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Is there any benefit from apple cider vinegar in diabetes mellitus?
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
Many adherents of non-traditional methods of treatment advise to take apple cider vinegar in diabetic patients. Is this product useful, or is its use harmful to the health of patients?
American clinical trials have already conducted a study more than a decade ago, during which patients with diabetes were offered treatment with apple cider vinegar and plain water (placebo). During the study, it was observed that taking two tablespoons of vinegar at night led to a lower blood glucose level in the morning than before the start of treatment. Moreover, the specialists managed to prove that regular consumption of high-quality apple cider vinegar lowers the glucose content in the blood, regardless of food intake.
The mechanism of normalizing the sugar level with vinegar has not yet been clarified. Presumably, malic acid inhibits the decomposition of complex carbohydrates to sugars, which facilitates the pancreas. Simply put, the peak sugar level, due to vinegar, is somewhat smoothed: a sharp jump in glucose in the blood does not occur. In a similar way, some hypoglycemic agents also work, for example, Miglitol.
However, further research by scientists led to not very optimistic results. It was found that apple cider vinegar has a positive effect solely with type II diabetes. But with type I diabetes, the product can only do harm. Why?
Scientific experts from Sweden conducted additional research and found that with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, the intake of apple cider vinegar slows the digestion of food in the stomach. This causes the pancreas to work longer and more intensively - which is very undesirable in this disease.
As a result of the experiments, the scientists made the following conclusions:
- patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus should not be treated with apple cider vinegar;
- vinegar is by no means a panacea, they can be treated only along with the observance of a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition;
- treatment with vinegar - this is not an excuse to give up medications prescribed by an endocrinologist.
And one more question was clarified by specialists: how to drink apple cider vinegar to patients with type 2 diabetes?
Before taking a therapeutic dose of the product, it must be diluted in water. For 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar will need 200-250 ml of water.
Undiluted vinegar can not be consumed. This can be detrimental to the condition of the teeth and digestive organs.
Experts do not explain which product is best used: industrial or home-made. However, one thing is clear: vinegar should not be artificial or purified. The greatest amount of useful substances is contained in the usual unfiltered product, which can sometimes be cloudy, with a deposit on the bottom of the bottle.
Proceeding from scientifically proven facts, it is safe to say: before starting to independently treat such a complex disease as diabetes, consult a doctor before.
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