The good old Babylonians, were probably the first to discover the use of vinegar as a food preservative. That was around 5000 BC.
Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, (460-377 BC) used vinegar to clean ulcerated wounds. He was also keen on using oxymel, composed of honey and vinegar, as a treatment for persistent coughs.
By the late 18th century, vinegar was a cure-all promoted by doctors of the day. Notably, vinegar teas were consumed by diabetics to lower their blood sugar
Have these ideas survived?
Hippocrates was on to something. A 2017 paper found:
“Acetic acid with concentration of 1 per cent has shown to be efficacious against wide range of bacteria as well as fungi, simultaneously accelerating wound healing”.
Ascetic acid is the main ingredient in vinegar.
WebMD, a US site run by doctors, in 2020 ran a piece that discussed the fact that oxymel – the Hippocratic treatment for sore throats – remains popular today, and listed its many potential health benefits, as well as side effects.
What about diabetes. A 2020 study found:
“Research evidence suggests that vinegar may effectively reduce postprandial glucose in both healthy adults and those with type 2 diabetes.”
But more study is needed, and patients with type 1 diabetes would best steer clear in case they inadvertently drop themselves into a hypoglycemic faint.
Meanwhile, there is wide belief, and suggestive evidence – often in small studies that need to be replicated – that vinegar aids weight loss and rids oneself of belly fat, lowers cholesterol and triglycerides – as well as the aforementioned blood sugar – and kills some topical bacterial, fungal and viral infections.
Is vinegar a go-to remedy?
Vinegar is an alternative treatment and you need to research the best dosage. There are other regulated medicines that have undergone large-scale clinical testing available in the stead of vinegar for most ailments.
However, it appears that vinegar has a ‘magic bullet’ effect against some persistent fungal infections. In a couple of small studies, it was proved to be the only thing useful at killing of candida strains. See here and here.
Meanwhile, Hippocrates’ famed mantra “do no harm” should be followed by people administering home remedies as well as by doctors.
And indeed you’d be best advised to discuss the use of vinegar with your doctor. For one thing, if you drink it straight – rather than diluted with water – you’re likely to dissolve the enamel on your teeth
Think of Cleopatra, on a bet, dissolving a pearl in vinegar and drinking it down.
What about lowering blood pressure?
In 2018, Dr Edwin McDonald published an article at the University of Chicago Medicine titled ‘Debunking the health benefits of apple cider vinegar’.
Dr McDonald began with both guns blazing:
“The internet would have you believe apple cider vinegar is the new pixie dust due to its health benefits. It’s tempting to believe the Internet claims about apple cider vinegar (ACV). They sound so fantastic – even doctors can fall victim to them.
“ACV is not pixie dust, but it’s also not snake oil. For those who want to try ACV, it does have some proven health benefits.”
What bothered Dr McDonald most was the “popular myth” that ACV can be used for controlling blood pressure.
He’d found one small study that showed a decrease in systolic blood pressure in rats fed a diet containing acetic acid compared to those without it. There weren’t any studies at that time using ACV for high blood pressure in people.
He cautioned: “Bottom line: High blood pressure is nothing to play with. I’ve seen people have strokes in real-time from high blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, there’s simply not enough data to support using ACV as a blood pressure medication. Eat a healthy diet, exercise, and take your meds if you need them.”
New studies show first evidence in humans
Two new studies in people were published in the last couple of weeks. The first, from Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, found a dose-dependent effect on vinegar on blood pressure.
For each 30 ml/d increment in vinegar consumption, systolic blood pressure was reduced by 3.25 mmHg − and diastolic blood pressure was reduced by 3.33 mmHg.
The authors concluded: “According to the findings, vinegar significantly reduces systolic and diastolic blood pressure and may be considered an adjunct to hypertension treatment. Thus, clinicians could incorporate vinegar consumption as part of their dietary advice for patients.”
The other research was an observational study led by Professor Hiroaki Kanouchi from Osaka Metropolitan University.
The findings present “the first evidence” that eating sunomono – a Japanese vinegared side dish – correlates to lower blood pressure in men.
Sunomono is made with fresh cucumbers or seaweed, and served in rice vinegar.
Professor Kanouchi noted that previous studies have shown that subjects drinking 30 mL of vinegar daily had lower blood pressure “but also lost weight that could account for the lower blood pressure”.
The researchers recruited 1498 men and women over 40 years old who were screened out for hypertension and “other disqualifying health conditions”.
The remaining 746 participants had their blood pressure tested, and then filled out a dietary survey, “paying attention to sour vinegary food consumption, particularly sunomono”.
The results?
While analyzing the health information and dietary survey, the researchers noticed an interesting trend.
Professor Hiroaki Kanouchi said that men who did not habitually eat sunomono had “significantly higher blood pressure, even though their weight and BMI were the same”.
He said the researchers believed “it could be promoting growth of good gut microbiota, but we would need more studies to confirm that”.
He said the team wasn’t sure “how the vinegar causes these health benefits; increasing vinegar consumption doesn’t lead to further improvement in blood pressure”.
The main limitation of this study was that it explored an association between vinegar and blood pressure, rather than establishing clinical evidence.
An alternative theory
It’s possible that vinegar plays a part in lowering blood pressure in a roundabout way.
One possibility: when vinegar is used as a salt substitute, your intake of sodium drops and with that your blood pressure dips.
Another possibility relies on vinegar’s purported weight-loss effects: these include appetite suppression, and lowering cholesterol and blood sugar. If these hold true, then a lowering of blood pressure would naturally follow.
But keep in mind, there are side effects, including a potentially dangerous drop in potassium levels, and bone loss.
So before you start throwing down shots of vinegar, do you research, and talk to your doctor.
