Written by Patrick B. Massey, MD, PhD. Adding just a small amount of vinegar to one’s daily diet can improve blood sugar levels.

Could a simple condiment like vinegar be important in the fight against diabetes? The answer is a resounding yes.

Modern medical research supports the use of vinegar, a folklore remedy, for the treatment of diabetes. The origins of vinegar can be traced as far back as 3000 BCE in the Egyptian culture. It has been and continues to be used as a food in many cultures throughout the world. It is even mentioned in the Christian Bible.

Our ancestors discovered that vinegar is effective at reducing many of the symptoms of high blood sugar or hypoglycemia. It is only recently however that the mechanisms of action of vinegar have been revealed.

The magic ingredient in vinegar seems to be a specific compound — acetic acid. In general, vinegar is made up of acetic acid and other compounds, usually flavorings. Acetic acid is created using a fermentation process by acetic acid-producing bacteria.

In this process ethanol is converted into acetic acid. This is the reason why wine can become acidic. The ethanol is converted into acetic acid, ultimately producing vinegar.

Medical research over the past 20 years has demonstrated that the daily consumption of a modest amount of vinegar can significantly reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics and even nondiabetics.

There seems to be several mechanisms of action in the stomach and intestines. One mechanism of action is that vinegar slows down how fast food moves from the stomach into the small intestine. A second mechanism of action is that vinegar seems to reduce the activity of some of the enzymes in the small intestine that are involved in the absorption and transport of sugar into the body.

The biggest problem in diabetics is that after eating a meal, blood sugar levels can increase dramatically. High blood sugar levels after a meal, over time, increases the risk of a number of chronic illnesses and death.

Anything that slows down how fast sugar is absorbed will lower blood sugar levels. Although there are diabetes medications that specifically reduce how fast sugar is absorbed into the blood, a daily consumption of vinegar can have a profound effect at lowering blood sugar levels without the side effect of medications. Some studies have demonstrated as much as a 5 to 23 percent reduction in blood sugar after a starchy meal. That is very significant.

Putting vinegar on food or even consuming a small amount of dilute vinegar before a meal can reduce blood sugar levels after eating.

In turn, simply adding this condiment to the diet could reduce medication use. I personally use vinegar on my salads rather than salad dressing. My mother was English and as a result I often put vinegar on my french fries. I also add balsamic vinegar to olive oil for dipping bread.

Vinegar is in my opinion one of the “super foods” for both diabetics and nondiabetics.

  • Patrick B. Massey, MD, PH.D., is medical director for complementary and alternative medicine at Alexian Brothers Hospital Network and president of ALT-MED Medical and Physical Therapy, 1544 Nerge Road, Elk Grove Village. His website is www.alt-med.org.

Posted June 4, 2016.