Is Apple Cider Vinegar Detox Good for Weight Loss?
Benefits. How To Do. Recipe. Side Effects.
Medical Fact Checked by: Dr. Bryan Havoc
The use of apple cider vinegar dates back thousands of years, making it an extremely popular ingredient health-conscious people incorporate into their diet. It’s become so popular that people are even doing detox diets with apple cider vinegar being the main ingredient. You may be wondering, is apple cider vinegar good for you? If it is, what is apple cider vinegar good for? Does apple cider vinegar help you lose weight? From apple cider vinegar drink recipes to why raw apple cider vinegar is better, we’ll be covering all the facts so this superfood is no longer a mystery to you.
What is An Apple Cider Vinegar Detox?
An apple cider vinegar detox involves detoxing the body by consuming apple cider vinegar. There are more ways to use this ingredient than in your salad dressing. Apple cider vinegar has medicinal uses thanks to their unique properties. But it’s important to point out that you shouldn’t use any type of apple cider vinegar. It’s best to use raw apple cider vinegar since it contains what is referred to as “the mother”. It may look foggier than filtered apple cider vinegar, but this is where the best health benefits of this superfood come from.
Benefits of Using Apple Cider Vinegar for Detoxing
What is apple cider vinegar (aka ACV) good for exactly? There’s a reason why people have been using ACV for hundreds of years. You can choose to drink apple cider vinegar and you can also apply it to your skin for other amazing benefits. The benefits of apple cider vinegar are the following:
- It helps regulate weight
- Improved potassium absorption
- ACV is rich in enzymes
- It promotes a healthy immune system
- It benefits the digestive system
- Improve the body’s pH balance with regular ACV consumption
- “The mother” provides the gut with healthy bacteria for effective functionality
- Soothes skin irritation
- It tones skin naturally
- You can use ACV to heal acne & reduce scarring
- Jumpstart your metabolism when you drink ACV in the morning
Aside from the benefits we listed, there are people who strongly believe that apple cider vinegar has the ability to suppress appetite and promote fat burning. There is scientific research that suggests ACV has beneficial effects when used daily when it comes to keeping high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes under control.
How Does Apple Cider Vinegar Detox Your Body?
There are several ways apple cider vinegar liver detox works in your body. The main things ACV does to your body is detoxifies & promotes weight loss. Since the body already naturally detoxes itself, ACV comes in to help improve the functions around it so these functions are effective. Acetic acid is the fatty acid present in apple cider vinegar that is known to help detox & promote weight loss. Here are the ways it can help:
- By lowering blood sugar levels, the liver & muscles are able to better absorb sugar within the blood.
- With decreased insulin levels, the body’s ability to burn fat is improved.
- A study shows that acetic acid helps boost AMPK levels, an enzyme responsible for preventing the liver’s fat & sugar production.
- It is suggested that acid acetate can help suppress appetite, which contributes to less caloric intake and decreased fat production.
How to Detox Your Body With Apple Cider Vinegar
If you’re wondering how to use apple cider vinegar for weight loss, you can choose to follow the study above and drink anywhere from 1-2 tablespoons per day. However, there are many more ways you can approach this detox plan. While apple cider vinegar shots are a popular way people drink this superfood, it can be uncomfortable and leave your throat feeling acidic. Are you interested in how to make apple cider vinegar detox drink? We’ll be going over some recipes for you soon so you can try out some better, more palatable methods on how to take apple cider vinegar.
If you can’t stand the taste of apple cider vinegar, then you can consider buying some apple cider vinegar detox pills. They will be easier to take on a daily basis. However, it is important to point out that the supplemental version of apple cider vinegar may not be as effective. Like we mentioned earlier, “the mother” present in raw apple cider vinegar provides plenty of the important benefits you want.
How Much Apple Cider Vinegar Should I Drink to Detox?
There are different ways to incorporate apple cider vinegar into your daily routine. The standard apple cider vinegar detox diet calls for anywhere from 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar mixed with 8 ounces of water up to 3 times per day. Preferably you would drink this detox water once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and one more time before bed. This can be done for 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, and without any restraints. Just make sure you don’t drink this more than 3 times per day so you don’t end up consuming too much apple cider vinegar.
You can choose to go on an apple cider vinegar 3 day detox if you don’t want to commit to a long-term plan. You can choose to do this detox every week, every other week, or once per month to regularly detoxify your body and promote a healthy immune & digestive system.
If you’re serious about using apple cider vinegar for weight loss, long term use is suggested to get the best results possible.
It is known that ACV is safe enough to consume on a daily basis without any health repercussions, so you don’t need to worry so much about negative effects it may have on your body.
Try This: Apple Cider Vinegar Detox Bath
If you’re interested in the benefits apple cider vinegar has for your skin, then you should try having an apple cider vinegar detox bath. It’s really simple and can help with many different skin problems. This is because ACV naturally has antimicrobial properties that are known to ease eczema, rashing, irritation, skin infections, dandruff, acne, and more.
How to take an apple cider vinegar detox bath:
- First fill your tub with warm water
- Add up to two cups of raw apple cider vinegar
- Agitate for an even distribution
- Take a bath in the water for no more than 20 minutes
- Drain the tub and rinse off, preferably without soap
- Apple Cider Vinegar Detox Recipes
- Does the plain apple cider vinegar detox water bore you? Then you should try out these delicious homemade detox drinks with apple cider vinegar.
