What Are the Effects of Vitamin B12 Deficiency?

Q. What are the effects of vitamin B12 deficiency if left untreated?

A deficiency of B12, if left untreated, can lead to irreversible neurological problems.

A. A deficiency of vitamin B12 can cause neurological and psychiatric problems that “can progress if left untreated, and can lead to irreversible damage,” said Dr. Donald Hensrud, director of the Mayo Clinic’s Healthy Living Program. Fortunately, it can be reversed fairly easily with vitamin pills or injections.

Vitamin B12 is required for proper red blood cell formation, nerve function and DNA synthesis. It is naturally present in fish, meat, eggs and dairy products, as well as some fortified breakfast cereals and nutritional yeast products.

Strict vegans who avoid animal products can develop a deficiency of B12 over time if they don’t take a supplement. But two-thirds of cases occur in the elderly, who are susceptible because they may not absorb adequate amounts of B12 from foods but who are not routinely tested, Dr. Hensrud said.

Consequences of B12 deficiency can cause a range of symptoms that include fatigue, weakness, constipation, loss of appetite and weight loss. Other symptoms include difficulty maintaining balance, depression, confusion, dementia, poor memory and soreness in the mouth or tongue.

B12 deficiency may also result in a form of anemia called megaloblastic anemia, which can also result from a deficiency of folic acid, another B vitamin. If anemia is detected on blood tests, levels of both vitamins should be checked.

Neurological symptoms can, however, occur in the absence of anemia. Early treatment is critical to avoid potentially irreversible damage.

Older adults are susceptible to B12 deficiency because they may have decreased secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which makes it difficult to absorb B12.

Also vulnerable to B12 deficiency are those with gastrointestinal disorders like celiac disease or Crohn’s disease; those who have had weight loss or other gastrointestinal surgery; and those who use certain acid reflux drugs or the diabetes drug metformin. Individuals with pernicious anemia, which affects up to 2 percent of older adults, are also susceptible.


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Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/30/well/eat/what-are-the-effects-of-vitamin-b12-deficiency.html

Vitamin D and Fish Oils Are Ineffective for Preventing Cancer and Heart Disease

November 10, 2018 - By Roni Caryn Rabin

The largest study to test vitamin D and omega-3 pills in healthy adults found they did little to prevent cardiovascular disease, but hinted at benefits for groups including African-Americans.

In recent years, many Americans have embraced vitamin D and fish oil pills, their enthusiasm fueled by a steady trickle of suggestive research studies linking higher levels of vitamin D with lower rates of cancer and other ills, and fish consumption with reduced heart disease.
Now a large and rigorous government-funded randomized trial — the only such study of omega-3 fish oils ever carried out in healthy adults, and the largest trial ever done of high-dose vitamin D — has found the supplements do not lower cancer rates in healthy adults. Nor do they reduce the rate of major cardiovascular events, a composite of heart attacks, strokes and deaths from cardiovascular disease. The trial is of the kind considered the gold standard in medicine.

“It’s disappointing, but there have always been such high expectations that vitamin D can do all these different things,” said Dr. Clifford J. Rosen of the Maine Medical Center Research Institute in Scarborough, who was a co-author of an editorial on the studies in The New England Journal of Medicine. He said doctors had engaged in “magical thinking about vitamin D,” often testing their patients’ blood levels and advising them to take supplements.

“In terms of preventing cancer, I think the door is closed. I don’t think there is anything there,” Dr. Rosen said. The study also showed that omega-3 fatty acid supplements do not reduce major cardiovascular events or cancer, “period,” he said. “That’s what people should take home with them.”

The results hinted at some potential benefits, which would have to be explored in separate trials. Secondary analysis of the data found, for example, a reduction in cancer deaths for people who took vitamin D for at least two years, and fewer heart attacks in people who took fish oil. And people do need vitamin D in order to absorb calcium and for other bodily functions.

Regarding fish oil, Dr. Rosen asked, “Are there subgroups where it may be effective, or reduce heart attacks? It’s possible.

