# Why Does Vinegar Make Me Sweat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 5, 2005, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vinegar-make-me-sweat/334139 "2005-12-05T06:05:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vinegar-make-me-sweat/334139/1 "2005-12-05T06:05:04Z")
I did a search on “vinegar sweat” but couldn’t find anything here. So, can any one explain why, when I eat anything with a good amount of vinegar in it (ketchup, Italian dressing, various vinegarettes, etc.) I break into a sweat? FWIW, this never happened in my teen years, but from my mid-twenties on, these things make me sweat … head/hair only, not armpits or any other part of my body, just the head? ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vinegar-make-me-sweat/334139/2 "2005-12-05T06:24:11Z")
Not sure what the cause, but my father also sweated whenever he ate vinegar or hot spices. It got to the point that he would break out in a sweat walking down the vinegar isle at the supermarket. Many jokes about and comparsions to Pavlov’s dogs was done around our dinner table. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vinegar-make-me-sweat/334139/3 "2005-12-06T22:12:03Z")
Just doing my one allotted bump to see if there is anyone else out there with a take on this, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vinegar-make-me-sweat/334139/4 "2005-12-06T22:53:45Z")
Can allergies do this? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vinegar-make-me-sweat/334139/5 "2005-12-07T00:19:22Z")
Googling vinegar and digestion or vinegar and breakdown products was singularly unhelpful. But one suggestion might be that it is not the vinegar itself but its natural acidity causing breakdown products in other foodstuffs, especially fats, which cause the reaction. The body is trying to flush out excesses of various organic chemicals broken down prematurely by their admixture with vinegar. A second possibility is the acetyl and acetate groups which are derivatives to vinegar; a sensitivity to them may be significant. Nicotinic and glutamic acid derivatives, for example, tend to induce flushing and sweating in nearly everybody, but my own reaction to them is unusually strong. These are purely hypotheses garnered from reviewing some Googled pages, so I don’t offer them as the Straight Dope but merely leads towards a possible answer. ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vinegar-make-me-sweat/334139/6 "2005-12-07T03:31:40Z")
Well, whatever it is, I do thank you for the input. Maybe I’ve just developed some kind of allergy to vinegar. Weird. ---
**Author:** ![Einshpead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Einshpead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Einshpead)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vinegar-make-me-sweat/334139/7 "2012-01-11T01:12:11Z")
The vinegar eccelerates the Krebs cycle. Do your own research for the Krebs cycle. You are not allergic to vinegar. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vinegar-make-me-sweat/334139/8 "2012-01-11T01:20:40Z")
> [@Einshpead](#): > > The vinegar eccelerates the Krebs cycle. Do your own research for the Krebs cycle. You are not allergic to vinegar. I am not sure answer is that helpful to anyone. The OP passed away suddenly a few years ago (not a joke). ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vinegar-make-me-sweat/334139/9 "2012-01-11T01:31:26Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I am not sure answer is that helpful to anyone. The OP passed away suddenly a few years ago (not a joke). I remember, LoaP tended to make very interesting posts. I still say we need some sort of custom title to indicate someone no longer with us other than banned. ---
**Author:** ![Mewl\_Dear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mewl\_Dear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mewl_Dear)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vinegar-make-me-sweat/334139/10 "2012-01-11T01:38:54Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > I remember, LoaP tended to make very interesting posts. > > I still say we need some sort of custom title to indicate someone no longer with us other than banned. Change the user name to DeadOnAPlane. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vinegar-make-me-sweat/334139/11 "2012-01-11T01:41:10Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > I remember, LoaP tended to make very interesting posts. > > I still say we need some sort of custom title to indicate someone no longer with us other than banned. Not that it would have stopped someone from bumping a 6 year old zombie thread to make a rude (IMO) comment. ---
**Author:** ![Mewl\_Dear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mewl\_Dear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mewl_Dear)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vinegar-make-me-sweat/334139/12 "2012-01-11T01:47:39Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Not that it would have stopped someone from bumping a 6 year old zombie thread to make a rude (IMO) comment. I did not bump it joey. Pay attention. ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vinegar-make-me-sweat/334139/13 "2012-01-11T01:49:16Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Not that it would have stopped someone from bumping a 6 year old zombie thread to make a rude (IMO) comment. A rude and inaccurate comment - I don’t see why ecceleration (sic) of the Krebs cycle would cause your head to sweat. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vinegar-make-me-sweat/334139/14 "2012-01-11T01:59:18Z")
> [@Mewl\_Dear](#): > > I did not bump it joey. > Pay attention. I wasn’t talking to you. I was talking about the person who bumped the thread…ya know, like I said in my post. Pay attention. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vinegar-make-me-sweat/334139/15 "2012-01-11T02:08:13Z")
