THE STUDIES AND SCIENCE BEHIND GOLI

Weight Management

Scientific studies have shown that those who consumed ACV experienced better weight management compared to those who did not consume ACV.

Goli - Weight Management Study 1

In one randomized trial (Kondo et al, 2009) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19661687 175 individuals who were overweight were randomized to one of three groups – 1500mg daily of ACV, 750mg daily of ACV, OR no ACV – i.e. placebo. The intervention phase lasted 12 weeks. There were significantly BETTER outcomes in both ACV groups compared to the placebo (no ACV) group in weight, waist circumference, and body mass index (BMI) at 12 weeks.

IMPORTANT FINDING: The groups taking a daily dose of ACV had significantly greater weight loss than the no ACV group.

IMPORTANT FINDING: 4 weeks after the intervention was discontinued body weight, BMI and waist circumference returned to baseline (i.e. back to what it was before the intervention). This finding led the researchers to state ‘continuous administration of vinegar is necessary to maintain the positive effects found’.

NOTE: There has been some criticism of this study’s findings in the non-scientific literature regarding the amount of weight loss reported for the ACV group compared to the placebo group. We point out to the reader that the weight loss was over and above that found in the control group; and, was not explained by differences in dietary intake between the groups.

Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19661687

(Kondo T, Kishi Mi, Fushimi T, Ugajin S, Kaga T. Vinegar Intake Reduces Body Weight, Body Fat Mass, and Serum Triglyceride Levels in Obese Japanese Subjects. Biosci, Biotechnol, Biochem. 2009; 73 (8): 1837-1843)

Goli - Weight Management Study 2

In this randomized trial (Khezri et al, 2018) on 39 individuals who were overweight https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1756464618300483 the experimental group received 30ml/d of ACV (15ml at lunch and 15ml at supper) and a restricted diet while the control group received a restricted diet only. At 12 weeks there was significant weight loss in both groups as compared to baseline (start of the study). The group comparison between the ACV group and control group at 12 weeks showed a significantly greater reduction in weight loss in favour of the ACV group.

Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1756464618300483

(Khezri S. S., Saidpour A, Hosseinzadeh N, Amiri Z. Beneficial effects of Apple Cider Vinegar on weight management, Visceral Adiposity Index and lipid profile in overweight or obese subjects receiving restricted calorie diet: A randomized clinical trial. Journal of Functional Foods. 2018; 43: 95-102)

IMPORTANT FINDING: The group taking the daily dose of ACV while on a restricted diet had significantly greater weight loss than the group on the restricted diet alone. This finding is especially important given that both groups lost weight on the diet suggesting that ACV with diet is more effective than diet alone.

Curbs Appetite

In 2018 a randomized study was conducted on two separate groups undergoing a restrictive diet, in order to investigate the effects of apple cider vinegar on appetite.

Goli - Curb Appetite Study 1

In this randomized trial (Khezri et al, 2018) individuals who were overweight were randomized to one of two groups: 39 completed the full protocol. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1756464618300483 The experimental group received 30ml/d of ACV and a restricted diet while the control group received a restricted diet only. After 12 weeks there was a significant decrease in appetite (as assessed using a standardized assessment) in the ACV group as compared to the control group.

IMPORTANT FINDING: Given that both groups were placed on a calorie restricted diet this finding suggests that the use of ACV is helpful for individuals who, when dieting or restricting caloric intake, are looking for a way to curb their appetite and feel less hungry.

Goli - Curb Appetite Study 2

In a randomized crossover study (Östman et al, 2005) https://www.nature.com/articles/1602197?proof=true&platform=oscar&draft=collection on healthy individuals (n=12) who acted as their own controls, ratings of satiation (feeling full) were compared at various times after meals when the individual had ingested various amounts of vinegar (18, 23, or 28 mmol) vs after a meal with no vinegar (0mmol). The meal with no vinegar resulted in the poorest rating of satiation (feeling full). A significant dose relation was found between satiety and the acetic content of the meal such that the greater the dose of vinegar, the higher the score related to feeling full. These effects continued to be seen up to 120 minutes after eating.

