If you are like me and are always hearing about new health fads, I am sure you are aware of apple cider vinegar shots.  If you are not, it is exactly what it sounds like. Most people take a shot (around 2 tablespoons) of apple cider vinegar per day. This substance is created by crushing apples and using the juice for an alcoholic fermentation process.  This process is what converts the sugars in the juice to alcohol.  After this, the alcohol becomes a vinegar after acid-forming bacteria is added to the mix.  Doesn’t sound too appetizing, does it? If you have ever tried the substance on its own, you know that no one in the right mind would willingly drink it every day.  So, why do people do it?

Top 5 Benefits Of Apple Cider Vinegar Shots

1.  High In Acetic Acid

Apples.

When crushed apples are fermented, they are added to acetic acid.  This acid is what gives foods like pickles and sourdough bread their tart taste.  Acetic Acid contains “mother”, which are strands of proteins, bacteria, and enzymes that are responsible for several health benefits.  A research study conducted in Japan suggests that acetic acid helps to control both blood pressure and fat accumulation.  Besides just helping out the body, acetic acid in vinegar can kill many harmful bacteria.  It can be used as a natural disinfectant and a natural preservative.  In short, vinegar is often used as a safer alternative to bleach when cleaning.

2.  Strengthens Skeletal System

Strong bone structure.

Did you know that apple cider vinegar can actually be used to keep your bones strong?  Having this vinegar in your system actually allows your body to better absorb calcium.  Calcium, as you probably know, is what makes our bones strong.  By assisting calcium, vinegar allows for a stronger skeletal system.  Ultimately, this can help to reduce rates of Osteoporosis.  Currently, 1 in 3 women over 50 will experience osteoporotic fractures.  Perhaps drinking apple cider vinegar over-time will change this statistic.

3.  Lowers Blood Sugar Levels and Fights Diabetes

Consuming apple cider vinegar has shown to improve insulin sensitivity when eating a high carb meal.  Diabetes is a condition that leads to an inability to manage blood sugar levels properly.  Research has shown that vinegar has the ability to reduce blood glucose.  For this reason, people think that it could help to diabetics to better manage their blood glucose levels. For example, when one eats 50g of white bread they can reduce their blood sugar by 34% if they consume apple cider vinegar afterwards. 

4.  Lowers Cholesterol And Improves Heart Health

Heart health.

Many risk factors for high cholesterol can be improved with the consumption of daily apple cider vinegar shots.  Evidence suggests that taking shots of the vinegar could help to lower cholesterol and blood pressure.  Studies have shown that those who took apple cider vinegar on a regular basis have higher levels of HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol).  Having higher amounts of HDL can lower the risk of heart disease and any risk of other heart problems.  

5.  May Have Protective Effects Against Cancer

Numerous studies have shown that various types of vinegar can kill cancer cells and can even shrink tumors.  Unfortunately, these studies were not done with living beings. The most notable test occurred when scientists filled a test tube with stomach cancer cells from rats and humans.  The apple cider vinegar effectively killed off the cancer cells.  The takeaway from this experiment is that maybe one-day apple cider vinegar can help put a stop to certain gastric cancers.  Further research must be conducted to provide any health recommendations for humans. Perhaps in the future, we will be drinking apple cider vinegar to help slow cancer growth.

Apple Cider Vinegar Shots For Weight Loss

Weight loss.

Now for the reason, you are probably here… weight loss.  Apple cider vinegar is not magic and will not mysteriously dissolve your fat.  Fat loss comes from eating in a caloric deficit and the vinegar can only help with this. This mysterious liquid increases satiety, ultimately making snacking and overconsuming calories less desirable.  If one were to drink vinegar with a high carb meal they would start to feel full, more so than if they did not consume the vinegar. When it comes to weight loss, satiety is really the only factor that apple cider vinegar can help you with.  If you are not putting in the work, you are not going to reap the fitness benefits you are looking for. So, if you are eating healthy and exercising, this vinegar can help you to eat fewer calories, thus helping you to lose weight.

I Took A Shot Of Apple Cider Vinegar A Day, Here’s What Happened

Instead of consuming shots, I had an alternative approach to consuming 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar per day.  I drank a vinegar tea twice a day for one month straight. Why a tea you may be asking?  Because I can’t take shots to save my life. From what I can tell, there is no difference between drinking tea or taking shots. It is really just your preference!

DIY Apple Cider Vinegar Tea Recipe

Apple cider vinegar tea.

Mix 1tbsp apple cider vinegar (with the mother), 1 tbsp lemon juice, and ½ cup water. To be honest, I really did not notice too much after this trial month ended.  My goal was never to lose a bunch of weight, I really just wanted to see if the vinegar had the ability to improve my digestion and make me less hungry. I do not think my digestion was improved after consuming the vinegar.

I do however think it improved my satiety. Before I used to drink my tea, I always ate a huge breakfast in the morning. Drinking an almost ¾ cup of a (pretty-gross) liquid in the morning made me lose my appetite. Knowing this, I probably cut at least 300 calories out of my diet just by drinking the tea in the morning.  The same thing happened at night. I am a huge late night snacker. I can’t fall asleep unless I know there is something in my stomach. Drinking the tea helped me resist the urge to eat a lot before bed. Because I was eating less, in theory, I should have lost some weight. In reality, I lost 1 or 2 lbs, but nothing significant enough to make the consumption of apple cider vinegar actually worth it (for weight loss).

Before actually taking a look at my results, I really did feel good about myself when I was drinking my tea every day.  I do think there is a placebo “effect” to this daily routine. I felt good about my body and I felt healthier than usual. This unexpected result of the apple cider vinegar was worth it.  You always want to feel good about yourself and if something small like a strange vinegar substance can help with that, by all means, go for it.

Apple Cider Vinegar Shots Side Effects

As many benefits as there are to consuming the vinegar, there are also downfalls to consuming this substance too much.  First off, we will be discussing the digestive side effects that come with consuming vinegar. Studies have shown that apple cider vinegar decreases appetite thus leading one to consume fewer calories.  However, one study has suggested that in a few cases, food intake may decrease due to indigestion from the vinegar. The study found that people who consumed apple cider vinegar reported significantly greater feelings of nausea.  This occurred especially when the vinegar was part of an unpleasant-tasting drink… like my tea, which most would consider gross.   

Next, consuming apple cider vinegar on a daily basis can lead to the erosion of tooth enamel.  Acidic foods and beverages of all types have been shown to damage teeth.  Dentists always warn their clients about drinking kinds of vinegar so keep that in mind if you are planning to drink this stuff on a daily basis.  In one lab study, enamel from wisdom teeth was immersed in vinegar. The results showed that there was a 1–20% loss of minerals from the teeth after four hours

Lastly, we need to discuss the rare but possible throat burns. Apple cider vinegar has the potential to cause throat burns. Scientists recommend that vinegar should be considered a “potent caustic substance”.  Currently, there are no published cases of severe throat burns from the vinegar. One report found that an apple cider vinegar tablet caused burns after getting stuck in a woman’s throat. Although this was a severe case, always proceed with caution when consuming any type of vinegar on a regular basis.

So, Should You Take Apple Cider Vinegar Shots?

Apple cider vinegar.

If you are trying to lose weight, yes, you should try taking shots of vinegar.  Only do this if you can bear the taste and are willing to work for your results.  You can’t just rely on apple cider vinegar to give you the body you want, because that is not going to happen.  Like most things in life, weight loss requires time, effort, and commitment. If you are not working hard for your results, the vinegar is not going to catch you when you fall. 

I recommend you take apple cider vinegar for other health benefits besides just weight loss.  If you know you have high blood pressure, taking apple cider vinegar is worth a shot. Although studies on humans have not been able to provide much validation, studies on animals have proved to be a success.  Maybe after further research is conducted, apple cider vinegar will officially be marketed as a health product.

Conclusion

If you really do not like the taste of apple cider vinegar, I would not recommend you take shots every day.  Because the results are different on every person and they may take a while to notice, I would not recommend you suffer everyday drinking it if you can’t stand the taste of it.

I personally didn’t despise the taste so this was not a super difficult challenge for me.  As I mentioned previously, I really did feel good about myself when drinking the tea every day. However, it was really difficult to tell if the results were just a placebo or if the vinegar really worked.  Honestly, just feeling good about myself was enough to keep consuming this tea on a daily basis. I did eventually stop drinking the vinegar tea every day because it is time-consuming to make a drink twice a day.

The most important takeaway is that this substance is not magic.  You need to fix other lifestyle habits in order to reach your goals whether it be weight loss or to lower one’s blood pressure.  If you are not working hard for results, they will not come if you are solely relying on apple cider vinegar.