“But that’s got to be proven in another trial. If this were a drug being tested for approval by the F.D.A., it wouldn’t make it.”

Dr. JoAnn E. Manson, an investigator at Brigham and Women’s Hospital who led the trial, said that since fish oil did not reduce strokes, it did not have an impact on the overall risk of cardiovascular disease, a measure that combined heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular deaths. But she said another analysis looking separately at heart attack found a 28 percent reduction among those taking fish oil, with a 40 percent reduction in people who eat little fish and a 77 percent reduction in African-Americans. She said the 28 percent reduction was “pretty amazing. That’s what you see with statins.”

“The data have to be very strong before you go out and recommend to everyone in the world to take supplements, and we’re certainly not doing that,” Dr. Manson said. “We’re saying, ‘Talk to your doctor, especially if you have low fish intake or are African-American.’”

The National Institutes of Health funded the trial, which recruited 25,871 healthy American men and women age 50 or older, including 5,106 African-Americans. Study participants were split into four groups and randomly assigned to take supplements or placebos, and they were followed for 5.3 years on average.

One group took 2,000 IUs (international units) of vitamin D3 and 1 gram of omega-3s every day. A second group was given vitamin D and a dummy pill in lieu of omega-3. A third group got omega-3s and a vitamin D placebo. And the final group received two placebos.

Pharmavite LLC of Northridge, Calif., donated the vitamin D agents and matching placebos, and Pronova BioPharma of Norway and BASF donated Omacor, a fish oil sold under the brand name Lovaza in the United States.
The results, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, are being presented Saturday at a conference of the American Heart Association in Chicago.

In many ways, the results are not surprising. The public has been barraged by a steady torrent of information about the health benefits of vitamin D in recent years, as studies have linked low levels of the vitamin to conditions as varied as diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, heart disease and depression. Many primary care doctors now routinely test patients’ vitamin D levels and declare them deficient, and supplement sales have skyrocketed in recent years.
All along, however, critics have questioned whether vitamin D is merely a marker of overall health, and whether the threshold for deficiency was set too high. The so-called sunshine vitamin is synthesized in the body when skin is exposed to sunlight and is depleted by smoking, obesity, poor nutrition, and other factors. Certain foods, like fatty fish, eggs and fortified milk, also contain vitamin D.

The Institute of Medicine in 2011 concluded that most Americans get enough vitamin D and that deficiencies have been overstated. The group also noted that reports of potential benefits with higher blood levels have been inconsistent.

The United States Preventive Services Task Force similarly concluded there is not enough evidence to evaluate whether supplements of vitamin D prevent cancer or cardiovascular disease, or to make recommendations for or against screening.

As for fish oil supplements, the American Heart Association does not currently advise healthy adults who do not have heart disease to take omega-3 fish oil supplements, though it recommends eating fish frequently.

While the new study found few potential benefits from vitamin D or omega-3s in terms of cancer or cardiovascular disease, there was also little potential downside at the levels provided in the study. Participants did not report any serious side effects, such as bleeding, gastrointestinal symptoms or “fishy burps,” Dr. Manson said. She warned, however, against taking “megadoses” of either supplement. An excess of vitamin D can cause potentially serious health problems. Several studies of other supplements, like vitamin E and beta carotene, for example, found higher death rates in those who took high doses.
As for vitamin D and omega-3’s effects on other conditions, stay tuned. The researchers expect to publish additional findings about diabetes, depression, autoimmune disorders and cognitive function over the coming months, Dr. Manson said.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/10/well/live/vitamin-d-and-fish-oils-are-ineffective-for-preventing-cancer-and-heart-disease.html

Many Americans Try Retirement, Then Change Their Minds

Sue Ellen King had circled her retirement date on the calendar: March 8, 2015.

She had worked as a critical care nurse and nursing educator at University of Florida Health (UF Health) in Jacksonville, Fla., for 38 years; co-workers joked that she was there when the hospital’s foundation was laid, which happened to be true. So the send-offs went on for days — parties in the units where she had worked, a dinner in her honor, gifts including a framed photo signed by colleagues.

