CLAIM:
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) tablets are not scientifically proven to cause significant weight loss and are being misleadingly marketed as effective weight-loss solutions despite lacking strong research evidence.
FACT:
True. Apple cider vinegar (ACV) tablets are widely promoted as effective weight-loss solutions, often endorsed by celebrities. However, there is no strong scientific evidence to show that they cause significant weight loss, and their marketing can be misleading. Experts advise that while ACV may have minor adjunctive effects, such as slightly slowing gastric emptying, it cannot replace a comprehensive approach to weight management, which includes diet, lifestyle changes, cognitive behavioural strategies, and, when appropriate, medically approved treatments.
We are always on the lookout for quick remedies and easy fixes to shed that extra weight. From detox drinks to miracle powders, the promise of effortless weight loss never really goes out of fashion. Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is one such remedy claimed to be associated with fat loss, and now, in tablet form, it is being widely marketed as a “weight loss boss,” often with celebrity faces attached to it. But does it really work, or is it just clever marketing riding on wellness trends?
In a viral Instagram reel posted by Bhawesh Gupta, the growing hype around ACV tablets and their weight-loss claims is put under the scanner. He points out that influencers and brands are pushing ACV tablets as weight-loss solutions, often without adequate scientific backing.
He explains that several companies promote ACV tablets specifically for weight loss and often use celebrity endorsements to strengthen their claims.
Gupta further highlights similar claims made by other wellness brands. He points out that WellBeing promotes its ACV tablets for weight management, while Oziva markets its product as a “fat oxidation formula.”
Clarifying what apple cider vinegar can realistically do, Gupta says, “See, apple cider vinegar can give you a small 1% edge to suppress your appetite. Nothing else.”
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What is apple cider vinegar (ACV)?
Apple cider vinegar is a fermented product made from apples through a two-step process. In the first stage, apples are crushed and combined with yeast, which converts their natural sugars into alcohol. In the second stage, specific bacteria are added to ferment this alcohol into acetic acid.
Traditionally, this fermentation process takes around a month. However, some commercial manufacturers speed it up significantly, sometimes completing it within a day.
The main active compound in apple cider vinegar is acetic acid, also known as ethanoic acid. It is an organic compound responsible for vinegar’s sharp taste and strong smell. The word “acetic” comes from acetum, the Latin word for vinegar.
Acetic acid is a short-chain fatty acid that breaks down into acetate and hydrogen once inside the body. Apple cider vinegar typically contains about 5–6 per cent acetic acid, along with water and small amounts of other organic acids such as malic acid.
Nutritionally, apple cider vinegar is very low in calories. One tablespoon (15 ml) contains roughly three calories and virtually no carbohydrates.
Can Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) tablets help you lose weight?
There is limited and inconclusive evidence to show that apple cider vinegar has a meaningful impact on weight loss or body fat. Only a small number of studies have examined this link, and their findings have not been consistently replicated.
Animal studies have suggested that acetic acid, the main active component of vinegar, may reduce fat accumulation and improve metabolism in obese rats and mice. However, results from animal studies do not always translate to similar effects in humans.
The most frequently cited human study is a 2009 trial involving 175 participants, who consumed a drink containing either 0, 1, or 2 tablespoons of vinegar daily for three months. The study found that participants who consumed vinegar experienced modest weight loss (approximately 2 to 4 pounds, i.e., 0.9 to 1.8 kilograms) and lower triglyceride levels compared to those who consumed no vinegar.
Another small study found that vinegar consumption promoted feeling fuller after eating, but that it did so by causing nausea. Neither of these studies (and none I could find in a medical literature search) specifically studied apple cider vinegar.
A 2018 study involving 39 participants compared a calorie-restricted diet with apple cider vinegar to a calorie-restricted diet without it over a 12-week period. While both groups lost weight, the group consuming apple cider vinegar lost slightly more. As with earlier research, this study was small in size and short in duration, limiting the strength of its conclusions.
As Harvard Health Publishing notes, “In all, the scientific evidence that vinegar consumption (whether of the apple cider variety or not) is a reliable, long-term means of losing excess weight is not compelling. Even among proponents of apple cider vinegar for weight loss or other health benefits, it's unclear when to drink apple cider vinegar (for example, whether there is a particular time of day that might be best) or how much apple cider vinegar per day is ideal.”
Do ACV tablets increase fullness and reduce calorie intake?
Some studies suggest that apple cider vinegar may help promote a feeling of fullness, which could lead to reduced calorie intake. However, the evidence remains inconsistent, and more rigorous research is needed to confirm these effects.
A 2022 literature review of seven studies found that only 4 out of 6 short-term trials showed any appetite-suppressing effect from ACV. None of the long-term studies demonstrated a significant impact on appetite or calorie intake. Moreover, the short-term studies that did report an effect used vinegar with a relatively high concentration of acetic acid, at least 24.6 millimoles per litre (mmol/L). There’s no guarantee that commercial vinegar products will have the same concentration or that the effect will be similar at lower concentrations.
Some research also suggests that ACV may slow gastric emptying, but many of these studies have methodological limitations and potential biases, making the findings less reliable.
Does apple cider have other health benefits?
Apple cider vinegar may provide several potential health benefits, though most effects are modest and context-dependent.
Studies suggest that consuming ACV with a high-carbohydrate meal can significantly reduce post-meal blood sugar and insulin spikes, while also improving the body’s sensitivity to insulin.
Research further indicates that regular intake of ACV may help lower fasting blood glucose and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), which are important markers of long-term blood sugar control.
In addition, a 2021 review of nine clinical trials found that ACV consumption was associated with reductions in total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Laboratory studies also show that ACV can inhibit the growth of harmful pathogens such as E. coli, S. aureus, resistant E. coli (rE. coli), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
Are there risks to the apple cider vinegar (ACV) diet?
While apple cider vinegar in tablet or liquid form is often marketed for its health benefits, it carries potential risks, including irritation or even burns to the oesophagus.
According to Harvard Health Publishing, many natural remedies carry little risk, and a common attitude is “why not try it?” However, they caution that diets high in vinegar require some precautions. They explain that vinegar should always be diluted, as its high acidity can damage tooth enamel if consumed straight. As they note, “consuming it as a component of vinaigrette salad dressing is a better way.”
Harvard Health also highlights that excessive vinegar intake has been reported to cause or worsen low potassium levels, which is particularly important for people taking medications that reduce potassium, such as common diuretics used to treat high blood pressure. Additionally, vinegar can affect insulin levels, so “people with diabetes should be particularly cautious about a high vinegar diet.”
What experts say?
Dr Rajiv Kovil, Head of Diabetology and Weight Loss Expert at Zandra Healthcare, strongly criticised the marketing of apple cider vinegar (ACV) tablets as a weight-loss solution, emphasising that obesity is a complex, chronic, and relapsing metabolic disorder. He explained that “on one side, we are talking that obesity is a chronic relapsing metabolic disorder where there is a deficiency of certain hormones which map the brain and make you eat more, and there is the wrong deposition of fat. On the other side, we are seeing that you take apple cider vinegar, which is a condiment, and make obesity appear as if it is caused by a ‘condiment deficiency.’ Apple cider vinegar may have a very minor role, but it cannot treat obesity on its own.”
Dr Kovil stressed that while ACV may have a minor adjunctive role in diet, such as slightly slowing gastric emptying, “there is no data to suggest that it significantly reduces appetite or cravings, or post-meal blood sugars. On the contrary, there are very mild effects, maybe a 1% change at best.” He warned against using celebrities to promote ACV as a treatment, saying, “It is absolutely wrong to sell a non-scientific molecule to people, making them believe they can pop a pill and suddenly lose 10–15% of their weight. Obesity is not a deficiency of apple cider vinegar.”
Highlighting the complexity of weight management, Dr Kovil explained that it involves intricate brain circuits and hormonal feedback from fat tissue, the stomach, and other organs. He noted that “energy balance or weight loss is not a simple mechanism where you eat less or expend more; it’s not like a thermostat. Cognitive behavioural therapy, portion control, and lifestyle interventions play a major role, often in combination with approved medications like semaglutide, tirzepatide, and liraglutide.”
He concluded with a cautionary note on marketing practices that, “If you want to market ACV, then do this as a nutritional supplement, not as a treatment for obesity. Using celebrities to give the impression of easy weight loss is misleading and trivialises a serious, multi-pathophysiological condition into a mere condiment deficiency.”
This story is done in collaboration with First Check, which is the health journalism vertical of DataLEADS.
