Apple cider vinegar is Victoria Beckham’s secret wellness tip, but what is it good for?
Victoria Beckham takes her wellness regime seriously, as evidenced from her difficult workout with husband David Beckham earlier this week. The fashion designer, who recently appeared in the Netflix docuseries Beckham, often shares her tips for staying fit and healthy.
Following the release of Beckham in early October, interest in Victoria’s diet and workouts skyrocketed, according to an analysis of Google search data by Bulk.com. It found a 382% surge in searches for “Victoria Beckham diet” just hours after the docuseries dropped on the streaming service.
One of Victoria’s best-known tips is drinking apple cider vinegar first thing in the morning. In 2017, she shared an Instagram Story that showed a bottle of Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar, a staple in the former Spice Girl’s pantry.
She explained that the first thing she does when she wakes up is drink two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar on an empty stomach. Victoria said she follows this up by drinking “fresh lemon squeezed into boiling water”.
Apple cider vinegar - which is made by fermenting apple juice - has been touted over the past decade as a wellness staple, and has other celebrity advocates including Katy Perry, Scarlett Johansson and Kim Kardashian. It has been claimed that the ingredient can help reduce the risk of infection, lower blood sugar levels, and aid in weight loss, among other benefits.
While there has been some small-scale research that shows apple cider vinegar does have some health advantages, experts have said there needs to be further studies on the purported benefits.
How do people take apple cider vinegar?
Like Victoria, many people who swear by the perks of apple cider vinegar drink a small amount of it diluted with water every day, most commonly in the morning before consuming any other food or drink.
However, apple cider vinegar is also a popular ingredient in dressings for salads and grain bowls, as well as in pickles and chutneys.
Apple cider vinegar products have also made their way onto the market, in the form of gummies and supplements. However, it is recommended that you research whether these products are properly regulated and check the other ingredients to ensure you are buying something truly beneficial.
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Potential benefits of apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has been said to have the following properties:
1. Fight infection
Dr Darshna Yagnik, a biomedical research lecturer from Middlesex University, conducted a study in 2021 that showed apple cider vinegar can kill E coli and MRSA in petri dishes with nearly the same efficacy as common antibiotics. While the study did not determine whether apple cider vinegar has the same effect on the human body, it has been seen as a positive result of the ingredient.
2. Lower inflammation
Dr Yagnik also carried out research on the effect of apple cider vinegar on white blood cells and suggested it could help reduce inflammation as well. She told the Guardian that this could be a result of many components in the vinegar, like enzymes and antioxidants, working together to “optimise cells, boosting their function and bring immune balance”.
For both claimed benefits, Dr Yagnik has said that further research is required before people start using apple cider vinegar to treat infections or inflammation-related diseases.
3. Lower cholesterol
Research by academics at Coventry University analysed nine existing studies on apple cider vinegar and found that regular consumption could lead to better health outcomes, according to the BBC.
Dr Cain Clark, who led the research, told the broadcaster that the evidence suggested that apple cider vinegar helped to lower cholesterol in people who drank it regularly and improved the health of patients with type 2 diabetes.
That said, he added that “further independent work - in the form of randomised controlled trials, specifically in this population - is needed to make stronger claims”.
4. Aid weight loss
Several small-scale studies have linked apple cider vinegar to helping with weight loss, but only as part of a controlled diet. However, experts have said the evidence is “not compelling” and do not recommend depending on apple cider vinegar as a weight loss tool.
Read more about nutrition and weight loss:
12 expert-approved weight loss tips good for both body and mind (Yahoo Life UK, 7-min read)
Health benefits of honey: 4 benefits and who should and shouldn't take raw honey (USA Today, 3-min read)
I want to build muscle and lose belly fat. A nutritionist said to eat more food (Insider, 4-min read)
