Over the past few years, apple cider vinegar (ACV) has had a moment. Shelves are flooded with ACV preparations and supplements, claiming they can help you lose weight, cure diabetes, and more.
But does apple cider vinegar live up to the hype? Betr did the research to determine if ACV delivers. In this article, we’ll investigate the following:
- What is apple cider vinegar?
- The health benefits of apple cider vinegar
- Choosing the right apple cider vinegar
- Apple cider vinegar on the Betr protocol
Read on for the real deal about ACV!
What is apple cider vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar starts with apple juice. This apple juice is allowed to ferment, a process by which the normal bacteria, yeast, and other microorganisms in the apple juice feed on the sugar of the apple juice, reproduce, and create alcohol.
If your goal is a “hard” alcoholic cider, you could stop here. But the fermentation process has to continue to make apple cider vinegar. This ‘2-step fermentation’ converts the alcohol to acetic acid, which gives all vinegar its unique taste and smell.
Before this vinegar gets to the store, water is added to the acetic acid to dilute it to a usable acidity. Non-organic apple cider vinegar is heated(pasteurized) to destroy any microorganisms. Natural microbes are maintained in organic ACV (more on this later).
ACV is great to add to salads, marinades, and other recipes. Because it’s acidic, it can also be used as a food preservative to inhibit the growth of unhealthy bacteria.
Finally, it has a favorable nutritional profile. It has few calories, a small amount of carbohydrates, and, in the case of organic ACV, a little probiotic punch!
Takeaway
Apple cider vinegar is made through the fermentation of apple juice into acetic acid. It’s primarily used as an additive to food in the form of salad dressing or marinades.
Health Benefits of ACV
Part of apple cider vinegar’s current rise in popularity is the claims that it can have many positive health benefits, including:
- Weight Loss
- Appetite suppression
- Blood pressure reduction
- Blood sugar regulation
- Lowered cholesterol
While these are big claims, some evidence points to these effects! A small study in Sweden found that ACV did promote lower glucose levels, a healthy insulin response, and feelings of fullness following a meal.
Another group of researchers in Japan studies ACV’s impact on weight loss in obese subjects. Results showed that apple cider vinegar contributes to reduced body weight, BMI, and belly fat!
Not so fast. There are some issues with the “proof” of the benefits of ACV. Most studies used small groups of individuals. This means that the studies point toward benefits, but we need more information.
However, one 2021 study performed a “meta-analysis,” pulling together many research results and analyzing them. This study found that apple cider vinegar positively affects blood sugar and total cholesterol levels, which is a big deal!
The last thing to say about the research is that it doesn’t give much information about dose amounts, what kind of ACV is best, or safety. On top of that, very few studies discuss another vital aspect: healthy bacteria’s role in organic apple cider vinegar.
Takeaway
Research points to the potential health benefits of apple cider vinegar, including blood sugar control, lowered cholesterol, and weight loss. More studies are needed, especially on proper doses and forms.
Choosing the Right Apple Cider Vinegar
In addition to the above health benefits, organic, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar contains a healthy substance known as “The Mother.” A fermentation product, “The Mother” is a community of beneficial bacteria, yeast, and other biological materials that may provide significant probiotic benefits.
Looking at a bottle of unpasteurized, organic apple cider vinegar, you can see “The Mother.” It gives unpasteurized ACV a murky look and is also the sediment that settles onto the bottom of the bottle.
If you compare this to non-organic, pasteurized ACV, you’ll notice an immediate difference. The pasteurized product is clear and looks like apple juice. The pasteurization process kills natural bacteria in the vinegar, removing any potential probiotic benefits.
At Betr, we recommend choosing organic, unpasteurized, unfiltered apple cider vinegar (like Bragg’s brand). It’s usually labeled “with The Mother” and can give you a beneficial bacterial boost! And you can rest easy knowing it doesn’t contain extra sugars or additives.
Takeaway
Many of the positive health effects of apple cider vinegar may be related to probiotic properties gained from fermentation. Selecting an unpasteurized, unfiltered, organic ACV with “The Mother” will ensure you get the maximum benefits without added sugar or chemicals.
Apple Cider Vinegar and the Betr Protocol
So, where does this research leave us?
The information we’ve uncovered shows that more research and evidence are needed before anyone can say ACV reverses diabetes, helps weight loss, reduces cholesterol, or has significant health benefits.
Apple cider vinegar has been used for centuries in folk medicine and as essential daily food. While the gummies or a raw spoonful of ACV probably won’t hurt anyone, testing is needed to determine a safe dose.
What we do know, and what Betr recommends, is that using unpasteurized, organic apple cider vinegar as part of the overall Level 1 protocol can help support health and fitness goals. There are potential probiotic benefits, and, more importantly, it tastes great in all kinds of recipes!
And that’s what Betr is all about. We don’t focus on “magic bullet” ingredients, trendy diets, or supplements. We focus on healthy, nutritious, natural foods that support your body’s natural ability to heal.
Many fermented foods like yogurt, kombucha, sauerkraut, and vinegar can support the health of your natural gut microbiome. Combined with using other regular, delicious foods as medicine, this can improve your health and result in almost all of the specific benefits claimed by apple cider vinegar.
Takeaway
Organic, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar is an ingredient recommended for use during the Betr Level 1 protocol. It’s a great addition to recipes like salad dressings and marinades. It checks all the boxes for a natural, gut-healthy part of our food as medicine protocol.
Apple Cider Vinegar: The Final Verdict
Here are the facts we’ve gathered on ACV:
- Apple cider vinegar is made through the fermentation of apple juice into acetic acid. It’s primarily used as an additive to food in the form of salad dressing or marinades.
- Research points to the potential health benefits of apple cider vinegar, including blood sugar control, lowered cholesterol, and weight loss. More studies are needed, especially on proper doses and forms.
- Many of the positive health effects of apple cider vinegar may be related to probiotic properties gained from fermentation. Selecting an unpasteurized, unfiltered, organic ACV with “The Mother” will ensure you get the maximum benefits without added sugar or chemicals.
- Organic, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar is an ingredient recommended for use during the Betr Level 1 protocol. It’s a great addition to recipes like salad dressings and marinades. It checks all the boxes for a natural, gut-healthy part of our food as medicine protocol.
Like any other single-source, ‘Magic Bullet’ ingredient credited with a laundry list of health benefits, the verdict is still out on apple cider vinegar. More research must be done before we recommend a daily draught of straight ACV.
That research has made us conclude that ACV is an excellent addition to an ongoing, healthy eating lifestyle. It adds great flavor to food, and its probiotic properties support your microbiome.
Feel free to add apple cider vinegar to the food as medicine shelf in your pantry
After reading this article, you may be asking yourself if your own health hurdles could be related to an unhealthy gut.
Explore Betr's risk-free trial to see if you could benefit from using food as medicine to rebuild your microbiome and realize the healthy potential you never knew you were missing!
