Weight-management kitchen
Apple Cider Vinegar Tonic
Please read: These are everyday recipes and drinks that fit a balanced eating pattern. No food, drink or supplement here causes weight loss on its own, and we make no promise of any result. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before changing your diet, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, take medicine (such as diabetes or blood-pressure medicine) or have a medical condition.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) raw apple cider vinegar
- 8–10 fl oz (240–300 ml) cool water
- Optional: 1 tsp lemon juice and ½ tsp honey
Step by step
- Pour the water into a tall glass first.
- Add the vinegar (always diluted, never straight).
- Stir in lemon and honey if using.
- Sip with a meal, through a straw to protect your teeth.
Traditional and historical use
Vinegar has been used in kitchens and households since antiquity; Hippocrates is said to have mixed vinegar with honey (oxymel), and Culpeper's 1653 herbal is full of vinegar preparations.
What modern research says
A few small human studies have looked at vinegar and blood sugar or appetite after meals, with modest, short-term findings. There is no strong evidence that it causes meaningful weight loss.
Safety notes
- Always dilute; undiluted vinegar can burn the throat and erode tooth enamel.
- Large amounts over time may lower potassium.
- Talk to your doctor if you take diabetes medicine, diuretics or digoxin.