Ms. King felt ready. She’d turned 66, her full Social Security retirement age. She’d invested fully in the hospital’s 401(k) plan and consulted with a financial adviser. She and her husband, who had already retired, had paid off the mortgage on their three-bedroom ranch. They took a week’s trip to Hilton Head, S.C., to celebrate their impending freedom.

But her retirement lasted just three months. “I’d done all the preparation, except to really think about what life was going to be like,” Ms. King said. Days spent organizing recipes and photos, and lunching with friends, proved less engaging than expected.

So when her handpicked replacement needed a maternity leave, Ms. King jumped at the chance to return for three months. Now back at work in a part-time position she designed for herself, she calls herself “a failed retiree.”

Economists refer to this sort of U-turn as “unretirement.” (In “partial retirement,” another variant, an employee cuts back to part-time status but doesn’t actually leave the workplace.)

Unretirement is becoming more common, researchers report. A 2010 analysis by Nicole Maestas, an economist at Harvard Medical School, found that more than a quarter of retirees later resumed working. A more recent survey, from RAND Corporation, the nonprofit research firm, published in 2017, found almost 40 percent of workers over 65 had previously, at some point, retired.

“We definitely see evidence that retirement is fluid,” said Kathleen Mullen, a RAND senior economist and co-author of its American Working Conditions Survey. “There’s less of the traditional schedule: work to a certain age, retire, see the world. We see people lengthening their careers.”

A Pew Research Center analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics supports that observation. It reported that the proportion of Americans over age 65 who were employed, full-time or part-time, had climbed steadily from 12.8 percent in 2000 to 18.8 percent in 2016. More than half were working full time.

Even more people might resume working if they could find attractive options. “We asked people over 50 who weren’t working, or looking for a job, whether they’d return if the right opportunity came along,” Dr. Mullen said. “About half said yes.”

Why go back to work? We hear endless warnings about Americans having failed to save enough, and the need for income does motivate some returning workers. But Dr. Maestas, using longitudinal data from the national Health and Retirement Study, has found that the decision to resume working doesn’t usually stem from unexpected financial problems or health expenses.

“It looks like something people are doing intentionally, instead of an oh-my-god response: ‘I’m running out of money; I have to go back to work,’” she said. “It’s much more about a choice.”

Longer lives, better health and less physically taxing jobs than in previous generations help provide that choice, Dr. Maestas pointed out. “You hear certain themes: A sense of purpose. Using your brain,” she said. “And another key component is social engagement.” Earning money, while welcomed, rarely proved the primary incentive.

Michelle Wallace, who lives in Broomfield, Colo., learned about purpose over 20 frustrating months. After decades in telecommunications, she said, she retired abruptly from a project management position in 2013, when her workplace turned chaotic and hostile.

Photo

Calling herself a “failed retiree,” Ms. King decided to work a night job 16 hours a week. Credit Charlotte Kesl for The New York Times

She’d saved enough to feel economically secure. But without a job, “I felt like I was free-floating, bobbing along on the ocean,” she said. “I felt very ungrounded.” Friends noticed her becoming more reclusive; her doctor increased her anti-depressants.

In 2015, she took a part-time job with a small business that supports government researchers. Now 69, she has no interest in retiring again. “As long as somebody wants me, I have a lot to contribute,” she said.

Most retirees who returned to work told researchers they had long planned to re-enter the work force. But among those who expected to remain retired but then changed their minds, Dr. Maestas has identified a subgroup going through “burnout and recovery.”

“Some people have a lot of stress, pressure and physical demands” in their jobs, she noted. “Their interactions with people at work could be strained or hostile.” After a restorative break, they can find work that suits them better.

Thana Christian, a social worker in Oakland, felt crushed by her workload at a county child protective services agency. She retired at 63, because “the job was killing me.”

