Are Vinegar Diets Effective?

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

30 Oct 2009 11:23 AM

You may have heard the recent diet craze about ingesting a lot of vinegar to help you lose weight. The reason I say craze is not an accident. So often, we want to believe that a real quick fix for weight loss is just around the corner. Can vinegar be the next hope? Read on to learn about a recent study and some recommendations.

Some dieters have sworn that taking vinegar can boost your metabolism and help you to lose weight. Recently, a study was conducted on mice. In the study, the two groups of mice were given the same diet. One group was given a vinegar compound in addition. The mice taking the vinegar compound did show an average of 10 percent less body fat. While the result may have dieters rushing out to buy vinegar in bulk, there is some caution here.

First of all, mice are not humans, so the study can't be seen as empirical evidence that vinegar aids in weight loss. Other studies have shown that a little bit of vinegar does seem to have an affect on how quickly blood sugar rises after a meal (so does cinnamon and carrots), there has been no link to indicate that this small effect would influence weight loss.

Second of all, vinegar, while wonderful as a low calorie flavoring (add a few teaspoons to salad instead of loading your salad with creamy dressing), taken in larger quantities, it could cause some health problems.

For instance, vinegar is very acidic, especially apple cider vinegar. Drinking a lot of it can burn your throat and mouth, as well as damage your teeth. According to WebMD, vinegar may also affect medications that you are currently taking.

So, at the end of the day, it really is about consuming less calories and exercising more in order to lose weight.

Related Articles:

Common Holiday Foods and Their Calories

Changing Season & Manning the Bake Sale

Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger