It can lower blood glucose levels after a meal. Acids tend to slow down digestion, and apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid which is the best type, at least according to the source I read this at. Red and white vinegar will work also.
I've only heard of taking a few tables spoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water prior to a carb meal to lower the blood glucose response.
Apple cider vinegar is also used in the same way to promote healthy intestinal flora, and create an environment that inhibits unhealthy intestinel flora. I've read that red and white vinegar is too harsh and isn't considered healthy for this purpose. Apple cider is recommended.
here is some data I found on the web regarding this. BTW, some referrences say that you can use lemon juice for the same purpose.
Lemon juice is just as powerful as vinegar, Jennie Brand-Miller says. Lime juice is likely to work just as well.
A surprisingly small amount is effective. A typical vinaigrette dressing of oil and vinegar works well and can taste wonderful. Add mustard powder, garlic, and your favorite spices.
In one study the glucose response with vinegar was 31 percent lower than without it. In another study vinegar significantly reduced the glycemic index of a starchy meal from 100 to 64 (where white bread = 100).
I don't know how to look at studies, but this was in the reference.
Liljeberg H, Bjorck I. “Delayed gastric emptying rate may explain improved glycaemia in healthy subjects to a starchy meal with added vinegar.” Eur J Clin Nutr. 1998 May;52(5):368-71.
also from mendosa.com
New research confirms that vinegar can reduce blood glucose. It may also help us lose weight. Diabetes Care just published the results of a study, “Vinegar Improves Insulin Sensitivity to a High-Carbohydrate Meal in Subjects With Insulin Resistance or Type 2 Diabetes,” by Dr. Carol Johnston and two associates in the department of nutrition at Arizona State University in Mesa, Arizona.
About one-third of the 29 volunteers in the study had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, another third had signs that they could become diabetic, and the rest were healthy. Dr. Johnston and her associates gave each participant 20 grams of apple cider vinegar in water and sweetener or a placebo to drink immediately before they ate a high-carbohydrate breakfast consisting of orange juice, a bagel, and butter. A week later, each volunteer came back for the opposite premeal treatment and then the same breakfast. After both meals, the researchers sampled blood from the participants.
Although all three groups in the study had better blood readings after meals begun with vinegar cocktails, those with prediabetes had the best results. Vinegar cut their blood-glucose rise in the first hour after a meal by about half, compared with readings after a placebo premeal drink. But those with diabetes were about 25 percent better.
Dr. Johnson writes me that the vinegar group in her testing lost an average of 2 pounds. “This was an unexpected finding — and is unpublished. We need to conduct a trial to examine this more closely. The purpose of the 4 week trial where we noted weight loss was to explore the effect of vinegar on blood cholesterol — we measured weight to control for this variable. There was no change in the placebo group and an average of 2 pounds weight loss in the vinegar group. It’s all so interesting.”
I'd love to see some feedback. I've been wondering if it is beneficial to take some appl cider vinegar before each carb laden meal, except pre and post workout meals. I'd love to see if anyone has had success with this.