IMPORTANT FINDING: Vinegar use with meals resulted in a greater feeling of fullness. The results suggest that the use of vinegar is helpful for individuals who are looking for a way to curb their appetite and feel less hungry. The study’s findings are especially interesting given that individuals acted as their own controls, thus reducing much of the variability typically seen between people in terms of their perception of hunger in different situations.

https://www.nature.com/articles/1602197?proof=true&platform=oscar&draft=collection

(Östman E, Granfeldt Y, Persson L, Björck I. Vinegar supplementation lowers glucose and insulin responses and increases satiety after a bread meal in healthy subjects. European Journal Of Clinical Nutrition. 2005; 59: 983–988)

Blood Sugar Control

There is substantial evidence suggesting that ACV helps control blood sugar levels and insulin levels. Because recently published high quality systematic reviews of the evidence are available we provided these, along with a selection of the research studies.

Goli - Blood Sugar Control Study 1

In a randomized crossover study (Liljeberg et al, 1998) https://www.nature.com/articles/1600572.pdf?origin=ppub on healthy individuals of normal body weight (n=10) who acted as their own controls, significantly BETTER outcomes for blood sugar control (glucose levels) and insulin levels (overall lower serum insulin levels) were found when the meals were taken with vinegar compared to the no vinegar meal.

NOTE: The individuals acted as their own controls thus reducing the need for larger sample sizes that would be needed when comparing differences between participants.

(Liljeberg H, Björck I, Delayed gastric emptying rate may explain improved glycaemia in healthy subjects to a starchy meal with added vinegar. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1998) 52, 368-371)

Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/1600572.pdf?origin=ppub

Goli - Blood Sugar Control Study 2

In a randomized crossover study (Östman et al, 2005) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16015276 on healthy individuals ( n=12) blood glucose levels were studied when they consumed various levels of vinegar (18, 23, 28 mmol) versus when they consumed no vinegar. Participants had lower blood glucose responses at 30 minutes at all levels of vinegar consumption compared to when no vinegar was consumed.

Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16015276

Goli - Systematic review 1

A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of vinegar in blood sugar control and insulin response provides evidence on the benefits of vinegar. See Shishehbor et al, 2017 for a detailed review of the evidence and for links to each study).

Vinegar consumption can attenuate postprandial glucose and insulin responses; a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. (Shishehbor F et al, 2017) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28292654

Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28292654

(Shishehbor F, Mansoori A, Shirani F. Vinegar consumption can attenuate postprandial glucose and insulin responses; a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2017; 127:1-9)

Goli - Systematic review 2

Siddiqui et al (2018) conducted a meta-analysis (by combining the results from 11 studies that tested the effectiveness of vinegar on blood sugar and were sufficiently comparable in study design to allow for comparison). Their main findings were that compared to a placebo (no vinegar), the short-term effects of vinegar use were associated with significantly lower glucose levels at 30 minutes after use. In addition, long-term use of vinegar (i.e. 8-12 weeks) was associated with significantly BETTER blood glucose control (as indicated by HbA1c levels -HbA1c being an important indicator of blood glucose control over time.

See the link for the references to the meta-analyses as well as to the studies included in the review.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29756472

(Siddiqui FJ, Assam PN, de Souza NN, Sultana R, Dalan R, Chan ES. Diabetes Control: Is Vinegar a promising candidate to help achieve targets? Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine. 2018; 23:2156587217753004)

Heart Health

ACV is polyphenol rich and has been shown to increase HDL (generally considered good cholesterol), decrease LDL (generally considered bad cholesterol), reduce triglyceride levels, and, reduce systolic blood pressure all of which are important for heart health.

We reviewed the research on vinegar to identify heart healthy benefits including reduction of blood pressure, reduction in LDL, reduction in triglyceride levels and improvement in HDL.

Goli - Heart Health Study 1

Kondo et al (2009) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19661687 measured triglyceride levels and blood pressure (along with other outcomes such as weight loss) in 175 individuals who were overweight, randomized to one of three groups – 1500mg daily of ACV, 750mg daily of ACV, OR placebo with no ACV. The intervention was followed over a 12-week period. There were significantly BETTER outcomes in the high ACV group (1500mg daily) compared to the no ACV group in systolic blood pressure at 12 weeks. AND, both high and low ACV groups had lower (BETTER) triglyceride levels compared to the no ACV group.

