Popular home remedy for weight loss is gaining traction in the scientific community

Kitchen pantries hold many folk cures, yet few spark as much debate as apple cider vinegar. The tangy liquid has jumped from salad dressing to social‑media star on the promise that a daily shot melts extra pounds.

Fresh research hints the buzz may hold a kernel of truth: Lebanese volunteers, aged 12-25, who swallowed up to one tablespoon each morning slimmed down by an average 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms) in just 12 weeks.

Study leader Rony Abou‑Khalil, Ph.D., of Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, oversaw the double‑blind, placebo‑controlled trial that tracked weight, waist size, blood sugar, and cholesterol.

What the cider vinegar trial found

Participants were split into four groups. Three groups received a daily dose of 5, 10, or 15 milliliters of the cider vinegar diluted in water, and the fourth received a placebo.

Those given the highest dose dropped from roughly 173 to 155 pounds (78 to 70 kilograms), while trimming inches from their waist and hips.

Blood tests followed suit, showing double‑digit declines in fasting glucose, triglycerides, and total cholesterol by week twelve.

No serious side effects were logged, and activity journals confirmed the teens made no deliberate diet or exercise changes.

Because the study ran for only three months and involved 120 youths from one culture, its authors warn against overgeneralizing the results.

They stress that longer trials and more diverse cohorts are needed before doctors can recommend cider vinegar as a stand‑alone therapy.

Why teens were targeted

Youth obesity sets the stage for adult diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers, yet nearly one in five U.S. adolescents already meets the BMI threshold for obesity. Finding safe, low‑cost tools that engage this age group is therefore a public‑health priority.

“Intervening early may prevent long‑term complications associated with obesity,” Abou‑Khalil explained. He and his team chose adolescents and young adults precisely because earlier cider vinegar studies focused on older participants. 

The youthful cohort also helped rule out age‑related metabolic slowdowns that can cloud results. Still, puberty‑related hormone swings could have influenced appetite and fat storage, a factor that future work must address.

How cider vinegar might work

The main active compound, acetic acid, races from the stomach into the blood and may nudge cells to burn fat instead of storing it. Animal data show the acid flips on AMP‑activated protein kinase, a metabolic switch tied to higher energy use.

“One proposed mechanism is that ACV may help to increase feelings of satiety, leading to reduced calorie intake,” said Abou‑Khalil. It may also slow gastric emptying, leaving people feeling full with fewer calories. 

Another possibility involves gut‑released satiety hormones such as GLP‑1 and PYY, which rise in rodents that are given cider vinegar and are known to curb appetite. Whether the same surge occurs in teenagers remains to be shown.

Comparing with earlier studies

The Lebanese data echo a 2009 Japanese trial in which adults who drank 15 or 30 milliliters of cider vinegar daily shed two to four pounds (0.9 to 1.8 kilograms) and lowered triglycerides over the same 12‑week span.

A 2021 meta‑analysis pooling nine clinical trials concluded that up to 15 milliliters a day for more than eight weeks cut fasting glucose by about eight milligrams per deciliter and shaved six points off total cholesterol, though effects on HDL and insulin were negligible.

Taken together, these papers hint at modest benefits, particularly for people with elevated metabolic markers. They also emphasize how dose, duration, and starting health status sway the outcome.

Risks worth knowing

Cider vinegar is still an acid strong enough to etch tooth enamel and irritate the throat, cautions the American Dental Association. To reduce the risk, experts suggest diluting it in water and drinking it through a straw to limit contact with teeth.

Dentists advise diluting it in at least 8 ounces (230 milliliters) of water, sipping through a straw, and waiting an hour to brush. People taking insulin, diuretics, or medications for delayed stomach emptying should talk with a clinician first, because the drink can amplify drug effects or worsen gastroparesis.

Researchers also note that the placebo group in the Lebanese experiment gained no weight, suggesting lifestyle stability mattered as much as the cider vinegar itself.

Everyday implications

Anyone eager to try the tonic can treat it like any condiment, sprinkling a teaspoon or two over salads or vegetables instead of drinking it straight. That habit adds flavor while easing the enamel threat.

Even if cider vinegar offers a small metabolic nudge, sustainable weight control still hinges on balanced meals, adequate protein, enough sleep, and regular movement.

Future trials will reveal whether older adults with slower metabolisms respond in similar fashion, but for now experts advise pairing any cider vinegar routine with these fundamentals.

The study is published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health.

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