What Happens To Your Gut Health When You Drink Apple Cider Vinegar Every Day

Apple cider vinegar is a fermented juice made from apples that’s safe and even gut-friendly in small amounts, like in dressings or marinades. Just be sure to dilute it before drinking, since too much can upset your stomach or irritate your throat.

1. Your Gut Health May Improve

Apple cider vinegar contains natural probiotics and live microorganisms, including bacteria and yeasts, which affect the digestive tract and gut microbiome. Probiotics help protect against harmful microorganisms, which can improve overall gut function and digestion. The main component in apple cider vinegar is acetic acid, which can kill harmful bacteria.

But gut health isn’t just about your gut; it’s essential to overall health. Poor gut health is associated with:

• Abdominal pain
• Bloating
• Acid reflux
• Flatulence
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Joint pain

Gut health can affect your immune system and mood, and increase inflammation.

2. It Might Upset Your Stomach

Apple cider vinegar is quite acidic. Drinking it straight or every day can lead to:

• Upset stomach
• Acid reflux
• Damage to the esophagus

3. It May Change How Foods Are Absorbed

Apple cider vinegar may help lower blood sugar levels after a meal by changing how foods are absorbed from the gut. A clinical trial found that consuming 30 milliliters (ml) of apple cider vinegar every day can help control blood glucose and lipid profiles (cholesterol and triglycerides) in adults with type 2 diabetes.

Another review found that apple cider vinegar might beneficially affect adults’ glycemic status and lipid parameters. However, more high-quality research is needed.

Other Potential Health Benefits

Apple cider vinegar might offer other health benefits, and there may be anecdotal evidence for some. Though there are some animal studies and small studies in people, there haven’t been enough large-scale human studies to confirm claims such as:

• Promotes weight loss and fights belly fat
• Prevents heartburn
• Lowers blood pressure
• Improves sleep
• Removes toxins
• Topical application eases skin conditions such as acne and eczema

In addition to acetic acid, apple cider vinegar contains various polyphenol compounds. These antioxidants can reduce free radical cell damage, which can lead to some chronic health conditions.

Apple cider vinegar also contains:

• Pectin
• Ascorbic acid
• Thiamine
• Riboflavin
• Biotin
• Folic acid
• Niacin
• Pantothenic acid

A Word From Verywell

Apple cider vinegar may support gut health by boosting digestion and restoring a healthy gut microbiome. Although drinking it may not be tasty, incorporating it into marinades and salad dressings is one way to add it to your diet.

Precautions and Interactions

Apple cider vinegar is a common ingredient in foods. Its components and acidity concentrations vary from product to product, and there is not enough research to determine an appropriate dosage for any specific health condition.

Regularly consuming apple cider vinegar in foods like salad dressings, marinades, and sauces is healthy and safe for most people. But large amounts over time can cause side effects such as: 

• Hypokalemia (low levels of potassium in the blood), especially if you also use herbs or medicines that may also lower potassium levels, such as Lanoxin (digoxin), insulin, or diuretics
• Low blood sugar, especially if you take diabetes medications or herbs that lower blood sugar
• Tooth erosion

Drinking a lot of apple cider vinegar can also irritate your throat and worsen symptoms of an existing ulcer. Talk to a healthcare provider if you have an underlying health condition or are pregnant or breastfeeding.

How To Use Apple Cider Vinegar

You can add small amounts of apple cider vinegar to salad dressings, marinades, and sauces, use it to pickle vegetables, or even chew apple cider vinegar gummies.

If you drink it, it’s important to dilute it to avoid harmful effects. Mix a tablespoon or less apple cider vinegar with an 8-ounce glass of liquid, such as water or tea. Limit to one tablespoon per day.