The Sour Power of Vinegar

              Vinegar has always been a hot topic in traditional medicine; it is common to hear people drinking vinegar to improve digestion, reduce cholesterol and other purposes. This ingredient is common to many households, but do we really know how vinegar is made? This liquid is simply an “old alcoholic beverage”; the sugars are first broken down through fermentation to form an alcohol, then the alcohol is oxidized to finally make this acidic substance we call vinegar. This is why the names of most vinegars are derivatives of alcohol: white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, rice wine vinegar, etc.

           Who would have thought adding acid to an acidic environment in your body would derive benefits. It is found that consuming vinegar would greatly reduce the gastric emptying rate of an individual¹, which means food will stay in your stomach for a longer period of time, preventing  large spikes in glucose levels. This is the reason why vinegar is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of diabetes. Diabetes comes when your blood glucose levels are too high, and can lead to health complications like heart disease or stroke.

           Diabetes can come in two forms: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 is diagnosed when your body does not produce insulin, the hormone which is vital for allowing your cells to absorb the glucose from your blood. The more common form is type 2, where the body’s reception to insulin is not favourable. Both types cause the body to have either high or low blood sugar which can make it tricky to manage, which is why some opt to include vinegar in their diet to avoid negative reactions in their body.

           On the topic of picking which vinegar to choose, it is optimal to pick the product with a higher concentration of organic acids. The Black Raspberry Vinegar has long been the preferred traditional medicine among Koreans, with high concentrations of acetic acid and citric acid¹. Ellagic acid is also present in this vinegar and it is found to have alleviated weight loss, elevated plasma insulin and decreased plasma glucose levels in diabetic mice².

           Including vinegar in our diet, especially before meals is definitely something everyone can consider. Avoiding spikes in our blood glucose can prevent your body from inhibiting insulin from functioning normally. After trying different types of vinegar, the Black Raspberry Vinegar is still our top choice when it comes to its health benefits and taste, just remember to have it before you start feasting.

Reference list

1. Park, S. Y., Chae, K. S., Son, R. H., Jung, J. H., Im, Y. R., & Kwon, J. W. (2012). Quality characteristics and antioxidant activity of bokbunja (black raspberry) vinegars. Food Engineering Progress.
2. Chao, P. C., Hsu, C. C., & Yin, M. C. (2009). Anti-inflammatory and anti-coagulatory activities of caffeic acid and ellagic acid in cardiac tissue of diabetic mice. Nutrition & metabolism, 6(1), 33.

The information contained in the post is for general purpose only and should not be considered as medical advice.