Well, in memory of **LoaP** , [here is some information on “gustatory sweating”](http://www.ajcn.org/content/31/2/307.full.pdf). Essentially it is a cross-innervation of the head’s sweat glands with branches of nerves that usually trigger salivation. It can be normal (I for example have to wipe my head constantly when eating hot-spicy foods … which I love) but also occurs on occasion after surgery to the parotid (the main salivary) gland, after surgery to cervical nerves, and as a consequence of diabetic nerve damage. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vinegar-make-me-sweat/334139/16 "2012-01-11T02:12:24Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Well, in memory of **LoaP** , [here is some information on “gustatory sweating”](http://www.ajcn.org/content/31/2/307.full.pdf). > > Essentially it is a cross-innervation of the head’s sweat glands with branches of nerves that usually trigger salivation. It can be normal (I for example have to wipe my head constantly when eating hot-spicy foods … which I love) but also occurs on occasion after surgery to the parotid (the main salivary) gland, after surgery to cervical nerves, and as a consequence of diabetic nerve damage. Thx for this post. This is what General Questions was designed for. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vinegar-make-me-sweat/334139/17 "2012-01-11T02:51:51Z")
Interesting. I too notice sweat forming on my top lip when eating sharp vinegary foods such as pickled onions or salt and vinegar crisps. Even just typing that sentence is triggering the tongue-tingle and lip-sweat, in fact. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vinegar-make-me-sweat/334139/18 "2012-01-11T03:56:59Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Interesting. I too notice sweat forming on my top lip when eating sharp vinegary foods such as pickled onions or salt and vinegar crisps. Even just typing that sentence is triggering the tongue-tingle and lip-sweat, in fact. Acidic foods don’t trigger this in me, just hot foods like adding pickled jalapenos to a sandwich, or mrAru sneaking a chile pequin in a pot of chili. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vinegar-make-me-sweat/334139/19 "2012-01-11T04:37:47Z")
May I say, vinegar makes me sweat too, quite a bit: not just on my lip, but my whole face, especially around my eyes, or so it seems. I enjoy the taste of it, and I do not think this used to happen when I was younger. I hope this effect is not deadly! The claim about the Krebs cycle seems a bit dubious to me. That is a basic part of cellular metabolism, and is surely well regulated. It is not going to be upset by anything as simple as a little bit of acetic acid (which probably does not reach the cells in that form anyway). Also, if it does accelerate the Krebs cycle, we have probably discovered the secret to losing weight without diet or exercise! (It can’t be that easy.) According to [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_cider_vinegar), there is some evidence that acetic acid > [@](#): > > upregulates the expression of genes for fatty acid oxidation enzymes in the liver causing a suppression in body fat accumulation. However, even if true, that is going to be a relatively long term effect, not something that will cause sweating as the vinegar is consumed. I think the sweating has got to be some sort of direct reaction to the acidic taste, not something fundamentally metabolic. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Niply\_Elder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@The\_Niply\_Elder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Niply_Elder)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vinegar-make-me-sweat/334139/20 "2012-01-11T08:22:14Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Well, in memory of **LoaP** , [here is some information on “gustatory sweating”](http://www.ajcn.org/content/31/2/307.full.pdf). > > Essentially it is a cross-innervation of the head’s sweat glands with branches of nerves that usually trigger salivation. It can be normal (I for example have to wipe my head constantly when eating hot-spicy foods … which I love) but also occurs on occasion after surgery to the parotid (the main salivary) gland, after surgery to cervical nerves, and as a consequence of diabetic nerve damage. Thank you. This is supremely informative as I have a coworker who suffers from this condition. Every other Friday in our work bike club we ride downtown to take an extended lunch. Up until recently his profuse face sweating after stuffing his face with the second bite would induce great big blood-tear-sized drops to form on his forehead and cheeks, and it was nothing but amusing for all of us… This article makes quite a bit of sense since he told me that back in middle school he was a chubby kid, so the diabetic connection totally makes sense. I will have to tactfully give him a heads up about this to get himself check for adult type II diabetes. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vinegar-make-me-sweat/334139.md?page=2)