What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies

Beth Ann Mayer
·5-min read

Netflix's buzzy new show called Apple Cider Vinegar comes out today. Starring Kaitlyn Dever and Alycia Debnam-Carey and based on a true story, it follows a pair of "wellness gurus" who use their platforms to "cure" people.

Does this sound familiar? Perhaps it's like your nightly scroll through social media, where you're hit with plenty of wellness hacks, like... oh wait, apple cider vinegar?

"There are many claims around apple cider vinegar relating to health," says Courtney Pelitera, MS, RD, CNSC, a registered dietitian with Top Nutrition Coaching. "I have seen articles claiming everything from increasing metabolism to controlling blood glucose to promoting weight loss." But the truth is, registered dietitians share that there's little to no research on apple cider vinegar and its purported benefits.

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Regardless, ACV has become so popular that you can now find it in gummy form. Wondering what we know of the benefits of apple cider vinegar gummies? Ahead, see what registered dietitians think of the reported apple cider gummy benefits and risks and whether this wellness hack is worth a shot.

Related: Here's Exactly What Happens to Your Body If You Drink Apple Cider Vinegar Every Day

What Are Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies?

Apple cider vinegar gummies are chews containing apple cider vinegar. However, they are not the same as the pantry staple itself.

"Both ACV gummies and the liquid form of apple cider vinegar contain acetic acid, the compound that’s thought to provide most of the benefits," Michelle Routhenstein, MS, RD, CDCES, CDN, a preventive cardiology dietitian at EntirelyNourished.com, tells Parade. "However, gummies are much less concentrated and usually have added sugars or sweeteners to make them more palatable."

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However, Routhenstein points out that the added sugar can actually contribute to blood sugar control issues, as opposed to improve them.

Registered dietitian Maddie Pasquariello, MS, RDN, also raises concerns about added sugar and flags another problem with the ingredients in apple cider vinegar gummies.

"Another reason the effects of each might differ is that the supplement industry is vastly unregulated," Pasquariello explains. "You have no promise that what's on the ingredient label of a supplement is actually what you're getting when you consume it. Many of them also rely on 'proprietary blends' of ingredients, which lets them avoid telling you exactly how much of a given ingredient is actually in the product."

Pasquariello notes that apple cider vinegar gummies can be expensive and that the reported benefits don't have much research behind them.

Related: Some People Swear By Apple Cider Vinegar for Weight Loss—But Does It Really Help You Lose Weight?

What Happens To Your Body When You Take Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies

Here's what might happen to your body when you take apple cider vinegar gummies:

1. Your cholesterol could improve

Pelitera cited a Current Medicinal Chemistry 2023 review that suggests apple cider vinegar could potentially improve triglycerides and reduce total cholesterol. However, Jason Levee, RD, a registered dietitian with Whole Family Health, cautions that this study is only one. Research is still limited, and the study didn't examine apple cider vinegar gummies.

2. your blood sugar control might also improve

A 2021 meta-analysis found that apple cider vinegar intake lowered fasting blood glucose in people with Type 2 diabetes. Much older research from 1998 suggests it can slow digestion, potentially guarding against blood sugar spikes.

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"We see a reduction of the increase in blood sugar with two tablespoons or the equivalent of apple cider vinegar per day," Pelitera says.

Again, gummies vary in their contents (and the limited—and in the case of gastric emptying, old—research is on ACV itself).

3. Your sugar intake will increase

While controlling blood sugar is considered one of the more promising potential uses for ACV, taking it in gummy form may do more harm than good to these efforts.

"If you're consuming several different types of gummy vitamins each day, you may be increasing your sugar intake to a substantial degree," Pasquariello says. "Many of these brands contain up to 4 grams—and sometimes more—of added sugar per serving, which adds up."

Related: Some People Swear By Apple Cider Vinegar for Weight Loss—But Does It Really Help You Lose Weight?

4. There's potential for gut health improvement

As a fermented food, apple cider vinegar may boost digestion.

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"There are probiotics in ACV, and especially if you have a part of the mother inside of it, it may add gut health benefits to it," Levee says.

At the risk of sounding like a broken ... research, Levee believes we need more data on ACV (especially in gummy form) before hailing better gut health as an actual perk.

5. ...Or not

On the flip side, you may notice your stomach does not agree with apple cider vinegar gummies. "For some people, consuming gummies can make them feel bloated or gassy, depending on the ingredients in the gummy itself," Pasquariello says. "This isn't exclusive to ACV gummies, and it's also something that can happen if you consume a lot of vinegar, so it's something to watch out for."

6. You could experience acid overload

The acidity in ACV gummies may do a number on your upper body—and we're not talking about building functional shoulder strength.

"Due to the high acidity of the vinegar itself, it can potentially damage tooth enamel," Pelitera says. "Another downfall of a highly acidic product could be an increase in heartburn symptoms for those who are sensitive or have GERD."

7. Nothing

Without large-scale human trials on the benefits of apple cider vinegar gummies and limited data on ACV, RDs mostly fear people will be disappointed. "This is what's most likely to happen if you consume ACV gummies," Pasquariello says. "The cons of consuming added sugar outweigh any small benefit these gummies might have on digestion or overall health."

Routhenstein agrees. "The science behind ACV gummies is weak," Routhenstein says. "There's little evidence to suggest they do much for weight loss, blood sugar control, or digestion. So, for some people, taking them might do nothing at all. If you’re hoping for a miracle, be cautious."

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Related: Got GERD? Try This 7-Day GERD Diet Plan RDs Love

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