Natural vinegar
Vinegar can be made from any of the starch sources, such as dates, apples, corn, molasses, grapes, berries, coconut, honey, pears, beets, potatoes, barley syrup, and others, as the bacteria in the first stage convert natural sugar into Alcohol, then the acetic acid bacteria convert alcohol into acetic acid, which is the characteristic agent for vinegar, which gives it its pungent flavor and sharp smell, but acetic acid is not considered a malfunction in itself and the General Food and Drug Administration prohibits the addition of dilute acetic acid to foods that are supposed to contain Vinegar, and it also states that it is not vinegar.
Vinegar also contains vitamins, mineral salts, amino acids, and polyphenolic compounds, such as gallic acid, catechins, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, and some non-volatile organic acids such as tartaric acid, citric acid, malic, and lactic, and apple cider vinegar usually contains acetic acid. By 5% to 6%, and like apple juice, it contains pectin and vitamins B1, B2, B6, biotin, niacin, folic acid, pantothenic acid, and vitamin C, and it also contains small amounts of sodium, potassium, phosphorous, and calcium, iron, and magnesium.
Apple cider vinegar is used a lot in many foods, as it is added to pickles and salads, and it is also used in many health purposes by many, and it is widely used for weight loss, so is it really useful in treating excess weight? This is what we will learn about in this article.
Apple cider vinegar for weight loss
There are many health benefits of apple cider vinegar that are supported by some scientific studies, and apple cider vinegar is commonly used among people with the aim of losing weight, and the truth is that there is only one scientific study conducted in Japan to study the effect of apple cider vinegar on weight loss, as 175 obese people were given either Vinegar or water daily for 12 weeks, while their diet was similar, and at the end of the study the vinegar group lost a little more weight than the other group, and on average the vinegar group lost about 450 g to 900 g during three months, then they returned and gained this weight after the end of the study, The researchers suggest that apple cider vinegar may stimulate the work of some genes that work in burning fat, but as a result, apple cider vinegar is not a quick solution to treat obesity, and everyone who wants to lose weight must follow a healthy diet to lose weight and exercise.
A study showed that the use of vinegar to suppress the appetite was not well tolerated by users due to the reason it causes nausea, and some studies suggest a role for vinegar in delaying the emptying of the stomach, which increases the cases of gastroparesis worse and worsens the delay in gastric emptying in people with diabetes from The first type.
In general, apple cider vinegar is not an effective solution for weight loss, and there is not enough scientific research to support this claim, and despite this, vinegar is considered low in calories, and therefore it can be considered appropriate in healthy diets with limited calories as a delicious additive to salads, which can be It contributes to weight loss indirectly and not by the magic effect of vinegar as a fat burner.
Side effects and use caveats
It is considered safe to eat apple cider vinegar in the quantities normally found in food, and its use for health purposes by adults for short periods is also safe, but consuming large quantities of it can be unsafe in some cases, as consuming a cup (250 ml) of apple cider vinegar daily for 6 years by a person, it led to a decrease in potassium levels and to osteoporosis, and its high acidity may cause irritation in the throat if taken in large quantities or for long periods, and in one case, a pill of apple cider vinegar got stuck in a woman's throat For 30 minutes, this caused her voice box (larynx) pain in addition to difficulty swallowing that lasted for 6 months after the accident, which is believed to be caused by the vinegar's high acidity.
In general, you should not drink apple cider vinegar directly due to its high acidity, which can also harm the teeth and cause irritation in the esophagus.
The caveats of using apple cider vinegar include the following cases:
- Pregnancy and breast-feeding: The use of apple cider vinegar should be avoided during pregnancy and breast-feeding due to the lack of sufficient information on its safety at these stages.
- Diabetes: Apple cider vinegar can lower the blood sugar level in people with diabetes, and therefore blood sugar must be monitored in cases of consuming apple cider vinegar by diabetics, and the patient may need to adjust the dose of the sugar-lowering drug that he is taking.
- Taking medications that apple cider vinegar interacts with: Avoid consuming large quantities of apple cider vinegar if you take drugs that interact with it.
Drug interactions with apple cider vinegar
Eating large amounts of apple cider vinegar causes a decrease in the level of potassium in the body, which causes it to interact with the drug digoxin or known as Lanoxin, which increases its side effects, and taking it with insulin or with diuretics that reduce the level of potassium in the body can cause a significant decrease. In potassium level.
- Note: This article does not dispense with consulting a doctor, and the doctor must be informed of all nutritional supplements and alternative treatments that a person takes.
