I’ve heard anecdotes about the beneficial effects of vinegar ingestion at bedtime. Now, I stumbled over a study that confirms these anecdotes.

Study setup

In their pilot study, they used (a mere) 11 type 2 diabetics who didn’t need insulin yet. The patients were averaging 5 years of being diagnosed as diabetic

During the studies, the patients recorded their diets and fasting glucose was measured 3 days in a row. After this calibration phase, they started to supplement with 2 Tbsp. of apple cider vinegar or water with some cheese. During this phase, the patients were on a standardized meal plan, designed to reflect the patients’ typical diets.

Outcome

After supplementing with apple cider vinegar for a couple of days, the fasting glucose was reduced by 6%. This is a rather outstanding effect in my opinion, as the remaining diet remained unchanged. Another interesting note is that even the placebo had minimal positive effects on the fasting glucose. Simply believing you receive help is a tremendous health booster.

Why does this matter?

This matters, in my opinion, because vinegar is available almost anywhere and everywhere. Even high-quality apple cider vinegar is affordable. The cost/health effect is very positive and rather easy to implement in your diet.

While using apple cider vinegar as a form of medication isn’t solving the problem of anyone’s type 2 diabetes, it’s one easy first step to reverse as much of the illness as is possible. Vinegar, especially in these little quantities, has no side effects and is cheaper as the standard medication, like metformin, for type 2 diabetes patients.

Pre-meal vinegar

Vinegar can be used to manipulate the glycemic load even further. There are studies that looked into the effects of vinegar ingestions prior or with meals.

During these studies, the researchers showed a significant reduction of the glycemic response in the body. This was particularly true for meals with a high glycemic load or rather high glycemic index (such as white rice). The study was done in Japan, hence the usage of white rice. This is still relevant for people outside of Japan, as many people eat rice.

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As a side note: sushi rice is commonly prepared with vinegar and thus decreases the GI load by this traditional preparation method. Part of the carbohydrates in cooked and cooled rice turns into resistant starch, which cannot be digested. This decreases the GI load even further.

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Other studies showed a decrease in the glycemic response with a salad, using oil and vinegar as dressing. The (few) test subjects had bread with some of the salads and they showed a decreased response in the body.

In yet another study to look for ways to decrease the glycemic response, researcher used both vinegar and peanuts. Both sources were able to reduce the glycemic response in foods with a high glycemic load (bagel and juice, chicken and rice).

What’s it matter to you

Even if you aren’t insulin resistant or don’t have type 2 diabetes (yet), you might use vinegar as an easy health hack.

• Add vinegar to your meals to decrease the glycemic response.
• Adding acid to your dishes will most likely also enhance the flavour. You might want to add many colours to your dish too. 
• Have 2 Tbsp. of apple cider vinegar before a carb-heavy meal. You can dilute it with water
• Have 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar at night before bed. You can dilute it with water. Make sure to brush your teeth afterwards.

If you have a blood glucose meter at your disposal you can test your responses. Let me know how this works for you and share this article with your friends.

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This article is part of the Short Tao series. These are posts, articles, reviews and similar content, provided to you in a short and easy to digest format. This means, I cut to the chase quickly and aim to make it as short and informative as possible. The content, especially when it comes to science, is up to date when I publish it, but times change. So, if anything you read here has been seen changes, make sure to let me know. Ultimately, this is for your entertainment and education. Comment below to share your thoughts and make sure to let your friends know of this information too – it could change lives.