For 18 months, she gardened and biked, took pottery and quilting classes, felt lonely but figured she would adjust. Then a chance conversation at the local senior center turned toward work. “It hit me like a thunderbolt, how much I missed social work,” she said. “That’s who I was.”

Online, Ms. Christian quickly learned that the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center needed on-call social workers, giving them the flexibility to set their own hours. Once hired, she tried various combinations and settled on working Mondays and Fridays.

“Two days a week doesn’t feel like work,” she said, now 66. “It’s an addition to my life.”

Researchers note that older workers have different needs. “Younger workers need the paycheck,” Dr. Mullen said. “Older jobseekers look for more autonomy, control over the pace of work. They’re less concerned about benefits. They can think about broader things, like whether the work is meaningful and stimulating.”

Of course, workplaces present challenges, too. Nearly as many older workers face repetitive tasks or physical demands as younger ones, the RAND survey found, and they report slightly less support from bosses and cooperation from colleagues.

Class and education matter, too. “People with less education are in more taxing jobs,” Dr. Maestas said. In the RAND survey, 60 percent of older college graduates who had retired said they would be interested in returning to the workforce for the right job. Just 40 percent of those without degrees felt the same way.

Still, two-thirds of older workers report satisfaction in work well done, a majority that includes Sue Ellen King.

Now 69, she puts on her scrubs twice a week, providing nursing education on the night shift from 7 p.m. until 2 a.m. She feels needed, but not overwhelmed.

“It’s perfect,” she said. “I get the ego reinforcement of having people appreciate what I do. And I appreciate the downtime — now that it’s not all downtime.”

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/30/health/unretirement-work-seniors.html

Turmeric May Protect Your Memory and Mood​

The bright yellow spice may help protect your brain, a new study finds

Turmeric — an Asian spice that gives curry its signature color — has made its mark as a “superfood.” Research has linked the ancient spice to a slew of health benefits, like reducing your risk of prostate cancer and heart disease, fighting bacteria and viruses, and even relieving pain.

Most of these benefits are tied back to curcumin, the compound behind turmeric’s vibrant yellow pigment. Now, a new study from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), suggests it may protect your memory and mood, too.

Researchers split 40 adults between the ages of 50 and 84 — all of whom had mild memory problems — into two groups. One group took 90 milligrams of curcumin twice a day, while the other group popped a placebo. Both groups performed cognitive tests throughout the 18-month experiment to measure their memory markers.
Thirty of them, half of whom were taking curcumin, also had their brains scanned at the beginning and end of the study to check for abnormal proteins called beta-amyloid and tau, both of which have been tied to Alzheimer’s disease.

At the end of the study, the curcumin group experienced a 28 percent improvement in their memory tests, while those popping the placebo didn’t see a significant change. What’s more, they also saw a slight boost in their mood compared to the placebo poppers.
The researchers can’t say exactly why curcumin might have these effects. But after analyzing the brain scans, they noticed that people taking curcumin had lower levels of both abnormal proteins, specifically in areas of the brain that influence memory and emotion.
Plus, curcumin is an antioxidant that might fight inflammation, explains study author Gary W. Small, M.D., director of the UCLA Longevity Center. The more inflammation you have in your brain, the more likely you are to experience cognitive problems and depression, he says.

Similar studies have not yet been performed in a younger, healthier group, says Dr. Small.
“However, other research shows that accumulation of amyloid and tau and elevated inflammation begins in some young adults and many middle-aged people, suggesting a potential benefit,” he adds.

The thing is, curcumin only makes up roughly 5 percent of turmeric, so you’d have to consume a large amount — way more than you probably sprinkle onto your food — to experience the benefits. In fact, you’d probably need to reach for a supplement to meet the amount used in the study, which you should only do after speaking with a doctor.
But it's still possible that even everyday consumption of turmeric can bring some benefit. “One study including over 1,000 Asian volunteers who did not have dementia showed that those who consumed curry occasionally, often, or very often had significantly better memory scores than volunteers who never or rarely consumed curry,” says Dr. Small.

