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Touted as a superfood and a cure for a range of conditions, apple cider vinegar has long been hyped among social media users and wellness gurus.
AnApril 23 Facebook postthat garnered over 600 shares in twodays suggests mixing baking soda, apple cider vinegar and lemon juice to lose weight.
A 2021 Facebook video that accumulated 2.5 million views is also recirculating, purporting to offer the "best apple cider vinegar drink recipe for weight loss."
"Apple Cider Vinegar is often touted as a super elixir, capable of aiding in weight loss and improving health conditions," reads text accompanying the video, which has also been shared nearly 40,000 times.
But there is limited scientific evidence that apple cider vinegar can help with weight loss, according to experts who spoke with USA TODAY. Human studies on apple cider vinegar for weight loss have not demonstrated consistent or convincing results.
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USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook userswho shared the claim for comment.
There is not enough research to declare apple cider vinegar a weight-loss tool, experts say.
"The evidence is not clear," said Carol S. Johnston, a professor of nutrition and associate dean of the nutrition program atArizona State University. "Research does not show a benefit with weight loss in humans."
Johnston pointed to studies of rodents that revealacetic acid, the main active ingredient in apple cider vinegar, can modify fat oxidation and metabolic abnormalities in obese mice and rats.
"If you can enhance fat oxidation,it will help with the loss of fat," said Johnston. "I do think there could be a potential for vinegar slowing weight gain perhaps over time or contributing to weight loss."
Another study involving ratspublished in 2019in Bioscience Research discovered apple cider vinegar can be used as a "functional beverage that regulates body weight ... (and) atherogenic risk related to obesity." This strategycan be a beneficial technique for weight loss and obesity prevention, according to the study.
But little research has been conductedon the effects of apple cider vinegar on weight lossin humans, and somestudies have been inconclusive.
The most cited study was conductedin 2009 with 175 overweight Japanese subjects. Participants were given one or two tablespoons of vinegar daily or no vinegar at all. After 12 weeks, those whoconsumed vinegar had a modest weight loss of 2 to 4 pounds.
Johnston said the study did not show sufficient weight lossbecause the participants' weight fluctuated by so little.
"Tosee significant weight loss after 12 weeks, you could just be seeing a hydration issue where they're not holding as much body water."
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A study published in 2018yielded similarly minimal results and had a much smaller sample size. A total of39 participantswho followed a low-calorie dietwith apple cider vinegarfor 12 weeks lost 3 to 4 pounds andhad a lowerbody mass index.
In addition to having unproven benefits, experts say regular vinegar consumption carries some risk.
A2016study of vinegarin the journal Food Sciencerevealed the high acidity in apple cider vinegar can cause tooth decay and throat irritation if ingested undiluted in large amounts.
"There's plenty of ways touse (apple cider vinegar) and adddelicious flavors to your meals," said Wesley McWhorter, director of the Nourish Program at the Dell Center for Healthy Living at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
But McWhorter saidnot to expect apple cider vinegarto solveweight loss issues.
"To say adding it into your drink is going to solve all of your dietary problems is just not accurate," he said.
Based on our research, we rate MISSING CONTEXTthe claim that consuming apple cider vinegar helps with weight loss. There is nostrongevidence thatapple cider vinegar is effective in spurringweight loss. Clinical studies have hadsmall sample sizes and shown inconsistent findings across participants who have taken apple cider vinegar to lose weight.
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Fact check: No convincing proof that apple cider vinegar helps with weight loss - USA TODAY
