Certainly, there are health benefits of regular use of vinegar. The acetic acid content found in all types of vinegar is good for your overall health, whether it is apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or white vinegar. So what is so unique about red wine vinegar? Well, in terms of antioxidants, the skin of grapes reigns superior. Discover the health benefits of red wine vinegar.
Is red wine vinegar healthy for you?
Red wine vinegar is a staple of one of the world’s healthiest diets, the Mediterranean diet. Small amounts of red wine vinegar are loaded with beneficial compounds. Rich in healthy nutrients, natural antioxidants, key vitamins, and probiotic bacteria, unpasteurized red wine vinegar is an ideal food for you and your internal health. After all, if the Mediterranean region uses this fermented food, you know there are more than potential health benefits of red wine.
What does drinking red wine vinegar do?
Does red wine vinegar help lose weight?
At some point in life, most people will try to lose weight. To some, losing weight is easier than for others. However, everyone is looking for tips to help speed up the process. Could red wine vinegar help?
While it can not be said with 100% certainty, the good news is there is some evidence that suggests red wine vinegar could help. One study revealed that daily vinegar consumption helped to lower body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and visceral fat in people that were obese. Researchers owe the benefits to the acetic acid present, which is an active ingredient in various kinds of vinegar.
Certainly positive, but beyond this study, there is not enough evidence. Without human trials, it is difficult to say for certain. The majority of the studies looking at acetate-induced weight loss are animal studies. Unfortunately, the benefits can not be extended to humans.
Slow the aging process
People have been searching for the fountain of youth for as long as history has records. Truthfully, nothing has changed. We are still looking to reduce the signs of aging in the 21st century. Could it be that red wine vinegar could help you live longer?
While there are no randomized controlled trials on red wine vinegar and aging, there is evidence that antioxidants found in red wine vinegar could slow the aging process. Specifically, anthocyanins are protective against oxidative stress from free radicals. As a result, they can protect you from cell damage and could extend your life.
Another powerful antioxidant found in red wine vinegar is resveratrol. While it has not been shown to increase lifespan, it has been shown to partially reverse the effects of an unhealthy lifestyle.
Although, it should be mentioned that the fermentation process changes the antioxidant properties of red wine vinegar. Therefore, before red wine vinegar can claim to be a life extender, additional research is needed.
Blood sugar regulation
Managing your diabetes is all about blood sugar control. Meaning avoiding the blood sugar spike followed by the large drop in blood sugar. Certainly, medications play an important role in this control, but like all medications, there are side effects. Therefore, anything that you can do naturally to control your blood sugars will be a good thing.
Red wine vinegar may be part of your natural defense. One scientific study showed that vinegar itself can help to control blood sugar and insulin levels after meals. As a result of lower blood sugar levels, the authors of the study concluded that red wine vinegar could be used as an adjunct treatment for better improving glycemic control.
Another important factor in the management of diabetes is your body’s response to insulin. Generally speaking, with diabetes you become less sensitive to insulin. Meaning, that insulin resistance is important for the absorption of sugar from the meal you just ate.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to reduce your body’s resistance to insulin. To begin, regular use of vinegar may be part of the solution. Multiple animal studies and a few human studies have shown that acetate is helpful in improving whole-body insulin sensitivity.
Although these studies are positive, by no means should you stop your doctor-prescribed treatment. Overall there are limited human studies available to prove the effect. Furthermore, none of these studies looked at long-term blood sugar control through HbA1C.
Helps you absorb calcium
You probably have never thought how important it is to absorb all the goodness out of your last meal but it is. That is certainly true of vitamin D and calcium absorption which is so important to prevent osteoporosis. We have known for a long time that acetic acid, the main component of vinegar can help your intestines absorb calcium. While there are direct studies on osteoporosis adding a 1-tablespoon serving of red wine vinegar to your pasta salad or salad dressings certainly would not hurt your bones.
Digestive aid
Indigestion and GERD can be debilitating conditions that may prevent you from enjoying a meal out of the home for much-needed socialization. Of course, you can take medication ahead of time or modify your diet, but what about those times when you forgot to pack your heartburn medication? Furthermore, why limit yourself when you have that rare occasion to enjoy a meal without preparing it yourself?
