Great on salad, but probably won't cure osteoporosis

Q. Could you please outline the benefits, or not, of taking cider vinegar.
Cheers, Bev.

A. Bev, for at least 15 centuries writers have been extolling the virtues of apple cider vinegar. When I was younger, I read a best-selling book by a Vermont country doctor advocating cider vinegar as a remedy for acne, osteoporosis, and as a tonic for overall good health. For a month or so, I swigged a tablespoon of the stuff mixed in a cup of water. It tasted, as you might guess, very sour. I eventually eliminated the vinegar, and drank just the water, and am happy to say I've been osteoporosis-free ever since.
Seriously, though, there have been only a few decent studies on apple cider vinegar's ability to do things like blunt high blood sugars in diabetics and even non-diabetics by inactivating stomach enzymes, but that research is still in its early stages. For the time being, what we have to be content with are legions of well-meaning folk citing its effectiveness at curing a host of medical conditions, from athlete's foot to heart disease, because of its high levels of potassium, cholesterol-lowering pectin fibre, and vitamins. The only problem is that it actually contains virtually none of these things. It's mostly water, 10 per cent acetic acid, plus some natural flavours. With a pH of about 3, it's acidic enough to erode tooth enamel, worsen heartburn, and cause unwanted low potassium problems for people taking digoxin, water pills, or insulin. But diluted and in small amounts, it's cheap, fairly harmless, and perhaps good for you.
Good for you? But didn't I just say it has hardly any nutritional value? Well, yes, but because of its tangy and mild flavour it can serve as the perfect substitute for less-healthy flavourings. Keep a bit of it on the table, and use it in place of salt, mayonnaise, oil, or even sugar the next time you need to liven up your meal. Bon appetit.
Gary Payinda MD is an emergency medicine consultant in Whangarei.
Have a science, health topic or question you'd like addressed? Email: drpayinda@gmail.com
(This column provides general information and is not a substitute for the medical advice of your personal doctor.)