Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple vinegar

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Fasting glucose in type 2 diabetes¹ Glycated hemoglobin² Total cholesterol³ Body weight and body mass index⁴	Raw or unpasteurized products⁵ Pregnancy or breastfeeding⁶

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is fermented apple juice whose main active component, acetic acid, slows gastric emptying and increases satiety⁵. People take it for glucose control in type 2 diabetes, for cholesterol, and for weight loss. The typical patient is an adult with type 2 diabetes, excess weight, or elevated lipids^{1, 4}.

Meta-analyses of randomized trials found lower fasting glucose and glycated hemoglobin in type 2 diabetes^{1, 3}. They also found a small fall in total cholesterol^{2, 3}. Short courses lowered body weight and body mass index in adults with excess weight⁴. A systematic review judged the overall evidence insufficient because of study quality⁷. In a 2025 evaluation of reflux products sold on an online retailer, the evidence for ACV in gastroesophageal reflux disease was graded insufficient⁸. Products come as capsules, tablets, gummies, and liquids; tablets tested varied widely in acidity and label claims⁹. See Form comparison.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center links unpasteurized apple products, including raw ACV, to E. coli and Cryptosporidium outbreaks, and advises avoiding raw products⁵. Because ACV lowers glucose, Health Canada labels ask people with diabetes to consult a health care practitioner before use¹⁰.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

45 sources, 31 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources