Weight Loss Theories
involving
Apple Cider Vinegar

"Current theories on how acv and weight loss are related."

Some of the main weight loss theories, describing how apple cider vinegar works to encourage weight reduction, along with the ways in which they are thought to work, are outlined below.

Appetite Suppressant - Weight Loss Theories

Apple cider vinegar(ACV) can act as an appetite suppressant.

Some speculate that pectin, the water soluble fiber found in apples and ACV, absorbs water and fills the stomach a little before each meal which helps to suppress your appetite and lead to effective weight loss.

It has also been suggested that ACV reduces the craving for sweets and foods containing salt and fat.

This is more than just a weight loss theory since recent studies on vinegar as an appetite suppressant have been conducted by a team of Swedish scientists from Lund university.
They have shown that vinegar taken in liquid form before a meal, helps dieters eat less. According to Elin Ostman, "There is a direct relationship between increased acetic acid and satiety."
For the studies, 12 healthy volunteers were given 3 amounts of vinegar (18, 23, & 28 mmol acetic acid - which is equal to about 1.5, 2, & 2.5 tablespoons of standard vinegar containing 5% acetic acid.) diluted in water along with a portion of wheat bread containing 50g of available carbohydrate. Satiety was measured with a subjective rating scale and was reported to be significantly increased at 30, 90 and 120 minutes after the meal.

Reference: European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2005, 59: 983-988.

Metabolic Rate Increase

Apple cider vinegar increases your body's metabolism thus burning more calories.
The acetic acid in ACV can help release iron in the foods you eat and make it more available for oxygen-carrying hemoglobin and oxygen-attracting myoglobin.
The more iron absorbed, the greater the oxygen utilized and the greater the energy consumed. This results in more weight loss.

While we are at rest, the body's metabolism is kept going by a substance called growth hormone released by the pituitary gland. Apple cider vinegar helps with the digestion of protein, which is the building block of growth hormone. A higher level of protein breakdown makes it more likely that growth hormone will be produced, thus elevating your metabolism while you sleep. In so doing, it contributes to weight loss.

Protein is also needed for the production of insulin, which is necessary for converting glucose to energy and maintaining an active metabolism. ACV can raise your metabolic rate by increasing the body's ability to utilize proteins for insulin production.

Increased Feeling of Well Being

Apple cider vinegar can help you maintain a feeling of well being which is an important factor in weight loss and staying healthy.

Apple cider vinegar helps to release proteins during digestion and some are used to build the amino acid tryptophan, which is needed to produce adequate levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin. This behavior-regulating chemical is a natural tranquilizer that helps us to maintain a feeling of serenity and in this state we are much less likely to indulge in stress-induced eating, according to this weight loss theory.

Improved Digestion

Apple cider vinegar improves digestion which in turn reduces the amount of time that fats remain in the digestive tract.
The less time fats are present in the digestive tract, the less fats will be absorbed and the greater the weight loss.

Less water retention

According to the last one of these weight loss theories, the potassium in apple cider vinegar helps to balance the sodium in your diet, and to minimize retained fluid.

Sodium, a major cause of fluid retention, is obtained in large amounts from the salt in processed foods. Balancing the sodium in the diet lessens water retention and results in reduced body weight.