So if you like the way turmeric tastes, go ahead and add it to your diet. Better yet, sprinkle it onto foods already proven to fight inflammation, like salmon and tuna, Keri Gans, M.S., R.D.N. C.D.N., told Men’s Health previously. Research overwhelmingly supports the anti-inflammatory effects of fatty fish, thanks to their concentration of omega-3 fatty acids.

Source: https://www.menshealth.com/health/turmeric-brain-health-benefits

The Hidden Health Benefits of Spinach

(OrganicJar) When you think of superfoods spinach typically doesn't come to mind. You probably think of hemp seeds, goji berries, or maca root. What makes it deserve superfod status is the truly impressive list of compounds that have been discovered in spinach. Beyond the iron that Popeye was yearning for, spinach contains carotenoids, antioxidants, vitamin K, coenzyme Q10, B vitamins, minerals, chlorophyll, polyphenols, betaine and, interestingly, plant-derived omega-3 fatty acids. This is a condensed list and it’s hard to convey the powerful impact of these nutrients as they work synergistically to promote health but to put it simply: just about anything that is or might ever be wrong with your health, you can battle with spinach.

Spinach is a Powerhouse of Nutrients:

In just one cup of cooked spinach…

• High in Protein - The highest vegetable protein around! One cup of spinach equals 5g of protein. (12% DV)
• Super high in Vitamin A - Over 18,000 IU (377% DV). Vitamin A benefits the heart by preventing cholesterol from becoming oxidized in the body.
• Crazy high in Vitamin K - Second only to Cauliflower with over 880 mcg (1111% DV) Vitamin K is essential as it helps calcium adhere to the bone making them stronger.
• Great source of Folate/Folic Acid - Over 260 mcg or 66% DV. Which is particularly important for pregnant or nursing women.
• Nice source of Vitamin C - With 17.6 mg or 29% DV. This also benefits the heart by preventing cholesterol from becoming oxidized in the body.
• Great source of Minerals - 84% DV of manganese, 39% DV of magnesium, 36% DV of iron, 24% DV of potassium, and 24% DV of calcium.
• 13 Flavonoids that help to fight cancer, protect against age related memory loss, and prevent heart disease.
• Decent source of Fiber with 4.3g or 17% DV.

All this in one cup of spinach and we're still not done!

How Spinach Improves Your Health:

1. Anti-Cancer and Anti-Inflammatory Antioxidants

   Researchers have identified more than a dozen different flavonoid compounds in spinach that function as anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer agents. In a recent study on the relationship between risk of prostate cancer and vegetable intake (including such healthy vegetables as broccoli, cabbage, and brussel sprouts) only spinach showed evidence of significant protection against the occurrence of aggressive prostate cancer.
   

2. Alkalizes the Body

   All those minerals helps to balance off the highly acid diet which most of us subject our bodies to and which drains our energy, increases obesity, and creates a host of other health problems.
   

3. Nourishes the Eyes

   The carotenoids found in spinach protect against eye diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration.
   

4. Prevents Atherosclerosis and Diabetic Heart Disease

   Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin A, the latter notably through its concentration of beta-carotene. These two nutrients are important antioxidants that work to reduce the amounts of free radicals in the body; vitamin C works as a water-soluble antioxidant and beta-carotene as a fat-soluble one. This water-and-fat-soluble antioxidant team helps to prevent cholesterol from becoming oxidized and sticking to your blood vessel walls.
   

5. Clears Up Acne

   The most useful vitamins of spinach are vitamin A, C, E, and K. They are great for your skin. The antioxidants contained in spinach will clear up acne quickly. They will also help with eczema, psoriasis, and even prevent skin cancer from the sun.
   

6. Strengthens the Bones

   One cup of fresh spinach (or 1/6 cup of cooked spinach) contains TWICE your daily vitamin K needs. This along with the calcium and magnesium in spinach is essential to maintain healthy bones.
   

Health Benefits of Spinach: Cooked or Raw?

The short answer: both. Health benefits to cooking spinach: cooking releases beta-carotene and lutein, and it also neutralizes oxalic acid or oxalate, a compound that inhibits the absorption of both calcium and iron.  This is why you don’t reuse the cooking water from spinach.  It’s recommended that you boil spinach quickly – just for a minute! Health benefits to raw spinach: Vitamin C and folate are both very heat-sensitive, so to obtain the maximum benefits of these compounds, eat spinach in your salads.

Use it Up Quickly!

By the eighth day after harvest, even when refrigerated well, spinach has lost so many of its nutrients that it might not even be worthy of superfood status anymore.  For example, almost half the folic acid is gone after eight days(and how long does it take to get from the field to your door?).  Use that spinach as soon as possible, and blanch and freeze it if you can’t use it quickly.

Tips and Cautions:

Tip #1: Make sure you only choose organic spinach. Non-organic spinach is on the list of top foods with lots of chemical pesticides. You can assume that canned spinach is NOT organic. I can’t imagine anyone eating canned spinach anyway but since we mentioned Popeye I thought I had better mention that. Tip #2: Choose the greenest looking spinach you can find. Probably you would have anyway, but studies have shown that the greenest spinach has the most vitamin C. Tip #3: Because spinach contains high levels of so many nutrients it also has significant levels of oxalic acid. This has been associated with kidney problems and interference with absorption of other minerals. Keep in touch with me on Twitter or Facebook

Source: http://organicjar.com/2012/3411/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+organicjar+%28OrganicJar%29

Can a Cup of Hot Tea a Day Help Preserve Eyesight?

by Nicholas Bakalar

Having a cup of hot tea every day may reduce your risk for blindness.

Researchers have found that a daily cup of hot tea reduces the risk for glaucoma, a disease in which a buildup of fluid in the eye can damage the optic nerve and lead to gradual vision loss.

The study, in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, included 1,678 participants in a larger national health survey. Using photographs of the optic disc and other diagnostic techniques, they recorded instances of glaucoma in 2005 and 2006, and correlated them with reports of beverage consumption over the previous year.

After adjusting for age, body mass index, sex, ethnicity, smoking and diabetes, they found that people who drank at least a cup of hot tea a day were 74 percent less likely to have glaucoma. They found no association with soft drinks, iced tea, decaffeinated tea or with coffee, decaffeinated or not.

This observational study does not prove causality, but the researchers write that tea contains phytochemicals and flavonoids with anti-inflammatory properties that may protect the optic nerve.

“If you drink hot tea, keep on doing it,” said the senior author, Dr. Anne L. Coleman, a professor of ophthalmology at the University of California, Los Angeles. “But I wouldn’t switch to it if you prefer something else. This is a preliminary finding, and we need to do more studies.”

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/20/well/eat/can-a-cup-of-hot-tea-a-day-help-preserve-eyesight.html

6 Proven Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

Written by Kris Gunnars, BSc on September 5, 2016

healthline.com

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For centuries, vinegar has been used for various household and cooking purposes.
It is also an ancient folk remedy, claimed to help with all sorts of health problems.
The most popular vinegar in the natural health community is apple cider vinegar.
It is claimed to lead to all sorts of benefits, some of which are supported by science.
This includes weight loss, lower blood sugar levels and improved symptoms of diabetes.
Here are 6 health benefits of apple cider vinegar, that are supported by scientific research.

1. High in acetic acid, which has potent biological effects

Vinegar is made in a two-step process, related to how alcohol is made (1).
The first step exposes crushed apples (or apple cider) to yeast, which ferment the sugars and turn them into alcohol.
In the second step, bacteria are added to the alcohol solution, which further ferment the alcohol and turn it into acetic acid... the main active compound in vinegar.
In French, the word "vinegar" actually means "sour wine."
Organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar (like Bragg's) also contains "mother," strands of proteins, enzymes and friendly bacteria that give the product a murky, cobweb-like appearance.
Some people believe that the "mother" is responsible for most of the health benefits, although there are currently no studies to support this.
Apple cider vinegar only contains about 3 calories per tablespoon, which is very low.
There are not many vitamins or minerals in it, but it does contain a tiny amount of potassium. Quality apple cider vinegar also contains some amino acids and antioxidants.

Bottom Line: Apple cider vinegar is made by fermenting the sugars from apples. This turns them into acetic acid, the active ingredient in vinegar.

2. Can kill many types of bacteria

Vinegar can help kill pathogens, including bacteria (2).
It has traditionally been used for cleaning and disinfecting, treating nail fungus, lice, warts and ear infections.
However, many of these applications have currently not been confirmed by research.
Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, used vinegar for wound cleaning over two thousand years ago.
Vinegar has been used as a food preservative, and studies show that it inhibits bacteria (like E. coli) from growing in the food and spoiling it (3, 4, 5, 6).
If you're looking for a natural way to preserve your food... then apple cider vinegar could be highly useful.
There have also been anecdotal reports of diluted apple cider vinegar helping with acne when applied on the skin, but I didn't find any research to confirm this so take it with a grain of salt.

Bottom Line: The main substance in vinegar, acetic acid, can kill bacteria and/or prevent them from multiplying and reaching harmful levels. It has a history of use as a disinfectant and natural preservative.

3. Lowers blood sugar levels and fights diabetes

By far the most successful application of vinegar to date, is in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is characterized by elevated blood sugars, either in the context of insulin resistance or an inability to produce insulin.
However, elevated blood sugar can also be a problem in people who don't have diabetes... it is believed to be a major cause of ageing and various chronic diseases.
So, pretty much everyone should benefit from keeping their blood sugar levels stable.
The most effective (and healthiest) way to do that is to avoid refined carbs and sugar, but apple cider vinegar may also have a powerful effect.
Vinegar has been shown to have numerous benefits for insulin function and blood sugar levels:

• Improves insulin sensitivity during a high-carb meal by 19-34% and significantly lowers blood glucose and insulin responses (7).
• Reduces blood sugar by 34% when eating 50 grams of white bread (8).
• 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before bedtime can reduce fasting blood sugars by 4% (9).
• Numerous other studies, in both rats and humans, show that vinegar can increase insulin sensitivity and significantly lower blood sugar responses during meals (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15).

For these reasons, vinegar can be useful for people with diabetes, pre-diabetes, or those who want to keep their blood sugar levels low to normal for other reasons.
If you're currently taking blood sugar lowering medications, then check with your doctor before increasing your intake of apple cider vinegar.

Bottom Line: Apple cider vinegar has shown great promise in improving insulin sensitivity and helping to lower blood sugar responses after meals.

4. Helps you lose weight by making you feel full

Given that vinegar lowers blood sugar and insulin levels, it makes sense that it could help you lose weight.
Several human studies suggest that vinegar can increase satiety, help you eat fewer calories and even lead to actual pounds lost on the scale.
Vinegar along with high-carb meals can increase feelings of fullness and make people eat 200-275 fewer calories for the rest of the day (16, 17).
By reducing calorie intake, this should translate to reduced weight over time.
A study in obese individuals showed that daily vinegar consumption led to reduced belly fat, waist circumference, lower blood triglycerides and weight loss (18):

• 15 mL (1 tablespoon): Lost 2.6 pounds, or 1.2 kilograms.
• 30 mL (2 tablespoons): Lost 3.7 pounds, or 1.7 kilograms.

However... keep in mind that this study went on for 12 weeks, so the true effects on body weight seem to be rather modest.
That being said, just adding/subtracting single foods or ingredients rarely has a noticeable effect on weight.
It's the entire diet/lifestyle that counts... you need to combine several effective methods to see results.
Overall, it seems like apple cider vinegar may be useful as a weight loss aid, mainly by promoting satiety and lowering glucose and insulin levels.
But it won't work any miracles on its own.

Bottom Line: Studies suggest that vinegar can increase feelings of fullness and help people eat fewer calories, which can lead to weight loss.

5. Lowers cholesterol and reduces your risk of heart disease

Cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke) is currently the world's biggest cause of death (19).
It is known that several measurable biological factors are linked to either a decreased or increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Several of these "risk factors" have been shown to be improved by vinegar consumption... but all of the studies were done in rats.
These rat studies showed that apple cider vinegar can lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels (20, 21).
Apple cider vinegar may also contain the antioxidant chlorogenic acid, which has been shown to protect LDL cholesterol particles from becoming oxidized, a crucial step in the heart disease process (22, 23).
There are also some studies showing that vinegar reduces blood pressure (a major risk factor) in rats (24, 25).
Unfortunately, what works in animals doesn't always work in humans.
The only human evidence is an observational study from Harvard showing that women who ate salad dressings with vinegar had a reduced risk of heart disease (26).
But this type of study can only show an association, it can not prove that the vinegar caused anything.

Bottom Line: Several animal studies have shown that vinegar can reduce blood triglycerides, cholesterol and blood pressure, but this needs to be confirmed in human studies.

6. May have protective effects against cancer

Cancer is a terrible disease, characterized by uncontrolled growth of cells.
There is a lot of hype online about the anti-cancer effects of apple cider vinegar.
Some studies have shown that vinegar can kill cancer cells and shrink tumors (27, 28, 29, 30).
However, all of the studies on this were done in isolated cells in test tubes, or rats, which proves nothing about what happens in a living, breathing human.
Additionally, most of the studies were done on rice vinegar, not apple cider vinegar.
That being said, some observational studies (which don't prove anything) have shown that vinegar ingestion is linked to decreased esophageal cancer in China, but increased bladder cancer in Serbia (31, 32).
Overall... it is possible that apple cider vinegar may help to prevent cancer, but it is definitely premature to make any recommendations based on the current research.

Bottom Line: Some studies in test tubes and rats have shown that rice vinegar can slow the growth of cancer cells and shrink tumors.

Side Effects, Dosage and How to Use it

There are a lot of wild claims about apple cider vinegar on the internet.
Some say that it can increase energy levels and have all sorts of beneficial effects on health.
Unfortunately... many of these claims are not supported by science.
Of course, absence of proof isn't proof that something isn't happening and anecdote often ends up becoming supported by science down the line.
That being said, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for more studies, since research on natural health products like these are both few and far between.
From the little evidence available, I think that apple cider vinegar may be useful and is definitely a good candidate for some self-experimentation if you're interested in it.
At the very least, apple cider vinegar seems to be safe. There are no side effects noted with normal consumption.
The best way to incorporate it into your diet is to use it in your cooking... for salad dressings, homemade mayonnaise and that sort of thing.
Some people also like to dilute it in water and drink it as a beverage. Common dosages range from 1-2 teaspoons (5-10 mL) to 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 mL) per day.
Definitely don't go above that, because excess consumption may have harmful effects.
It is also possible to take it in pill/tablet form, but I don't recommend that because a 2005 study showed that the true vinegar content of these supplements was highly questionable (33).
There is also a report of a woman having an apple cider vinegar tablet stuck in her throat, which led to esophageal burns.
It is recommended to use organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar with the "mother." Bragg's is by far the most popular option.
Apple cider vinegar also has various other non-health related uses like hair conditioning, skin care, dental care, pet use and as a cleaning agent (to name a few).
These can be highly useful for people who like to keep things as natural and chemical-free as possible.
At the end of the day, apple cider vinegar appears to be very healthy.
It's not a "miracle" or a "cure-all" like some people seem to believe, but it does clearly have some important health benefits, especially for blood sugar and weight control.
More about apple cider vinegar and related topics:

• 7 Side Effects of Too Much Apple Cider Vinegar
• 30 Surprising Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar
• How Apple Cider Vinegar in Your Diet Helps You Lose Weight
• 10 Proven Health Benefits of Coconut Oil
  
  
  Source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-proven-health-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar