Vinegar intake and blood sugar levels in people
What it found
Taking about 10 to 30 mL of vinegar with starchy meals improved short-term blood sugar levels in people.
Very few studies have looked at longer-term effects.
What they found
Studies in people
Short-term blood sugar effects
There is strong support that vinegar improves blood sugar right after eating when taken with starchy meals. This was seen in studies involving people.
Long-term blood sugar effects
Very few studies have tested whether taking vinegar over a longer period changes blood sugar levels.
Amounts used in studies
Daily amounts of about 10 to 30 mL, or roughly 2 to 6 tablespoons, appeared to improve the blood sugar response to starchy meals in people.
Studies in people and animals
How vinegar might work
The authors suggest three ways vinegar could lower blood sugar. It may block an enzyme called alpha-amylase, help cells take up more glucose, or act through certain gene regulators. These pathways were explored in both human and animal models.
What the authors conclude
- They suggest that taking about 10 to 30 mL of vinegar daily can improve blood sugar responses after starchy meals.
- They note that very few studies have examined what happens when people take vinegar over longer periods.
- They propose three possible ways vinegar might work based on the available research.
How it was done
Vinegar is widely thought to help control blood sugar in people. The authors wanted to gather the evidence behind this idea and explore how it might work in cells and animals.
The authors searched three research databases for studies published between 1995 and 2018. They looked at research on how vinegar affects blood sugar in people, as well as possible cellular mechanisms studied in people and animals.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- Most of the evidence covers only short-term effects right after a meal. Scientists do not yet know much about what happens when people take vinegar every day for weeks or months.
- Some of the suggested ways vinegar works come from animal or cell studies. Those findings might not apply directly to people.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Federal University of Uberlandia (UFU), Brazil; Catholic University of Brasilia (UCB), Brazil; Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO), Brazil
The paper
- Title
- Vinegar (acetic acid) intake on glucose metabolism: A narrative review
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Santos HO, de Moraes WMAM, da Silva GAR, Prestes J, Schoenfeld BJ (2019). Vinegar (acetic acid) intake on glucose metabolism: A narrative review. Clinical nutrition ESPEN. doi:10.1016/j.clnesp.2019.05.008PubMed 31221273DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error