Does vinegar lower your blood sugar? Here's what the research suggests
- 1 Minute Read
Does vinegar with its appealing tang, possibly lower your blood sugar? Read on to learn how one or two tablespoons (15-30ml) of vinegar with meals might help people with diabetes or prediabetes lower post-meal blood sugars.
Consuming vinegar at the beginning of a high-carb meal (in a salad dressing or diluted with water) has been shown to lower post-meal blood sugars.
Several theories point to how this might work:
Most of the research done to see if vinegar will lower blood sugar was conducted using apple cider vinegar made from the juice of fermented apples. It contains 7 calories and 2g of carbohydrates per tablespoon (15 ml).
Try one to two tablespoons (15-30 ml) of diluted vinegar with water, twice a day with meals. Take the vinegar at the beginning of a meal (or incorporate it into the meal) to see how it impacts post-meal blood sugars. Another option is to pair the vinegar with one ounce (28 grams) of cheese before bed. Then test your blood sugar the next morning to see how it affects fasting blood sugar levels.
We don't know for sure. The research studies referred to above consisted of small sample sizes. More research is needed to determine if vinegar effectively compliments the gold standard of diet, exercise, and medication management of blood sugars in diabetes.
Blood sugar regulation is extremely complicated and very individualized. Therefore, if you are curious about adding vinegar to your prescribed diabetes plan, make sure to consult your doctor first.
Finally, as with any shift in lifestyle, diet, or medication, check your blood sugar more frequently when experimenting with vinegar.
Why is my blood glucose so high when I wake up?- How to lower morning blood sugar
10 Self-care strategies to manage diabetes
16 Ways managing diabetes can improve your life
This content was reviewed and updated by Brenda Braslow, MS, RDN, LDN, CDCES on September 30, 2022.
Still new to MyNetDiary? Learn more today by downloading the app for FREE.
Diabetes->Blood glucose