How You Can Benefit from Vinegar

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DATA UPDATE: The key to vinegar's health-promoting properties lies in its high concentration of acetic acid, and not beneficial properties of the culinary condiment. The “mother” in apple cider vinegar is a unique mix of bacteria, yeast and cellulose that forms during fermentation, but the mother does not perform specific weight loss functions. Moreover, acetic acid’s role as a supplement for slowing digestive processes is marginal when compared to the latest compounded weight loss medications. Dietary vinegar does, however, contain nutrients and antioxidants.

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Vinegar has been celebrated as a health remedy for thousands of years, since the Ancient Babylonians documented the benefits of date palm vinegar for food preservation as early as 5,000 B.C. The Greek physician Hippocrates prescribed vinegar and honey mixtures for respiratory issues and wound healing. Plus, Ancient Roman soldiers carried "posca," which was a vinegar-water mix they drank to stay hydrated during their military campaigns.

Apple cider vinegar has captured viral attention on social media platforms, particularly among individuals seeking weight loss solutions. If you've examined a bottle of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar (ACV), you've probably noticed a cloudy substance floating inside. Known as "the mother," it consists of beneficial bacteria and yeast that forms during fermentation and indicates that the vinegar is raw and unfiltered.

Recent social media claims compared consuming a couple of tablespoons of ACV daily to using the latest compounded weight loss medications, suggesting it can slow gastric emptying, reduce appetite, and lower daily calorie intake. However, it is always necessary to separate metabolic science from weight loss hype. A study published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health journal last year suggested “the mother” in ACV could deliver dramatic weight loss, but an independent integrity team uncovered many errant conclusions.

BMJ Group Retracts Previous ACV Study

A study published in March 2024 gained international attention for claiming that consuming "the mother" could deliver dramatic weight loss results. The results went viral on social media and community wellness platforms, suggesting that small amounts of this sediment could benefit obese individuals trying to shed unwanted pounds. Nonetheless, the study was officially retracted this year after BMJ's integrity team discovered questionable statistical methods and multiple results that could not be replicated.

A study suggesting apple cider vinegar helps with weight loss has been retracted by BMJ Group, as of September 2025, after experts uncovered major flaws in its data and methodology. BMJ Group advises journalist and others to stop referencing a study that once suggested drinking small amounts of apple cider vinegar each day could support weight loss in people who are overweight or obese.

Dr. Helen Macdonald - Ethics & Content Editor at BMJ Group

While many online claims have attributed special powers to the mother, the most current scientific evidence suggests that ACV's primary health benefits come from acetic acid. However, ACV does contain B-vitamins and plant-based antioxidants called polyphenols, which can help reduce inflammation and enhance the body's ability to fight chronic diseases. It’s important to remember that vinegar may help with weight control when combined with proper diet and exercise, but it is not a replacement for healthy habits or a substitute for medically prescribed treatments.

What the "mother" is and what it’s not...

If you’ve examined a bottle of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar, you've probably noticed a cloudy, web-like substance floating inside. This is "the mother," a naturally occurring combination of beneficial bacteria, yeast, and proteins that forms during the fermentation process. While it might look unusual, the mother is perfectly safe to consume and indicates that the vinegar is raw and unfiltered. The mother contains live probiotics and enzymes that aren't destroyed during pasteurization, which can help maintain a healthier balance of gut bacteria.

While many viral health claims on social media attribute special powers to the mother, particularly around weight loss and metabolic health, international research suggests its importance may be overstated. Most scientific evidence indicates that the primary benefits of apple cider vinegar come from acetic acid, which is present in all types of vinegar, not just the cloudy sediment itself. That said, the probiotics in the mother can contribute to a healthier gut microbiome, by supporting the digestive breakdown of food.

Health Benefits of Dietary Vinegar

While apple cider vinegar gets most of the attention, other dietary vinegars like balsamic, red wine, or malt can also be excellent sources of beneficial compounds called polyphenols. As a general rule, the darker the vinegar, the more antioxidants it contains. Balsamic and red wine vinegars, for example, often contain more of these health-promoting plant-based antioxidants than ACV does. Research has shown that consuming vinegar before a starchy (high carbohydrate) meal may improve insulin sensitivity to help regulate blood glucose.

• Blood Sugar Control: Studies suggest that when consumed in small amounts before a starchy meal apple cider vinegar can help regulate blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity, but the findings aren't conclusive. This too is likely the result of the active acetic acid ingredient.
• Weight Control: Studies suggest that dietary vinegar may aid in weight loss, primarily by slowing the emptying of food from the stomach to reduce appetite and daily calorie intake. However, the effects are modest and are linked to acetic acid rather than the mother specifically.
• Antioxidant Effects: Antioxidant-rich vinegar helps protect cells from damage, reduces inflammation throughout the body, and supports organs like the liver that are responsible for removing waste. Online claims may suggest it has “detoxing powers”, but humans have an effective system.
• Heart Health: The acetic acid found in culinary vinegar influences lipid metabolism and may help improve heart health by reducing total cholesterol, bad or LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides, while potentially increasing good or HDL cholesterol.
• Digestive Health: Consuming small amounts of dietary vinegar a couple of times each day before meals may support digestive health and reduce post-meal bloating by slowing the emptying of food from the stomach, which can help to naturally reduce one’s overall daily calorie intake.

Current research indicates that all types of vinegar may offer modest benefits for blood sugar control and appetite reduction, but these effects are minimal and not even conclusive. In fact, most studies highlighting dietary vinegar’s weight loss benefits involved participants who also followed calorie-restricted diets and followed a regular exercise program. This means vinegar should be viewed as a supplement to a healthy lifestyle like other nutritionally packed food products, rather than as a magic bullet for substantial weight loss.

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Remember that vinegar may help with weight control when combined with proper diet and exercise, but it's not a replacement for healthy lifestyle habits or a substitute for medically prescribed weight loss treatments. When selecting dietary vinegar, darker varieties typically contain more antioxidants because they undergo less refinement during production. Metabolic Research Center has been helping people improve their metabolic health for decades. Take our 2-minute quiz to “Find Your Fit” and you’ll receive an instant download for our FREE Kickstart Guide that includes meal planning, recipes and much more.