Is it true that, “An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away”? When you think about how healthy apples are for our bodies, we can surely answer “yes” to that question. After studying this diet and the effects of the foods used in it have on the body, I would say, it makes sense that a person could lose weight following this apple diet plan using Apple Cider Vinegar.
Apples are full of vitamins, minerals and fiber while being low in calories as an average one will have between 80 and 100 calories. The apple is also a natural laxative and will give you that full feeling longer than other foods and if eaten before a meal can curb your appetite.
The apple works to boost the bodies immunity, prevent the forming of cataracts, reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, helps prevent cancer, aids in digestion, works as a natural laxative as well as being a nutritional dense fruit.
People have known about the healthy properties of apple cider vinegar intake for thousands of years, however recently its come in vogue that Apple Cider Vinegar can cure sunburns, dandruff, acne, and many other ailments. However, what's of interest to us is the purported weight loss benefits of this type of vinegar.
There are dozens of different sites and many different apple cider vinegar products out there. Today we will go over all the information available about ACV, help reduce it down into a format that makes sense, and give you everything you need to know so you can make an informed buying decision. So let's dive right in...
All About Apples
Apples are full of vitamins, minerals and fiber while being low in calories as an average one will have between 80 and 100 calories. The apple is also a natural laxative and will give you that full feeling longer than other foods and if eaten before a meal can curb your appetite.
The apple works to boost the bodies immunity, prevent the forming of cataracts, reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, helps prevent cancer, aids in digestion, works as a natural laxative as well as being a nutritional dense fruit.
So Just What Is ACV ( Apple Cider Vinegar )?
It's made from a simple 2 step process of fermentation. The first step cutting or crushing apples and then adding in yeast to convert the sugar of the apples into alcohol. After that a special bacteria is added in. This bacteria ferments the alcohol into acetic acid which is the active ingredient of apple cider vinegar.
Producing a batch of ACV takes about 30 days under normal circumstances. However, due to its high demand many manufacturers have begun using accelerated processes to get a batch done in a single day dramatically increasing production. Apple cider vinegar has a strong odor and sour taste, this is due to the acidic properties of it. The word acetic is derived from the term acetum, which is Latin for the word vinegar.
While it’s the main active ingredient in apple cider vinegar, acetic acid only accounts for about 6% of the vinegar. ACV also has water in it, and small trace amounts of other acids like malic acid. This vinegar is very light and has about 3 calories per every 15ml.
How The Apple Diet Works - Acetic Acid Uncovered
There have been a number of scientific studies involving animals to look into the benefits of apple cider vinegar. These studies have determines that there are several distinct things that ACV does to help benefit the body.
The first thing it does is suppress the appetite. One study reveals that it may suppress the centers in the brain which are responsible for the appetite. A lower appetite means that there won't be as much food intake on a day to day basis.
This means less calories going in which is a pillar of healthy weight loss. Secondly, it has been found to burn fat within the bodies of mice in another study. They fed a group of mice a high fat diet and supplemented a portion them with acetic acid. At the end of the study the mice on the supplements had increased fat burning genes and less body fat overall than the control group.
Acetic acid has also been shown to reduce fat storage in the body. When given to a group of obese and diabetic rats they were protected from additional weight gain. They also found that the genes responsible for the reduction of belly fat storage and liver fat were increased. It was also discovered that acetic acid can improve metabolism.
How Much Weight Can I Lose With Apple Cider Vinegar Diet?
There was a human study performed in Japan that proved that ACV has a cumulative net positive effect on weight loss. Here's how it worked. There were three groups of obese Japanese adults. Over a 12 week period one group was told to drink 1 tablespoon of ACV per day, the other group was told to drink two tablespoons of ACV per day, and the last group was given a placebo drink everyday. They did not make any changes to their diet, exercise patterns, or lifestyle, other than the taking of the ACV or placebo.
Weight Loss Results Using Apple Cider Vinegar as Part of Your Diet
The 1 tablespoon group lost on average 2.6 pounds, lowered their boy fat percentage by 0.7%, and reduced their waist circumference by 0.5 inches. The 2 tablespoon group lost on average 3.7 pounds, lowered their body fat percentage by 0.9%, and reduced their waist circumference by 0.75 inches. The placebo group actually gained weight, averaging 0.9 pounds gained across the participants.
As you can see using ACV by itself with no changes to lifestyle will result in weight loss, albeit a modest one. However, if you were to combine an ACV regimen with a healthy diet and proper exercise you could see some significant results.
Other Health Benefits Of Apple Cider Vinegar
ACV also has additional health benefits that go beyond weight loss. It has been proven that it can lower blood sugar and insulin levels after eating a high carb meal. It is also be proven to improve insulin sensitivity in insulin resistant and type 2 diabetic patients after a high carb meal. It has also been shown to decrease “bad” LDL cholesterol and increase “good” HDL cholesterol levels. Finally it also lowers blood pressure by working to inhibit the enzyme that is responsible for the constriction of blood vessels.
Are There Side Effects To Worry about using ACV
One of the biggest issues to remember with starting an ACV regimen is that keep in mind its very acidic. You don't want to be taking shots or drinking it straight. It should always be diluted with water. Also you should not exceed more than a few tablespoons per day in consumption. This is because there is a law of diminishing returns at work here, and you won't lose more weight by increasing your vinegar consumption. In high amounts ACV can damage your teeth, bones, and cause esophageal burns.
There is an example of a 28 year old ACV devotee. She was found to be suffering from low potassium levels and osteoporosis as a direct result of excessive ACV consumption. She visited the hospital complaining of severe and painful cramps. After some tests the doctors were able to put two and two together as she was found to have been drinking upwards of 8 ounces of ACV per day!
As you can see this is extremely excessive and far beyond our recommendations. So unless you want similar issues keep your intake down to just a few tablespoons per day.
The Best Type Of Apple Cider Vinegar To Use
Conclusion
To put a bow on things, we've made a pretty clear case for apple cider vinegar as a weight loss agent. It does work, but it isn't some magic elixir that is going to get you to 5% body fat. Expect to invest at least a few months into your regimen before seeing results. Also unless you pair your ACV intake with proper diet and exercise your results may only be a few pounds. So we hope this information has helped you on your weight loss journey and we look forward to the awesome results you're going to get with ACV!