The snake oil salesman is back in town with an old favourite: apple cider vinegar – or ACV as it’s called by those in the know. The ‘wonder-juice’ has been around for centuries, peddled by Greeks and Romans alike. In recent years, it has become something of a panacea, a social media ‘superfood’. But just how good is this cloudy, acidic liquid?

The purported benefits range from weight loss to curing cancer. I’m no oncologist, but the cancer claims seem a little dubious. That said, let’s not dismiss apple cider vinegar entirely. The likes of Jennifer Aniston, Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry and Victoria Beckham swear by it – and if Brass Eye taught us anything, it’s that celebrities are always right.

Some facts about apple cider vinegar before you start chugging the stuff and burn your tongue off. It goes through a two-step fermentation process. The second step transforms the alcohol in the cider into acetic acid, which allegedly helps with weight loss. A microbial culture is found inside the vinegar, ominously called ‘the mother’ – which is the layer on top that looks like depressed jelly. The vinegar is supposedly good only when the mother is intact.

Whether or not the cider is an orphan is beside the point. I just care whether this stuff has real, tangible health benefits. Some studies have yielded promising results, but the evidence is too thin to be convincing. And – sorry to our celebrity friends – there are quite a few risks associated with consuming ACV in large quantities.

If you haven’t drunk it before, you’re in for a treat. Imagine rancid apple juice and Tabasco mixed together, then spat in by a drunk after three cans of Strongbow. Apple cider vinegar can cause oesophageal damage if it’s not diluted properly.

QOSHE - The trouble with apple cider vinegar - Zak Asgard
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The trouble with apple cider vinegar

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22.03.2024

The snake oil salesman is back in town with an old favourite: apple cider vinegar – or ACV as it’s called by those in the know. The ‘wonder-juice’ has been around for centuries, peddled by Greeks and Romans alike. In recent years, it has become something of a panacea, a social media ‘superfood’. But just how good is this cloudy, acidic liquid?

The purported benefits range from weight loss to curing cancer. I’m no oncologist,........

© The Spectator


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