I’ve been hearing a lot lately about the fabu health benefits of apple cider vinegar, either in capsule form, or mixed as a drink with honey and water. Some swallow it neat, which is (imho) disgusting. I haven’t the foggiest notion how a water-based item such as vinegar sits in a gelatin capsule without dissolving it…never seen one of the beasts in person. It’s currently being touted for weight loss, without diet or exercise!!! (yeah, right.)
I have tried web searches on Google and right here on the Dope, with no luck. Those who swear by it cite references such as Dr. so-and-so who wrote a book claiming that apple cider vinegar cures everything from cancer to crabgrass. Others refer to their old gran-paw, who lived to 97 in perfect health and drank ACV every day for 105 years, according to the ancient Southern custom. I can’t find any studies that actually suggest any real benefits…or any actual studies at all.
Anybody got the straight dope? (With links?) Thanks!
I asked this once before, but it’s kinda hard to read that thread since the old vB posts are all out of chronological order. So I’ll just restate my point here:
Somebody probably figured that if vinegar cleans out crusty old coffee makers, it’ll do the same for your gut. I still think he’s nuts.
The Straight Dope is that the reason you can’t find any studies is because there aren’t any.
The Straight Dope is that apple cider vinegar is just the latest in a long line of miracle workers, tracing their lineage back to snake oil.
The Straight Dope is that none of them worked, either.
The Straight Dope is that sometimes, however, if you think eating or drinking a certain substance will make you healthier, it does. This is called the “placebo effect”.
The Straight Dope is that apple cider vinegar is just vinegar.
The Straight Dope is that if you start taking apple cider vinegar capsules every day, all the apple growers of China will love you, because that is where a lot of America’s apple juice comes from. And if the Chinese apple growers are happy, then the Chinese trade balance is happy. And if the Chinese trade balance is happy, then Dubya will have nothing to bargain with, and the Chinese will have no incentive to release our captured flyers.
So if you start taking apple cider vinegar capsules every day, you would actually be contributing to the imprisonment of brave Americans at the hands of the dastardly, inscrutable Chinese apple growers, and you should be ashamed of yourself.
Boycott Chinese apple products! Let my people go!
[this post was brought to you by the Washington State Apple Commission, and is available in a special format for the sarcasm-impaired–see the Straight Dope Home Page]
You know, I actually like vinegar. Pickle juice is really tasty, and apple cider vinegar even better. I’ve done that “mix it with water and honey” thing… yum!
Oh- it could, possibly, be healthy? Bonus! I was going to drink it anyway- especially now that the spy plane crew are going to be released anyway.
