Apple cider vinegar gummies are everywhere. They’re convenient, sweet, and they claim to help you improve overall health.
But are the claims of weight loss, low blood sugar and increased energy actually proven?
Dr. Michelle Udayamurthy with Kelsey-Seybold said the benefits of the supplement, in liquid form, show evidence that it can help with blood sugar.
But when it comes to actual weight loss and boosted energy, it appears water intake after downing apple cider vinegar may be the actual reason people are seeing those results.
“There was a study -- it wasn’t super validated -- which said it might promote weight loss,” she said. “I don’t know if it was just the result of people drinking more water with the vinegar because a lot of people, what they do is...if they drink it, it doesn’t have the most pleasant taste. So they’ll drink extra water to try and dilute it. So it’s kind of hard to say what’s causing the weight loss there. "
Increased hydration may also account for reports of increased energy. As for the difference between drinking apple cider vinegar and chewing it in gummy form, there’s actually less of the vinegar per dose.
But, on the plus side, you could see health benefits from the supplements added by the manufacturer.
“The gummies in particular are a little tricky. They don’t actually contain a whole lot of apple cider vinegar in each gummy, so if you’re going for all the health benefits of apple cider vinegar, drinking the liquid form would be more beneficial,” Dr. Udayamurthy said. “But the gummies, depending on the formula you get, can have B-vitamins and antioxidants and those things can make you feel better too.”
Dr. Udayamurthy said her best advice for better health is to eat a healthy, balanced diet. The one supplement she recommends is vitamin D3, something most Americans don’t get enough of through diet alone.