The truth about apple cider vinegar's health credentials

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is a versatile store cupboard hero. Great for adding fruity sharpness or acidity to food, it's at home in everything from salads to sauces and pickles.

But some of its biggest fans don't cook with it at all. Instead, it's become common to drink small shots of it diluted with water, due to its supposed wellness credentials.

It's claimed that ACV can help with everything from weight loss and blood sugar control to gut health and heart health. You might even find claims about its use as a cancer treatment – although there's no credible evidence that it can fight or cure serious diseases.

So is there any truth behind the claims of ACV's benefits on our health and wellbeing?

Made with fermented apples, ACV is sold filtered (and clear), or unfiltered and unpasteurised (raw and organic), which is cloudy.

It's the latter that's said to be good for your health, as it's made with a live 'mother culture' of good bacteria.

"The mother contains a lot of enzymes and proteins, and also adds to your friendly bacteria," explains Dr Darshna Yagnik, a biomedical research lecturer at Middlesex University.

ACV also contains acetic acid (a compound naturally found in vinegar). Some animal studies, external link this with reduced inflammation, which could help improve conditions like arthritis – though this hasn't been demonstrated yet in human trials.

Hippocrates used vinegar to treat wounds in 420BC, external, but most ACV content you'll see online now advises drinking a small amount diluted with water, daily.

Dietitian and British Dietetic Association spokesperson, Nichola Ludlam-Raine has a word of warning against this.

"ACV is strongly acidic, so there are risks of [tooth] enamel erosion and reflux (heartburn)," she says.

You can buy ACV gummies and supplements, but it's worth remembering they are regulated as a food supplement and not as a medicine.

And, of course, you can use ACV in cooking and preparing food.

The claim that ACV can help you lose weight is a controversial one, with many conflicting scientific studies. Some suggest it could aid weight loss, external, others show no impact, external.

Ludlam-Raine isn't convinced by the evidence. "You can get most of the potential benefits of weight loss and improving blood glucose levels from other types of vinegar too.

"Evidence is minimal at present regarding appetite suppression and improving blood sugar levels following a high carb meal."

Back in 2016, BBC Two series Trust Me, I'm A Doctor carried out a study with Aston University on ACV as a weight loss tool. Results of the eight-week trial didn't find any impact on weight loss.

While there was no benefit to weight loss, the same study did show that ACV may help to bring down cholesterol levels.

These findings are supported by research from Coventry University's Dr Cain Clark, which found that regular consumption of ACV lowered cholesterol, external and also had "some health benefits in people with type 2 diabetes".

High cholesterol is a serious risk factor for heart health, and a recent review of data has suggested that consuming ACV can have a positive impact on several factors that contribute towards cardiovascular disease, external.

Yagnik has also conducted research on ACV. What started as an accidental home trial (feeling unwell after eating some questionable leftovers, she took a shot of ACV and felt an improvement) turned into a lab experiment.

Yagnik tested whether ACV's antimicrobial effects could fight off E. coli and MRSA.

The results were positive, suggesting that ACV was up to 90% as effective as antibiotics, external in lab conditions. Her research also supported claims that ACV can reduce inflammation.

While Yagnik is hopeful of ACV's potential in future research, she's quick to point out this doesn't mean ACV can replace antibiotics or that you should use it to treat infections.

As a fermented food, most vinegars are considered good for our gut, external.

Because of the live culture in raw apple cider vinegar, it's also thought to be a friend to our gut microbiome. But studies of the true impact on our gut are small, external and so should be read with caution.

So is the ACV juice worth the squeeze? Overall, the evidence for apple cider vinegar is mixed and modest.

All the experts we spoke to said much more research is needed before we can definitively state that ACV is beneficial for our health.

And, while some studies show promise in areas such as cholesterol reduction, the findings don't mean we can use ACV in place of prescribed medication.

Ludlam-Raine says we're better sticking to the old adage of an apple a day – "it comes with more fibre to keep your gut bacteria happy, as well as antioxidants.

"If you want to include ACV in your diet, use it in a salad dressing alongside olive oil and black pepper, rather than drinking it."

Disclaimer: If you're looking to improve a health condition, always speak to a medical professional before adapting your diet.

Originally published September 2023. Updated March 2026.

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