The claim has been around for a long time, that apple cider vinegar works miracles for blood sugar. What’s the real story? Does apple cider vinegar lower blood glucose levels? Is apple cider vinegar a treatment for diabetes? Watch and see.
HI, I’m Toby Smithson with DiabetesEveryDay where we discuss best practices for managing diabetes along with motivation and inspiration. The month of January tends to bring resolutions to the forefront of people’s to do list and there are lots of ideas on the web offering advice about diabetes management. Let’s take a look at one that is receiving some discussion- Can apple cider vinegar can help manage diabetes?
There has been some research done on apple cider vinegar but the studies were either on rats or on very small number of human participants to make any conclusions. In those studies, they did find a lower blood sugar effect after consuming 1.5 – 2 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar mixed with a cup of water with meals saw small reductions in blood sugar levels.
While there is no risk in using apple cider vinegar as part of your meal because it contains no carbohydrate or calories, there are some things we need to watch out for.
Use caution for those home remedy websites and recommendations of preparing an apple cider beverage with honey. Honey is a concentrated sweet and will raise your blood sugar reading. If you are using apple cider vinegar, definitely dilute it in water because of its acidity it can irritate your gastrointestinal tract from the enamel on your teeth to your stomach.
The biggest negative side effect relates to your expectation. The study findings are not strong enough to make the claim that apple cider vinegar will help lower blood sugar levels for all people with diabetes. And the effect on blood sugar cannot be significant enough to call apple cider vinegar an actual treatment for diabetes.
Be careful of quick fixes for diabetes management. The literature clearly recommends eating a balanced diet of complex carbohydrate, lean protein and healthy fats along with physical activity because that’s what really works.
Until next time, here’s to your health.
