Does Apple Cider Actaully Make You Lose Weight?

Apple cider has always been considered as an essential diet constituent for weight loss. If you scour the internet you'll find the same information all over. But the real question is that if this ingredient even helps us in losing weight or not. If we look from the perspective of science, a study says vinegar, a component of cider can suppress fat in the body. But the studies in humans have not been conclusive.

In a Japanese study, obese men were divided into groups and each group was given a specific diet. The group which had vinegar in their diet did show weight lost at the end of it. But that's not the complete picture. "Only 2 to 4 pounds in three months over a placebo," nutritionist Lisa Drayer explained. "That's only a third of a pound a week. Most diets have a much bigger result. So you would you definitely have to do many other things to accomplish any significant weight loss." A diet of 12 weeks and only a little weight loss, that won't sound much pleasing to the people.

"A lot of this is marketing," Drayer said, "and it's been around a long time. I remember, probably 15 years ago, covering the apple cider vinegar diet. When you looked closely, the diet paired apple cider vinegar pills with a low-calorie menu. It's no wonder people lost weight. So I think there's been a lot of advertising about the benefits of apple cider vinegar for weight loss," she added, "and consumers get those messages, and they think, 'Oh, this must be the next magic bullet.' But whether it's based on science is another matter.

Vinegar is good for those who want to regulate their blood sugar levels, especially pre-diabetic patients. "Vinegar had an impact in all groups, but the most significant impact was in the pre-diabetic group," she said. "In pre-diabetics, it was too good to be true; (blood sugar) fell a good bit and stayed that way. It may be this is the group that could benefit the most."

Acetic acid hinders the enzymes which break down starch molecules. Researchers say that it might be possible that inhibiting the absorption of starch might help one to lose weight. "Basically, what acetic acid is doing is blocking the absorption of starch," said Johnston, who is associate director of the Arizona State University's School of Nutrition and Health. "If my study subjects eat a starch and add vinegar, glucose will go down. But if they drink sugar water and add vinegar, nothing happens. So if you're having bacon and eggs, don't bother. It only helps if you are consuming a starch." The results look promising but they are still inconclusive.

(With inputs from ANI)

 

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