Does apple cider vinegar really matter?

Dr. Brian Cole is a nationally acclaimed orthopedic surgeon and doctor of sports medicine who cohosts the popular radio program Weekly sports medicine. Whether you want to know about bunions, better sleep, or running your first marathon without getting hurt, Dr. Dr can offer a take from an expert. Eric Haunschild, his research assistant, also contributes to this column. Do you have a question? Email [email protected]. The doctor is in.

Does apple cider vinegar actually do something for your body like gut, or is it just something Goop has sold us? If it’s good, how do we go about it?

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has been referred to for decades as a holistic healing all-around, and it is as popular as ever in the wellness world. Proponents of her case have been working to make the actual transcript of this statement available online. There are several benefits to reducing the risk of inflammation, weight loss, and weight loss, to name a few. And in theory, certain features of ACV suggest that these claims may have some truth to them. For example, ACV contains B-complex vitamins, which have anti-inflammatory effects in the body. But the anti-inflammatory properties of these vitamins have not been studied in the context of consuming vinegar. That’s the problem with most of the claims people make about ACV – they just aren’t proven, one way or another.

ACV also has many antioxidants, and researchers think that antioxidants may help reduce chronic disease burden as we age. However, scientific studies on antioxidants have been unintended, and there is actually no research on ACVs’ antioxidants and their effects. When it comes to the gut, it is possible that the acetic acid in ACV can help our digestion and thus alleviate the gut problems, especially as we age and produce less of our own stomach acids. In theory, adding another acid can help achieve the same thing, but whether it actually works is also, yet, not proven.

However, there are some evidence-supported, measurable physiological effects, including increased saturation: in a small study from the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2005, participants who supplemented a standard meal with ACV reported feeling more sensitive than those who did not. Another randomized controlled trial, in the Journal of Functional Foods of 2018, found that regular supplementation of two tablespoons of ACV daily for three months contributed to modest weight loss of a few pounds compared to controls. So it seems that apple cider may provide a small incentive for anyone interested in weight loss – but that is not necessarily a health benefit unless you are working towards a specific goal that you and your doctor have agreed that would be beneficial to you.

ACV has also been shown to offer a small amount of modulating blood sugar and insulin levels after eating a meal, but not so reliable that it can replace traditional treatments and medications. A recent meta-analysis in the Journal of Advanced Nursing reported that in studies evaluating more than 300 Type 2 diabetics, ACV supplementation had beneficial effects on blood sugar levels. However, most of the individual studies used small sample sizes, and although the results promised they were still fairly minimal.

If you are interested in experimenting with supplementation, it is safe to take ACV in small doses. Recommendations vary, but an ounce per day diluted in water is a safe place to start. The only noticeable side effects of overconsumption are an upset stomach and, if you take it undiluted, a sore throat or weaker tan over time. Just expect no miracle, and remember that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

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IK ‘m obsessed with my Theragun and generally all kinds of self-myofascial release, such as vibrating tear rollers. Is it possible to use tools like these too much? The Theragun feels fantastic, but it’s also pretty aggressive.

From Theraguns to Hypervolts, it seems that everyone (including myself) nowadays smells about the benefits of self-percussion therapy devices. Manufacturers claim that these devices accelerate recovery and muscle repair, improve blood and lymph flow, and reduce stiffness when used regularly before and after exercise. While some of these claims are probably too many, there is some evidence that these devices can slow down the onset of muscle wasting time – and as long as you do not find that the tool is always giving you better results than you were when you started, you are probably fine. The key here is to listen to your body, and stop when it starts to feel painful.

Most of the benefits mentioned above are anecdotal; of the above claims, the only one with scientific evidence behind it is that these devices can reduce pain after vigorous exercise. A 2014 study in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research examined delayed onset of muscle. One group received vibration therapy after exercises, and another group received regular massage therapy. Those receiving vibration therapy had a greater reduction in pain 48 hours after intensive training compared to the group of massage therapies.

If you use a percussion device, you can expect to feel some transient, mild pain over the massage area, but you need to use common sense. If you are percussing on areas that result in significant and increasing pain of a character other than simple muscle pain, then go back. These devices should only be used on muscles – other sensitive areas, such as an inflated tendon or bursa, may benefit from a gentle manual massage, but should not be aggressively percussed. Slaughtering bones has, besides being extremely painful, no benefit. With these considerations in mind, using a Theragun on tired muscles can quickly track your post-workout recovery, and as long as you pay attention to your body, there is no real risk of overuse or injury.