IMPORTANT FINDING: In overweight individuals, ACV use was associated with better outcomes in important heart health indicators versus the outcomes seen in the no-ACV group.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19661687

(Kondo T, Kishi Mi, Fushimi T, Ugajin S, Kaga T. Vinegar intake reduces body weight, body fat mass, and serum triglyceride levels in obese Japanese subjects. Biosci, Biotechnol, Biochem. 2009; 73 (8): 1837-1843)

Goli - Heart Health Study 2

In this randomized trial (Khezri et al (2018) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1756464618300483 in individuals who were overweight (n=39), the experimental group received 30ml/d of ACV and a restricted diet while the control group received a restricted diet only. At 12 weeks there was a significant difference in total cholesterol and an increase in HDL (good cholesterol) and a decrease in triglycerides in the ACV group as compared to the control group.

IMPORTANT FINDING: In overweight individuals, ACV use along with a restricted diet was associated with better outcomes in important heart health indicators versus no-ACV (restricted diet alone).

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1756464618300483

Goli - Heart Health Study 3

A major longitudinal study – the Nurses Health Study – found a significantly lower risk of fatal ischemic heart disease in those who over a long period of time (10 year follow-up) consumed vinegar salad dressings frequently, compared to those who rarely consumed.

IMPORTANCE OF THIS FINDING: This highly respected longitudinal cohort study contributes important information on the association between use of vinegar in daily life over a long period of time.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10232627

(Hu FB, Stampfer MJ, Manson, JE, et al Dietary intake of alpha-linolenic acid and risk of fatal ischemic heart disease among women. Am J Clin Nutr, 1999; 69; 890-897)

For a comprehensive review on the topic see:

Hu, Manson, Willett et al Types of Dietary Fat and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease: A Critical Review. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, (2001), 20:1, 5-19)

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07315724.2001.10719008

Energy

ACV helps control blood sugars, and an offshoot of controlled blood sugar levels is more consistent energy throughout the day.

Our bodies use glucose that comes from food to give us the energy we need throughout the day. Glucose travelling through your body to your cells is called blood glucose or blood sugar. Insulin is the hormone that moves glucose from your blood into the cells for energy. When blood sugar and insulin levels spike (e.g. after a very sugary snack), we have more energy for a short time, often followed by a crash (feeling of fatigue or exhaustion).

There is scientific evidence that the use of vinegar can lower blood sugar levels and improve insulin response which should then in turn lead to enhanced energy throughout the day.

Goli - Energy Study 1

In a randomized cross over study (Östman et al, 2005) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16015276 on healthy individuals ( n=12) compared to the reference without vinegar, participants had lower blood glucose responses at 30 minutes and this for all levels of vinegar use ( 18, 23, 28 mmol).

Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16015276

Goli - Energy Study 2

People taking vinegar with a meal had lower glucose/blood sugar and insulin levels. On the evidence or a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of vinegar in blood sugar control see al Vinegar consumption can attenuate postprandial glucose and insulin responses; a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. (Shishehbor F et al, 2017) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28292654

Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28292654

(Shishehbor F, Mansoori A, Shirani F, et al Vinegar consumption can attenuate postprandial glucose and insulin responses; a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2017; 127:1-9)

Goli - Energy Systematic review 1

A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of vinegar in blood sugar control and insulin response provides evidence on the benefits of vinegar. (see Shishehbor et al, 2017 for a detailed review of the evidence).

Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28292654

Goli - Energy Systematic review 2

Siddiqui et al (2018) conducted a meta-analysis (by combining the results from 11 studies that tested the effectiveness of vinegar on blood sugar and were sufficiently comparable in study design to allow for comparison). Their main findings were that compared to a placebo (no vinegar), the short-term effects of vinegar use were associated with significantly lower glucose levels at 30 minutes after use; and long-term use (i.e. 8-12 weeks) was associated with significantly better blood glucose control over the long term (as indicated by HbA1c levels).

Important note: HbA1c is an important indicator of blood glucose control over time.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29756472

(Siddiqui FJ, Assam PN, de Souza NN, Sultana R, Dalan R, Chan ES. Diabetes Control: Is Vinegar a Promising Candidate to Help Achieve Targets? Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine. 2018; 23:2156587217753004)

Detox

When people talk about ‘detox’ (detoxification) they generally mean a cleansing of the whole body. Some use intermittent fasting as a ‘detox’; others use various diets consisting of ‘cleaneating’ where the idea is to eat a diet rich in important vitamins and minerals found in fruits, vegetables, grains: AND, to reduce the use of preservatives, sugars and non-organic products.

