You may have noticed your supermarket offering more types of vinegar lately. Sure, balsamic and apple cider vinegars are veterans of the condiments aisle, but new shelf neighbors, like coconut, champagne, pomegranate, and raspberry are moving in.
That’s probably at least in part due to recent research showing that small amounts of vinegar, consumed daily, could support your health in important ways. But which vinegars are evidence-backed to promote health, in addition to lending some zing to your cooking?
Here’s what research says about vinegar’s effects on blood sugar, obesity, and fighting colds—and which kind to reach for.
A long-standing tonic
Since the Babylonians first made vinegar about 7,000 years ago, cultures around the world have used it for medicinal purposes. Hippocrates mixed apple cider vinegar with honey to treat ancient Greeks’ respiratory troubles. Europeans in the Middle Ages believed it protected against the plague, while the Chinese used rice vinegar to treat pain.
Several scientific studies later, dietitians such as New Jersey-based Erin Palinski-Wade are increasingly recommending vinegar to their clients. “What I love about using vinegar is that it may offer a variety of benefits with little to no downside,” she says.
What makes vinegar special
One defining ingredient could explain vinegar’s health benefits: acetic acid. After it’s swallowed, acetic acid turns into acetate, a fatty acid that’s good for digestion, metabolism, and energy production.
Every type of vinegar starts out as some form of sugar, aka carbohydrate—like apples, used to make apple cider vinegar, or grapes, which make red wine vinegar. The carb is pressed into liquid-form and fermented by yeast into alcohol, which is then fermented into acetic acid. This process endows vinegar with significantly more acetic acid than any other food, says Carol Johnston, a professor of nutrition at Arizona State who studies vinegar.
The FDA requires all vinegars sold in the U.S. to contain at least 4% acetic acid, although different bottles have a range. Some vinegars, especially balsamic, tend to also be high in polyphenols: compounds in plants that protect us from cellular damage, inflammation, and infection.
Apple cider vinegar
The most researched type is apple cider vinegar, or ACV. Studies show that a bit of ACV before or during meals can drive down blood sugar, or glucose, measured right after eating and, with consistent use, it may contribute to improved blood sugar control over several months. These effects are pronounced with high-carb foods, which could otherwise spike blood sugar. “It’s clear that drinking vinegar with a starchy meal will reduce the amount of glucose in the bloodstream,” Johnston says.
She and others have found that the acetic acid in ACV affects certain hormones that slow the rate at which the stomach sends food to the intestines. Because the glucose enters the bloodstream more gradually, regular intake of ACV could, over time, reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
Small studies also point to healthier weight, perhaps due to vinegar’s slowing effect on the stomach. And recent research found lower blood fat levels in overweight adults who consumed ACV, suggesting better heart health, in addition to lower glucose.
Most of these benefits have been researched at 2-4 tablespoons per day. But larger studies are needed, says Sapha Shibeeb, a senior lecturer in laboratory medicine at RMIT University in Australia who published a research review on ACV. “There is an effect, but we have to be careful in saying what kind of effect and the magnitude.”
