Vinegar for Weight Loss: Does It Work?

Do you have a bottle of apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar hiding in your kitchen cabinet? Time to get it out. Its tart taste could be your ally when it comes to controlling body fat. Preliminary research suggests that vinegar has properties that help to ward off weight gain.

Vinegar for Weight Loss: Does Vinegar Help with Weight Control?

Vinegar contains acetic acid, a weak acid that gives it its tart, tongue-tingling taste. When researchers gave mice either acetic acid or water as a placebo, the mice that got the acetic acid gained less body fat on a high-fat diet compared to mice that got a placebo. Researchers in this study believe that acetic acid turns on genes that break down fat.

That's not the only way vinegar helps with weight control. One study showed that adding a few tablespoons of vinegar to a meal helps moderate blood sugar levels and reduce the amount of insulin released in response to carby foods. This bodes well for weight control since insulin is a hormone that promotes fat storage. Vinegar may also help to prevent the carb cravings some people get several hours after a meal by keeping blood sugar levels more stable.

In another study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition , researchers gave participants a slice of bread to eat. Some of the participants ate bread that was soaked in vinegar while others ate plain bread. The volunteers that munched on the vinegar-soaked bread felt fuller afterwards. Vinegar seems to slow down stomach emptying, which helps you feel full more quickly. Soaking your bread in vinegar isn't the most appetizing way to add vinegar to your diet, so here are some better ideas.

Ways to Add More Vinegar to Your Diet

Salads are good for you, but they aren't always filling. Add some filling lean protein like shrimp, roasted turkey, salmon or grilled chicken. Then top it off with a vinaigrette dressing to make your bowl of fresh greens more filling and satisfying.

Soak meat in a vinegar-based marinade for more flavor and taste appeal.

Season vegetables with balsamic vinegar. These days you can find balsamic vinegar in tempting flavors like raspberry, sun-dried tomato, hot pepper, garlic or blueberry. These vinegars add "spunk" to veggies without adding a lot of calories. They taste so delicious you won't mind eating your greens.

Drizzle balsamic vinegar over ripe fruit like strawberries before eating it. Pour a little over sliced figs and serve it with a slice of gorgonzola cheese. Who says vinegar is just for salads?

Vinegar for Weight Loss: The Bottom Line?

Larger studies are needed before vinegar enters the ranks of proven fat fighters, but adding some to your meals makes foods more flavorful without adding lots of calories. It may also reduce the amount you eat by filling you up more quickly. Explore the wonderful world of vinegars the next time you visit your grocery store.

References:

J Agric Food Chem. 2009 Jul 8:57(13):5982-6.

Natural News. "Three Ways Apple Cider Vinegar Benefits Weight Loss"

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2005) 59, 983-988. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602197; published online 29 June 2005.

Diabetes Care January 2004 vol. 27 no. 1 281-282.