I have just read a short article, titled somewhat emphatically, “Vinegar Reduces Postprandial Glycemia” in a May, 2011 online issue of one of my favorite diabetes information sources, Diabetes-in-control.com.
Diabetes-in-control.com is a website providing news about diabetes and related blood sugar topics that is primary for medical professionals. But it is also for persons like me who are not medical professionals but who have diabetes. I am a long-time Type-2 diabetic.
I have seen references in the past stating that vinegar, like many other non-pharmaceutical products, can be helpful in lowering blood sugar levels. Whenever I learn of such possibilities, I always try to check further to obtain details and now having done so, I can summarize them on this Diabetic Food List website.
The information is mainly about the claim that vinegar, when ingested with food as part of a diabetic food plan, can help manage the elevated blood sugar levels of diabetes and can also moderate cravings for food, and thus contribute to weight management. But there are also opposing claims that counter those of the article mentioned in the opening of this piece so I will make reference to those too. Perhaps the opposing viewpoints can be of value to other diabetics who may be considering make changes or additions to their own diabetic food lists. As it states on this website’s home page, “Our objective is to provide information regarding a wide range of foods and how they can fit into a diabetic meal plan and a diabetic lifestyle.”
About the article
The exact article mentioned above has also appeared in other diabetes oriented journals of recent date and on other websites. It is not stated in the article just when the research referred to was actually carried out, however it must be assumed to be of relevance now for it to have been recently reported.
The article describes the results of a small study carried out by Arizona State University researchers from which it was concluded that small amounts of vinegar in meals can help achieve a lesser rise in blood sugar levels after a meal than would normally be the case. Many diabetics find that their blood glucose levels spike quite substantially after a meal and take longer than the the preferred two hours to return to a more normal lower range. If vinegar can help overcome that diabetic problem it would seem to provide a welcome benefit that might warrant its inclusion in the diabetic food list.
The test
The participants tested a 20 gram drink of apple cider vinegar added to 49 grams of water, and a single teaspoon of saccharine. There were other tests carried out with versions of non-vinegar drinks, one of which contained a placebo, so that the results could be compared with the vinegar drink. The study commenced with a breakfast meal, eaten on an empty stomach, consisting of a bagel and orange juice.
Blood tests were made immediately before the meal and then at 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after the meal. The study showed that after one hour, the vinegar content drink resulted in a 35% lesser escalation than that produced using the placebo version drink.
The Diabetes-in-control article also referred to a Swedish study published in 2005 in which vinegar was shown to the rise in blood sugars after consuming food.
My personal comment
I have also read comments from diabetics who have used apple cider vinegar, some favorable and some not. The study was carried out with a small number of only 10 participants, a fact that was also commented on in other articles including an MSN Health Topics website that I recommend reading to gain an alternative viewpoint, it can be found at this link: MSN Health.
Afterthought and Update
Without yet having time to read it, and therefore I can only comment on it later, I have just acquired a book by Dr. Sanjiv Chopra, a professor at Harvard Medical School, and Dr. Alan Lotvin, a cardiologist and CEO of ICORE Healthcare, titled “Doctor Chopra Says”, published 2010 by St. Martin’s Press. There is a 4 page section in the book that seems to speak favorably of vinegar and its benefits in dealing with diabetic blood sugar levels and also weight gain. As soon as I have been able to mentally digest its content I will add an additional paragraph or two to summarize its conclusions and will probably make that Part 2 of this posting.
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