient acid, the ACV helps balance out their acids. The dose for that is 1 teaspoon of ACV followed by a glass of water. Daily ingestion may fight off sinus infections by cleaning the lymphatic system.
In fact there is also an “Apple Cider Vinegar Detox” where one wants to clean the lymphatic and digestive systems. It involves ingesting ACV 3 times a day diluted in water (as a tea)
Some get a benefit from ACV by topically applying it… for relief of itching of bug bites, or on the skin directly, or rinsing their hair with it after a shampoo. It can also help with teeth stains by rubbing it into the stain on the tooth and then rinsing well with water.
Aside from consumption and topical use of ACV, it is a great cleaning agent combined with water. And this cleaner is highly recommended with little ones running about during the cleaning. Because if they come into contact with the cleaning solution, there is little negative effect even if swallowed for most.
That said, ACV is not for everyone; some are particularly sensitive to it (those sensitive to apples cannot partake). Regular consumption of ACV may cause tooth enamel erosion, so it is wise to use a straw or rinse the mouth after consuming it. It could interact with medication (including diuretics and insulin) so talk to your doctor if you are on prescription medications before using ACV. And finally ACV is acidic in nature so it could irritate the throat and stomach, especially if taken on an empty stomach. Dilution is key to avoid this irritation so drink plenty of water if irritation occurs.
