5 side effects of drinking apple cider vinegar for weight loss we bet you didn’t see coming

If you have been gulping down this weight-loss elixir, then you’ve got to read about the side effects of apple cider vinegar.
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Apple cider vinegar also has a dark side. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
Sonakshi Kohli Updated: 8 Jul 2020, 11:08 am IST
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From boosting metabolism and reducing fat storage to suppressing appetite and accelerating fat burn—there are so many proven benefits of apple cider vinegar that it’s the go-to weight-loss potion for thousands of people.

But all good things come at price—including apple cider vinegar. In fact, the same acetic acid present in the vinegar that has so many benefits can make it the enemy of your health too. Here’s how:

1. It can give you acidity
As per a 2006 review published in the journal Medscape General Medicine, apples are mixed with yeast, which converts the sugar present in them into alcohol. The alcohol gets fermented into acetic acid by adding bacteria and thus emerges apple cider vinegar.

Too much acid in your stomach can lead to unbearable pain. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

Even though the acetic acid is scientifically proven to accelerate weight-loss and is classified as a weak acid, it can still be quite harsh on your stomach—especially when consumed in a concentrated form. You can get a stomach burn and acidity if you consume apple cider vinegar in excess. So you need to dilute apple cider vinegar before drinking it!

2. Actually, it can mess up your digestive system completely
While one study conducted at the University of Lund, Malmö University Hospital, Sweden blames apple cider vinegar for delayed stomach emptying, another study published in the International Journal of Obesity highlights the fact that drinking it can reduce your appetite while giving you nausea. So, you can very well imagine what it can do to your digestive system.

3. It can weaken your teeth
The fact that acidic food leads to erosion of the tooth enamel is known to one and all. The fact that your favourite weight-loss vinegar is quite acidic is also now known. But do you realise the gravity of the situation in making your teeth weak? Well, if not then you’ve got to know that a 2012 study found apple cider vinegar to be the sole cause of tooth decay for a 15-year-old girl, who used it as a weight-loss aid.

4. And your bones may have to bear the brunt as well
According to a report by the Department of Internal Medicine, Innsbruck University, Austria, consuming large doses of apple cider vinegar over a long period of time is linked with loss of bone health due to the acid stripping the bones off minerals such as potassium.

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Apple cider vinegar might make your bones fragile. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

5. Your other medications might make your case worse
If you happen to consume laxatives, diuretics, or insulin, the acidic apple cider vinegar can easily react with these medications and worsen your health. Hence, people, who are diabetic or have blood-pressure issues should either avoid it or consume it only after consulting a doc.

Now that you know, we hope you’ll be careful while experimenting with apple cider vinegar—even if weight loss is not on your mind.

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Twenty kilos down and struggling to maintain the weight loss by preaching healthy eating, while eating unhealthy every now and then. ...Read More

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