There are many reports in various media and online as well as podcasts describing ACV’s use for ‘detoxing’. While there are no high-quality randomized trials that have specifically compared the ‘cleansing effect on the body of ACV versus other interventions’, there is biological plausibility for the use of ACV. Specifically, high-quality ACV that includes “the mother” has important levels of good bacteria as well as minerals and enzymes that have been shown to be important for health.

As well, because Goli ACV contains no artificial ingredients or preservatives and is one of the few ACVs that contains “the mother” it is considered to meet the guidelines for most “detox” diets.

So, maybe Hippocrates (the father of modern medicine) had a good point when he, in 400 BC, noted the detoxifying benefits of vinegar for improving general health and well-being.

Gut Health

There are many posts on the internet suggesting that ACV helps with overall gut health and more specifically, helps relieve constipation. While our review found no evidence-based studies that compared these outcomes specifically in those who used ACV versus other interventions, there is biological plausibility regarding the association between ACV and gut health. There is also scientific evidence that ACV effects gastric emptying which may in turn be associated with positive changes in gut health.

Research on the various components of ACV and associations with gut health is provided.

Goli - Gut Health Reference

Prebiotics and probiotics are generally considered to be important for gut health. ACV is considered a prebiotic (Roberfroid et al, 2010) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20920376.

ACV contains pectin and polyphenols which together have been linked to improvements in digestive health and to better fat metabolism (Laparra et al, 2010) (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19914380). ACV also contains acetic acid that has been used to manage digestive issues.

Research evidence is also available showing the effectiveness of citric acid and magnesium (both found in ACV) in reducing constipation (Roberfroid et al, 2010) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20920376

(Roberfroid M, Gibson GR, Hoyles L, McCartney AL, Rastall R, Rowland I, Wolvers D, Watzl B, Szajewska H, Stahl B, Guarner F, Respondek F, Whelan K, Coxam V, Davicco MJ, Léotoing L, Wittrant Y, Delzenne NM, Cani PD, Neyrinck AM, Meheust A., et al Prebiotic effects: metabolic and health benefits; Br J Nutr. 2010 Aug;104 Suppl 2:S1-63)

(Laparra JM, Sanz Y., el al Interactions of gut microbiota with functional food components and nutraceutical; Pharmacol Res. 2010 Mar;61(3):219-25)

Complexion

Various media and health websites suggest that the use of ACV helps to improve skin quality. Our scientific review did not find randomized studies to support or refute these claims. However, there is some biological plausibility to the claim that may be worth further study. Specifically, there is discussion in the scientific literature on the possible benefit of ACV in helping to maintain optimal pH levels – i.e. a more acidic rather than alkaline skin.

Why would pH matter? Younger skin is more acidic, so generally it provides good protection, looks healthy, and heals quickly. With age the pH starts to become more neutral (closer to a pH of 7), which makes it more susceptible to dry skin, wrinkles, and sensitivity. A product’s ability to penetrate your skin is determined by its pH level.

So, the thinking behind the use of ACV is that it helps the skin maintain a more acidic level. Research answering this hypothesis will help substantiate (or refute) the many clinical reports and case studies associating ACV with healthier looking skin.

Want to read more about studies that have evaluated vinegar or learn more about vinegar in general…

For an overview on vinegars and their uses: https://onlinelibrarywiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1750-3841.12434

To review the evidence up to the year 2014 on the use of vinegar please see Petsiou et al (2014) where 24 studies in humans and 21 in animals and were reviewed as to the effect of vinegar on glucose, lipid, metabolism or body weight. This review also identified gaps in the research some of which have since been answered. (Petsiou et al, 2014) https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article-abstract/72/10/651/1935511

(Petsiou, Panayota I Mitrou, Sotirios A Raptis, George D Dimitriadis, Effect and mechanisms of action of vinegar on glucose metabolism, lipid profile, and body weight, Nutrition Reviews, Volume 72, Issue 10, 1 October 2014, Pages 651–661)

For Health Care Professionals – links have been provided to the individual studies and systematic reviews where further details on each are provided.