Apple Cider Vinegar Dosage: How Much Should You Drink?

In all of food science, few substances have provoked as much curiosity and concern as apple cider vinegar. The beverage has managed to remain relevant since the time of Hippocrates and still finds itself a frequent topic of conversation on every internet health blog.

While we do have mounting evidence supporting the health benefits of ACV, there are still some questions left unanswered. Such as how much apple cider vinegar is recommended per day, what is the best time to consume it, and what are the most beneficial intake methods.

Let’s review the literature on the matter to find satisfactory answers to all these questions.

• Our Picks: Best Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies

What Is Apple Cider Vinegar?

The fermentation of apples converts sugar to acetic acid, creating apple cider vinegar. Acetic acid is the powerhouse of apple cider vinegar. It works closely with the other rich compounds (polyphenols) to grant it the distinct health benefits it’s known for.

These include, but are not limited to, assisting weight loss, regulating glucose and blood pressure, and helping to fight various diseases. Here’s a full list of ACV’s benefits.

What Is Apple Cider Vinegar Good For?

• Aids Weight Loss & Dieting: ACV only supplies 0.1 g of carbohydrates in a single tablespoon. It has displayed much potential in weight loss and reducing waist circumference, especially in conjunction with keto diets and intermittent fasting.
• Helps Detox & Cleanse the Body: With high antimicrobial resistance, ACV is a popular detox and cleansing solution for healing the body against diseases and toxins of all kinds.
• Improves Gut Health & Digestion: ACV’s impact on the gut microbiome helps nurture the environment, improving gut health and digestion. This prevents gastrointestinal diseases like acid reflux.
• Helps Reduce Inflammation: ACV is well-equipped to handle inflammatory diseases, such as arthritis and gout, due to its antioxidant composition.
• Fights Diseases & Infections: With its high acidic composition and antimicrobial properties, ACV can treat many conditions. Whether you’re struggling with a painful UTI, a yeast infection, kidney stones, or gallstones, ACV has demonstrated some ability to help. It has even shown potential in lowering blood sugar, improving hypertension, reducing nerve pain, and seasonal allergies.
• Enhances Skin Health & Beauty Routine: Along with many anti-infective properties, ACV also has significant benefits for skin. An ACV bath, a face wash, and a hair rinse are common skincare and beauty applications of apple cider vinegar.

Apple Cider Vinegar Dosage

The bulk of ACV’s health benefits are associated with acetic acid. As per an important study, 15 ml of the acid is sufficient to mitigate severe lifestyle diseases like hypertension or neuropathy.

How much apple cider vinegar a day should you drink? For general health, experts recommend drinking 15-30 ml of apple cider vinegar diluted in a cup of water. This translates to 1-2 tablespoons of ACV per day.

Several factors can influence an effective dosage, such as past medical history, the nature of the disease, and the user’s age. The amount can also be influenced by the specific goal you’re trying to achieve.

1) As a Weight Loss Agent

The use of apple cider vinegar as a dietary supplement for aiding weight loss is now a common practice. Not only is it known to reduce body weight, but it also helps promote appetite suppression and regulate BMI.

One such clinical trial involved three participant groups, each ingesting either 0 ml, 15 ml, or 30 ml of apple cider vinegar for 12 weeks. Resultantly, both the vinegar intake groups reported a reduced waist circumference and body weight.

Another trial from 2018 also involved the ingestion of 30 ml of ACV per day, demonstrating high potency on obese and overweight participants. Many more similar trials have also concluded that diluted ACV served with a controlled portion of meals helps promote satiety.

2) To Treat Digestive Issues

High protein meals and apple cider vinegar have been shown to help digestive problems. One study concerning dietary intervention to treat gastrointestinal distress for a Parkinson’s patient provides us with valuable information.

The study specifically utilized apple cider vinegar for the treatment of GERD. A dosage of 1 to 2 tablespoons for every one ounce of water was adopted, resulting in a 50% reduction of symptoms.

Another pilot study endorses 10 ml of ACV diluted in 200 ml of water to treat constipation in patients with schizophrenia. This is roughly equivalent to 1 tablespoon of vinegar.

3) To Control Blood Sugar

Several studies have proposed that supplementing carbohydrate meals with ACV can help control the blood sugar levels during digestion. As far as the available literature on the matter is concerned, it appears that a relatively small dosage of ACV is sufficient for the job.

A 12-week study involving only 750g of acetic acid lays the groundwork for this hypothesis. ACV is at least 6% acetic acid, so 1 tablespoon of it, at minimum, would be equivalent to this quantity.

More recent studies report a decline in blood sugar levels after ingesting 20-30 ml of vinegar. High GI meals, such as bagel, chicken, or rice, are specially utilized for this purpose to control postprandial hyperglycemia.

• Read More: Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda

Can I Drink Apple Cider Vinegar Every Day?

Yes, you can drink apple cider vinegar every day. Regular ingestion over a defined period is necessary to reach the desired results. Consistent consumption is evident in the workings of most relevant research trials.

What’s most important here is that you stick to the recommended dosage and consume the vinegar at an appropriate time of the day.

What is the Best Way to Take Apple Cider Vinegar?

To reap all of vinegar’s health benefits, one way is to try an ACV honey shot. The inclusion of honey helps balance the acidity of the drink and gives it a natural flavor. The following drink recipe would be helpful to make a delicious ACV shot at home:

1. Take one cup of warm water and add the recommended dosage of ACV (1-2 tablespoons).
2. Gently stir the mixture before adding in 1 teaspoon of honey.
3. Furnish it with natural herbs and spices of your choice, such as turmeric or fresh mint. Read more about the benefits of turmeric.

Another acclaimed method is making ACV pills or ACV gummies part of your daily supplement routine. For most brands, the dosage for capsules and gummies is 2 per day, but always read the suggested serving on the bottle. If you plan on doing so, keep in mind that vinegar tablets are less effective at regulating glucose levels.

Lastly, you can make ACV a part of your everyday meals rather than separately consuming it. Either go about making the classic vinaigrette salad or pour in a few drops into your stews, vegetables, or soups. Apple cider vinegar can also serve as a marinade for meat.

• More Reading: pH of Apple Cider Vinegar

What is the Best Time to Drink Apple Cider Vinegar?

The digestive and glucose control benefits of ACV are best experienced when it is taken before or after a meal. There is no perfect answer for how to drink apple cider vinegar, but these are the most common consumption times.

Drinking ACV before bed or in the morning with breakfast depends on the kind of ailment you’re treating or the goal you hope to achieve when using apple cider vinegar.

Precautions and Adverse Effects

Apple cider vinegar, while generally very safe and well-tolerated among most individuals, may pose various side effects if certain safety precautions are neglected. Here are a few things to keep in mind for a more enjoyable experience:

• In its undiluted form, the high acidity can cause tooth erosion. Always add water.
• Always use a straw for drinking apple cider vinegar to avoid direct contact with teeth.
• ACV can lower potassium levels and increase the risk of developing hypokalemia.
• It can cause gastrointestinal distress if consuming more than the optimum dosage.
• Diabetic patients must check with a doctor before utilizing it as it is known to alter blood sugar levels.

ACV Dosage Recommendations: Final Thoughts

Bottom line is that an apple cider vinegar dosage of 15-30 ml per day is beneficial for general health and wellbeing. This value maintains the right balance between yielding the required benefits and keeping us away from potential side effects.

• Learn: Does Apple Cider Vinegar Go Bad?

If you’re struggling to treat arthritis, gout, inflammation, or looking for a reliable skin care product, you should consider the advantages of apple cider vinegar. If you’re unsure whether it can help, check with a certified medical professional for a proper consultation. ACV is not a replacement for prescription medications.