A comparison of liquid vinegar and commercial vinegar pills for managing insulin resistance and postprandial glucose concentrations

Abstract

A recent meta‐analysis concluded that vinegar consumption could be considered effective adjunct therapy for improving glycemic control. However, liquid vinegar consumption is often poorly tolerated and ingestion can invoke nausea. These investigations examined the effect of liquid vinegar versus commercial vinegar pills on insulin resistance and postprandial glycemia in healthy adults. These trials were approved by the university IRB, and all participants provided written consent. All participants were healthy (fasting glucose concentrations averaging 91–94 mg/dl). An 8‐week, parallel arm, randomized controlled trial examined the efficacy of liquid vinegar ingestion (2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar twice daily with meals [3.6 g acetic acid]) versus vinegar pill ingestion (2 vinegar tablets daily with meals [0.045 g acetic acid]) on HOMA‐IR. Eleven participants (28.6±7.0 y; 29.3±4.4 kg/m2) and twelve participants (28.0±7.7 y; 28.2±5.9 kg/m2) completed the trial in the liquid and pill groups respectively. After 8 weeks, insulin resistance was reduced 12% in the liquid vinegar group as compared to a 7% rise the pill group (change in HOMA‐IR scores: −0.66±1.3 vs. +0.31±1.1; p=0.079). A crossover trial (n=12) examined the efficacy of liquid vinegar ingestion (25 g apple cider vinegar [1.25 g acetic acid]) versus vinegar pill ingestion (4 vinegar tablets [0.70 g acetic acid] either consumed whole or crushed and dissolved in water) on postprandial glycemia. At 30 minutes following meal ingestion (buttered bagel + juice; 106 g carbohydrate), blood glucose concentrations at 30 minutes post‐meal were reduced 12% in comparison to the pill group or to a no vinegar control (135.6±15.8, 154.3±22.2, 152.7±30.6, and 157.7±22.8 mg/dl for the liquid vinegar, whole pill, crushed pill, and control groups respectively; p=0.023). These data suggest that in healthy adults, commercial vinegar pills with acetic acid content ranging from 45–700 mg acetic acid per serving are not effective for improving glycemic control.Support or Funding InformationThis work was supported by the Barrett Honors College, Arizona State University.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.