Despite apple cider vinegar’s strong, acidic bite, more people are adding apple cider vinegar to their diets for health reasons. Some people will chew on apple cider vinegar gummies to help suppress their appetite to lose weight. Others consume apple cider vinegar to manage their blood sugar. Some apple cider vinegar gummies promise to balance your gut health and help digestion.
Apple cider vinegar has polyphenols that help your body ward off oxidative stress, but so does red wine vinegar. Adding a little red wine vinegar as you take your first bite of meals might also help with depression, according to a 2024 study in Nutrients.
The study had overweight adults either take an apple cider vinegar supplement once a day or drink two tablespoons of red wine vinegar (diluted in water) twice a day while eating the first few bites of their meals. After four weeks, the red wine vinegar group showed a 42% improvement in one of two depression questionnaires. The researchers believed that the acetic acid in vinegar affected how the body processes metabolites linked to an improvement in mood.
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
How acetic acid in vinegar can improve mood
Vinegar has acetic acid, which is a fatty acid your gut bacteria make when they break down carbohydrates. Acetic acid also lowers inflammation, so your body can use tryptophan to regulate your mood. Acetic acid becomes acetate when it enters your bloodstream. Acetate can regulate neurotransmitters in your brain while also reducing inflammation and improving brain function. Taking two tablespoons of red wine vinegar a day provides you with 3 grams of acetic acid, whereas the apple cider vinegar pills only provide 22.5 milligrams of acetic acid.
Acetic acid also changes how your body metabolizes nicotinamide, isoleucine, and isobutyric acid. The study found that drinking red wine vinegar daily boosted nicotinamide by 86% compared to the 5% increase in people who took apple cider vinegar. The nicotinamide metabolite has been previously found to reduce depressive symptoms in mice. The researchers said that nicotinamide boosts a process that helps recycle energy in your cells, increases proteins that protect cells and DNA, and supports the growth of mitochondria (the energy batteries in cells) to improve brain health.
The study is limited in that there were only 28 total participants involved in the study. The study also didn’t find significant differences between the vinegar groups on another measure of depression. People in the study only had mild or moderate levels of depression, so the researchers suggested more research was needed to test the effect of vinegar on people with clinical depression.
Health benefits of various vinegars
Although you can easily buy apple cider vinegar supplements in gummy or capsule form, you might want to try other types of vinegar for their health benefits. Although most fruit-based vinegars can protect your cells from free radicals, the specific antioxidants and organic acids in fruit vinegars can vary depending on the fruit itself and the fermentation process. According to a 2019 article in Antioxidants, balsamic vinegars (which are made from grapes) have the most antioxidant power compared to red wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar. Balsamic vinegar also has some of the highest amounts of polyphenols, like gallic acid and protocatechuic acid, that contribute to their antioxidant power. Fruit vinegars also have tartaric acid and malic acid to help your body ward off oxidative stress.
The polyphenols in vinegar might lower your cholesterol by limiting your body’s ability to oxidize LDL cholesterol, according to a 2022 review in the International Food Research Journal. Vinegar’s bioactive compounds might also reduce inflammation to improve the health of your arteries. Adding more vinegar to your diet might also lower your systolic blood pressure. Acetic acid and polyphenols have the power to fight cancer and reduce your fasting glucose levels. The acetic acid in vinegar also works as an antibacterial to punch out E. coli and salmonella and improve your gut health. Black bean vinegar might also alleviate constipation.