How a daily shot of apple cider vinegar could work like natural Ozempic to help ... trends now

'There’s a definite buzz around apple cider vinegar and, having carried out studies on it myself, I certainly believe it’s more than an ancient home remedy or a fancy vinegar to put over your salad,’ says Dr Darshna Yagnik, a biomedical research lecturer at Middlesex University.

Her comments follow the news last week that a daily shot of it could aid weight loss.

In a study published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, 120 overweight or obese people were given either apple cider vinegar (ACV) or a placebo daily, first thing in the morning before food.

All those given ACV lost more weight than the placebo group, with those who had the most (15ml a day) losing up to 8kg in 12 weeks.

All the ACV drinkers also had improved blood sugar and cholesterol levels, reported the researchers, who were led by Dr Rony Abou-Khalil at Holy Spirit University of Kaslik in Lebanon.

‘The results are pretty significant— and unexpected, too,’ says Aidan Goggins, a pharmacist and an independent adviser to the supplement industry. ‘That’s because we always thought there might be something in the acetic acid [the main active ingredient in ACV] binding with carbohydrates to reduce their absorption, but in this study the ACV was taken in the morning on an empty tummy, so had a totally different independent effect.’

He adds: ‘It may increase secretion of gut satiety hormones including GLP-1 and PYY, in the same way weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy work.’

Dr Yagnik’s theory is that the acetic acid in ACV effectively raises levels of acetate in the blood, which in turn encourages the breakdown of fatty acids and prevents new fatty acids forming — potentially helping boost fat metabolism.

Yet other experts have questioned the study methodology — not least for not setting out what else the participants were eating nor their calorie intake changes.

‘In short, this needs caution, a lot of caution,’ said Miguel Angel Martinez-Gonzalez, who is a professor of preventive public health at the University of Navarra in Spain, and an expert on nutrition and disease.

Participants in the study were also young — aged 12 to 25 — so it’s not clear how the findings might apply to older people.

ACV is made by essentially chopping up apples, mixing them with water and sugar, and then allowing the mixture to ferment for three to four months.

There is little doubt about its increasing popularity — the market has grown in value by 24.5 per cent in the past year, with UK producers, such as Willy’s in Herefordshire, reporting an increase in sales of up to 26 per cent in the same period, fuelled by its supposed health benefits.

And helped, no doubt, by celebrity endorsements. Victoria Beckham shared on Instagram that she takes two tablespoons of it every morning; Liz Hurley has said she often puts some in hot water — and the novelist Louis de Bernieres recently told Good Health that he takes it because ‘it’s said to lower blood sugar’. Some evidence for this appears to be stacking up. ‘A number of studies have suggested it may help with managing blood sugar levels and lowering cholesterol,’ says Dr Yagnik.

When it comes to blood sugar, ‘human studies have shown that ACV increases the muscles’ uptake of glucose. It also slows down gastric emptying and the activity of enzymes in the gut’ — all of which helps control blood sugar levels.

‘Compounds in ACV have also been shown to increase “good” fat such as HDL cholesterol, which helps clear “bad” cholesterol by carrying excess amounts to the liver where it is broken down,’ Dr Yagnik adds.

Separately, she and her team have been looking at ACV’s potential role in fighting infection and boosting immunity.

This came about after Dr Yagnik herself ate something she shouldn’t from the back of the fridge and, feeling sick, remembered the old wives’ tale of ACV as a possible remedy. She had a glug and it worked — ‘I could literally feel something going on in my tummy

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