Apple cider vinegar benefits and how much you should take

The tart-tasting liquid has been promoted for accelerating weight loss, lowering blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and boosting energy. Which of the claims are backed up by science? Fortune asked two nutritional experts to dig into the evidence surrounding apple cider vinegar’s potential benefits.

The health benefits of apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar does have certain healthful properties, which are largely due to its acetic acid content. “Acetic acid is a really important metabolite in our bodies, and the only dietary source of acetic acid is vinegar,” Carol Johnston, Ph.D., professor of nutrition and associate dean in the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University, tells Fortune.

But as a cure-all, apple cider vinegar doesn’t hold up to scientific scrutiny. “We don’t have evidence to back up a lot of the claims,” says Johnston. She should know, since she’s been studying vinegar—and not just the apple cider variety—for decades.

Apple cider vinegar and blood sugar

The most “robust” evidence is for apple cider vinegar’s effects on blood sugar, Johnston says. In a 2021 review of nine studies published in BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, apple cider vinegar lowered fasting blood sugar and HbA1c (an average of blood sugar levels over three months) in people with type 2 diabetes. It also brought down their total cholesterol.

How might apple cider vinegar lower blood sugar? Three mechanisms are likely involved, says Johnston. One is by slowing stomach emptying after a meal, which delays the movement of glucose (sugar) into the bloodstream. The second is by blocking the breakdown of starch into glucose. And the third is by…