Apple Cider Vinegar and Lemon Juice Detox
One of the most popular detox drinks is the lemon apple cider vinegar detox drink. Here’s what you need:
- 1 cup of water
- 1-2 tablespoons of ACV
- 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- A pinch of cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of organic honey
Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda
If the apple cider vinegar feels too acidic in the back of your throat or in your stomach, consider adding some baking soda to help balance the pH of the vinegar. Here’s a simple recipe to try:
- 1 cup of water
- 1-2 tablespoons of ACV
- ¼ teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of organic honey
Apple Cider Vinegar Detox Tea
You can add apple cider vinegar to any of your favorite teas for even more health benefits.
- 1 cup of your desired tea, we suggest green tea or ginger tea
- 1 tablespoon of ACV
- Organic honey or sugar to taste
What You Need to Know About Apple Cider Vinegar Detox
Now that you know how to drink apple cider vinegar for weight loss and detoxification, there may still be more you want to know. Before you go on an apple cider vinegar detox, make sure you talk with your doctor about whether you are healthy enough to go on an apple cider vinegar cleanse. Here we’ll be answering some common questions people have about apple cider vinegar so you can feel more at ease.
How Much Weight Can You Lose Drinking Apple Cider Vinegar?
The amount of weight you can lose by drinking apple cider vinegar depends on many factors. While drinking ACV alone is beneficial, it’s best to pair it with a healthy lifestyle to get the most benefits possible. To give you an idea, we’ll share with you the results of a Japanese study:
144 overweight Japanese adults consumed 1 to 2 tablespoons of either vinegar or a placebo. They were told to follow their regular diet during this study. The results were that those who drank 1 tablespoon of vinegar lost approximately 2.6 pounds & 0.7% body fat while those who drank 2 tablespoons of vinegar lost approximately 3.7 pounds and 0.9% body fat. The group who was given the placebo didn’t lose any weight and actually put on an average of 0.9 pounds during this study.
According to the study, if you drink apple cider vinegar without making any changes to your diet, you can expect to lose weight slowly. If you pair it with exercise and a healthy diet free of processed foods and reduced calories, you can expect to lose more weight. You should also consider that the more fat you have on your body, the easier it will be to lose more weight as well.
Can I Drink Apple Cider Vinegar Everyday?
As long as you don’t drink more than 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar 3 times per day, you can drink apple cider vinegar every day without any problems. When you first start drinking ACV, you can start with smaller amounts & frequency to get a feel for how your body reacts to it. There are normal symptoms your body has when you go on an apple cider vinegar detox which we will share later on.
What are the Dangers of Drinking Apple Cider Vinegar?
There are certain negatives to drinking apple cider vinegar. This is why we suggest that you consult with your doctor before going on an apple cider vinegar detox diet. The first mentionable thing is that you should always dilute apple cider vinegar with water. Remember when we mentioned how uncomfortable apple cider vinegar shots can be? It’s pure form is very acidic and can even erode your enamel. Make sure to rinse your mouth after drinking ACV so it doesn’t have a negative effect on your teeth.
Apple cider vinegar is known to have certain interactions with medications & supplements. Ask your doctor about the possible effects ACV may have with your prescriptions. Take special care if you regularly take diuretic supplements or have an insulin prescription.
Taking apple cider vinegar on an empty stomach can make you feel discomfort. You may feel nauseous or queezey. We suggest you drink apple cider vinegar with a light & healthy breakfast to prevent this from happening. We also emphasize that you don’t drink too much apple cider vinegar since the acidity can throw off your body’s pH balance if you don’t regulate your consumption.
Normal Side Effects of Apple Cider Vinegar Detox
If you experience some weird side effects when you start drinking apple cider vinegar, have no fear. Here are some side effects you can have when you go on an apple cider vinegar detox diet.
- Improved blood sugar levels
- Neutralized body odor
- Improved weight loss
- More trips to the bathroom
- Decreased fat production
- Boosted metabolism
Some negative side effects that mean you’re drinking or applying too much apple cider vinegar include:
- Tooth decay
- Upset stomach & nausea
- Sore throat
- Chemical burn on your skin
- Unwanted interactions with medications
- Fatigue from low potassium levels
- Higher risk of Hypoglycemia for insulin users
If you are experiencing undesired effects from apple cider vinegar, then decrease the amount you are using or stop using it entirely. There are other ways to detox your body & promote weight loss (just check out our other blog posts to learn other detox methods!).
The Takeaway: Apple Cider Vinegar is a Safe Addition to Any Routine
Apple cider vinegar is popular for a reason. It has been found to be quite effective both internally and externally. The most important parts of the apple cider vinegar detox are summed up to these two points:
- Always choose organic, raw apple cider vinegar so you can get the benefits from “the mother”
- Never drink or apply apple cider vinegar without diluting it with water beforehand to prevent negative effects
As long as you get the ok from your doctor and follow our 2 important points, then you are in the clear to go on a successful apple cider vinegar detox!
*This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment.