Apple cider vinegar is a vinegar made by fermenting apple juice twice: yeast first turns the sugars into alcohol, then bacteria turn the alcohol into acetic acid. Small clinical trials suggest it may slightly lower blood sugar after a meal, while the evidence for weight loss is limited and comes from short studies. Because it is acidic, frequent or undiluted use can wear down tooth enamel, irritate the throat and interact with some medicines. Most adults can use it safely in food or diluted in water, in amounts of up to about two tablespoons a day.

Key Takeaways

  • Most studies on apple cider vinegar are small and last 12 weeks or less.
  • A 2017 meta-analysis found that vinegar taken with a meal reduced the rise in blood glucose and insulin after eating.
  • Apple cider vinegar should be diluted, because its acid can erode tooth enamel and injure the throat.
  • People who take insulin or diuretics (water tablets) should talk to their doctor before using it regularly.

What Is Apple Cider Vinegar?

Apple cider vinegar is a liquid made from crushed apples that have been fermented into vinegar. Its sour taste comes from acetic acid, the main active compound studied in research on vinegar and health. Unfiltered apple cider vinegar often looks cloudy, and this sediment is known as "the mother", a mix of yeast, bacteria and fibre-like strands that forms during fermentation.

It is sold in several forms:

  • Liquid vinegar, used in cooking and salad dressings or diluted as a drink
  • Tablets and capsules
  • Gummies

The amount of acetic acid in tablets and gummies is often unclear. When researchers tested eight apple cider vinegar tablet products, the acid content and the label claims varied widely, and some products did not appear to contain apple cider vinegar at all.

What Are the Potential Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar?

The best-studied effect of apple cider vinegar is a modest reduction in blood sugar after meals. Other claimed benefits, such as weight loss or lower cholesterol, rest on a small number of short or low-quality studies. None of the research shows that apple cider vinegar treats or cures any disease.

Does apple cider vinegar lower blood sugar?

Vinegar taken with a carbohydrate meal can reduce the rise in blood glucose and insulin that follows the meal. A 2017 meta-analysis of controlled trials found this effect across studies, although the trials were small. In a 2020 review of six studies with 317 adults with type 2 diabetes, vinegar was linked to lower HbA1c (average blood sugar over 2-3 months) and fasting glucose, but the authors described the evidence as limited. Apple cider vinegar is not a substitute for diabetes medicines.

Does apple cider vinegar help you lose weight?

Research has not shown meaningful long-term weight loss from apple cider vinegar. In a 12-week Japanese study of adults with obesity, people who drank a vinegar drink every day lost around 1-2 kg more than those who drank a placebo, and the difference faded after they stopped. A balanced diet and regular physical activity remain the methods with proven results.

Can apple cider vinegar lower cholesterol?

Some trials have reported small falls in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol or triglycerides with vinegar. The studies used different doses and types of vinegar, so it is not possible to say whether apple cider vinegar has a reliable effect on blood fats.

What Are the Side Effects of Apple Cider Vinegar?

Apple cider vinegar is safe for most people in small, diluted amounts, and most side effects are linked to its acidity or to large doses. The effects below have been reported mainly in laboratory studies and individual case reports.

Tooth enamel erosion

In a laboratory study, several types of vinegar dissolved minerals from human tooth enamel, and the loss increased with longer contact time. Regular sipping of undiluted vinegar raises this risk.

Throat and oesophagus irritation

Undiluted vinegar can irritate the throat. A woman who had an apple cider vinegar tablet stuck in her throat developed an injury to her oesophagus (food pipe) and had pain and difficulty swallowing for months.

Low potassium

A woman who drank about 250 mL of apple cider vinegar a day for 6 years developed low blood potassium and weak bones (osteoporosis). Low potassium can affect how nerves and muscles work.

Interactions with medicines

Apple cider vinegar may interact with insulin and with diuretics, two types of medicine that can also lower potassium levels.

Stomach upset

Some people get nausea, indigestion or a burning feeling in the stomach after drinking vinegar, particularly on an empty stomach.

How Much Apple Cider Vinegar per Day Is Considered Safe?

Up to two tablespoons (30 mL) a day, diluted in water or added to food, is the amount most studies have used, and people have taken it safely for up to 12 weeks. There is little data on safety beyond this period. Higher amounts do not have proven extra benefits and increase the risk of side effects.

How Should You Take Apple Cider Vinegar?

Apple cider vinegar is gentlest on the teeth and throat when it is diluted and taken with food. Adding it to meals, for example in a salad dressing, may lower the chance of side effects compared with drinking it on its own.

  • Mix 1-2 teaspoons, building up to no more than 1-2 tablespoons, in a large glass of water.
  • Take it with or just before a meal rather than on an empty stomach.
  • Drink it through a straw and rinse your mouth with water afterwards.
  • Avoid tablets if you have difficulty swallowing, and take any tablet with a full glass of water.

Who Should Avoid Apple Cider Vinegar?

Some people should not use apple cider vinegar regularly without medical advice, because of its acidity and its effect on potassium and blood sugar.

  • People who take insulin or other medicines that lower blood sugar
  • People who take diuretics (water tablets)
  • People who have been told their potassium level is low
  • People with swallowing problems or a past injury to the oesophagus
  • People with worn or sensitive tooth enamel

If you have diabetes, take regular medicines or have a long-term condition and want to use apple cider vinegar every day, an assessment by an internal medicine specialist is advisable.

This article is for general information only and does not replace diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a doctor about any health concerns.

Medical Services Internal Diseases
Created at Kas 3, 2026
Updated at Kas 3, 2026
Editor Semih PEKENGİN Online Physician

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Apple Cider Vinegar Frequently Asked Questions

Apple cider vinegar can be part of a healthy diet in small amounts, for example in dressings. It may slightly lower blood sugar after meals, but there is no strong evidence that it causes weight loss or prevents disease. Its main risks come from its acidity.

For most adults, a daily amount of up to two tablespoons, diluted in water, appears to be safe for up to 12 weeks. Long-term daily use has not been well studied. People taking insulin or diuretics should check with a doctor first because of possible effects on potassium.

There is no good evidence that apple cider vinegar gummies have the effects seen in vinegar studies. Gummies usually contain only a small amount of vinegar along with sugar, and testing of tablet products has shown that the acid content often differs from the label.

The mother is the cloudy sediment in unfiltered apple cider vinegar, made up of yeast, acetic acid bacteria and strands of cellulose. It forms naturally during fermentation. There is little research on whether the mother itself has any effect on health. This article is for general information only and does not replace diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a doctor about any health concerns.