When should apple cider vinegar be taken?

Key facts

• Timing unproven. No particular time of day is shown to be best. [1]
• Usual suggestion. Before or with meals. [1]
• Meal-time studies. Research on blood sugar looks at vinegar taken with food. [2]

Why do people take it with meals?

Harvard Health notes that vinegar might help lower blood sugar after a meal by changing how food is absorbed from the gut. [1] A MedGenMed review covers research on vinegar's antiglycemic effect. [2] This is the main reason meal timing is suggested; it is not a proven treatment.

What about at night or on an empty stomach?

Harvard Health says it is unclear whether a particular time of day is best. [1] We found no reliable evidence for bedtime or fasting use. Rare injuries to the throat and oesophagus have been reported from drinking vinegar. [2] Always dilute it. See is apple cider vinegar acidic.

Does timing help weight loss?

There is no good evidence that it does. Harvard Health says one small study found vinegar made people feel fuller after eating, but it did so by causing nausea, and that studies on vinegar and weight loss are small and short. [1]

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We don't give health advice. For questions about your health, talk to a doctor or pharmacist.