If this is you, consider ordering a salad with red wine vinegar and olive oil for the dressing. There is evidence that red wine vinegar could help with the natural movement of your colon helping you to digest your meal. Furthermore, red wine vinegar is known to contain pectin. In studies, a pectin solution has been shown to be effective at preventing acid reflux. While it may not be a permanent substitute for your antacid, in a pinch it could certainly be helpful.
Skin and hair health
Your skin is the largest organ in your body. It also offers some of the most protection against infections. However, over time oxidation stress can occur causing skin damage.
Fortunately, products rich in antioxidants have shown the ability to resist this damage. Even more, those antioxidants found in red wine vinegar also have antimicrobial properties to resist infections as a second layer of defense.
Most of our knowledge about these antimicrobial properties has been shown as food preservatives, not necessarily for human applications. Furthermore, experts agree, that topical application of red wine vinegar could do more harm.
Although red wine vinegar could resist bacterial infections, topical use could cause skin irritations. Do, it is best used as a cooking agent as opposed to a topical solution.
Cardiovascular benefits
While there are many factors that contribute to your heart health, blood pressure is one that everyone will think of. Pharmaceutical research has given doctors an arsenal of medicine to treat high blood pressure, but they are not without side effects.
Blood pressure
Certainly, red wine vinegar should not be used as a substitute, but there is evidence that red wine vinegar can significantly lower your blood pressure. Another risk factor for the development of heart disease is cholesterol levels.
Cholesterol
Whether or not red wine vinegar is effective in humans to lower your cholesterol remains unknown. However, there are animal studies that indicate that vinegar could help you lower cholesterol levels.
So, if you are looking for lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and lower chances of heart disease, consider cooking with red wine vinegar.
Anti-cancer properties
Just hearing and seeing the word cancer is enough to make you cringe. While modern medicine has become more successful at treating cancer, it does not make the treatment any better. Therefore, prevention is always the best strategy. I mean, who would not want to lower their cancer risk? The question should be, what can you do to prevent certain cancers from growing?
Living a healthy lifestyle is the number one thing you can do to lower your chances of developing cancer. There is ample research that has been done on functional foods, healthy behaviors, and exercise for cancer prevention. One of those functional foods is red wine vinegar. From the resveratrol in the grapes to sinapinic acid in vinegar have been shown to have anticancer properties.
Vinegar is typically a good source of polyphenols. These phenolic compounds are known to have antioxidant properties that can help fight cancer. The health benefits of red wine vinegar extend beyond polyphenols, acetic acid, the primary ingredient in vinegar, is also believed to possess some antitumor properties.
Most of these studies have been performed in labs, but there are limited human studies to confirm these benefits. While it cannot be guaranteed to resist cancer, there are enough benefits of red wine vinegar to support its use.
How much red wine vinegar should you drink?
As the saying goes, “everything in moderation”. This is certainly true for red wine vinegar. Although there are evidence-based health benefits for the use of red wine vinegar, overconsumption can have some unpleasant side effects.
Unfortunately, there are no standard recommendations for dosing. To be safe, it is best to avoid drinking red wine vinegar. Following the lead of the Mediterranean region and using it as a cooking agent is the best starting point. Although there are side effects, most of the side effects were observed in people that consumed red wine vinegar daily for several years.
Adverse effects
Red wine vinegar is an acid. As a result, it can disrupt the enamel on your teeth. So if you insist on trying red wine vinegar shots, make sure you do this right before brushing your teeth to preserve that enamel.
Additionally, there are some reports of nausea and indigestion with overconsumption. Even though red wine vinegar is helpful in these conditions, overdoing it can make those exact conditions worse.
Finally, before making any changes you should take to your doctor if you are taking any prescription medication. Since these health benefits have not been extensively studied in humans there is potential for red wine vinegar to interfere with your current medications.
Take away: health benefits of red wine vinegar
To summarize, there are potential health benefits to many types of vinegar, including red wine vinegar. However, the quality of vinegar is likely to impact these benefits.
Furthermore, the type of wine used to make red wine vinegar is also important. For best results, stick with red wine vinegar made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Finally, before making any changes check with your doctor. This is even more important if you currently have a health problem.