Could an apple cider vinegar a day keep the doctor away? Experts claim the tonic can fight fatigue and even help you lose weight (and two women put it to the test)

  • Sophie McIntosh and April Flanagan drank diluted vinegar everyday for a week
  • They wanted to see if they would feel any health benefits in such a short time
  • Sophie said it dramatically reduced bloating and helped with acid reflux
  • April struggled with the taste but lost two pounds in just seven days

Apple cider vinegar is the cure-all tonic that is supposed to boost your health, give you more energy and even help you lose weight.

Health gurus on social media swear by the stuff, and it has celebrity fans too in Miranda Kerr, Victoria Beckham, Megan Fox and Hilary Duff.

But does drinking an apple cider vinegar a day really keep the doctor away? And could it make a difference in just one week?

Two intrepid women, Sophie McIntosh, 23, from Essex, and April Flanagan, 24, from London, put it to the test.

Sophie McIntosh (left) and April Flanagan (right) drank diluted apple cider vinegar mixed with Manuka honey and water for a week to see what the health benefits would be

Sophie McIntosh (left) and April Flanagan (right) drank diluted apple cider vinegar mixed with Manuka honey and water for a week to see what the health benefits would be

Sophie drank vinegar everyday to see how she felt after a week - sometimes at her desk (pictured) and sometimes at home in the evening

Sophie drank vinegar everyday to see how she felt after a week - sometimes at her desk (pictured) and sometimes at home in the evening

And while both struggled with the taste, one of them found she actually lost a significant amount of weight in just one week. 

Though some apple cider fanatics drink it neat, nutritionists recommend you dilute apple cider vinegar with water at a one-to-two ratio.

However there are now ready-to-drink bottles of apple cider vinegar tonic on supermarket shelves to appeal to tonic drinkers.

Comvita has launched £2.99 drinking versions in 'natural' and golden kiwifruit flavours that contain health-boosting Manuka Honey, which is said to help with all kinds of ailments from sore throats to MRSA.

Our two women chose to glug the ready-to-drink versions every morning.

Both initially struggled with drinking a 250ml bottle every day, but Sophie found that chugging vinegar everyday reduced her bloating, while April lost two pounds in just one week.

Here's how they got on.

DAY 1 

Sophie tried drinking the vinegar with her morning breakfast of fresh fruit and granola and said it went well together

Sophie tried drinking the vinegar with her morning breakfast of fresh fruit and granola and said it went well together

Sophie:Drinking vinegar isn’t something that I’ve considered before, but after reading up on the health benefits, such as speeding up your metabolism and helping with bloated tummies, I was excited to give it a try. I was feeling very sceptical about how it would taste, but because it isn’t straight vinegar, it was better than I expected.

April: I have tried shots of apple cider vinegar in the past and know that it has a very strong kick. But as Victoria Beckham swears by it, I thought: 'It can’t be that bad!'. With my wedding just around the corner, I was definitely up for anything that would help me lose a few more pounds before the big day. I have to admit, I did feel nervous before trying the drinking vinegar. It definitely had a kick to it, but the taste of Manuka honey was potent, so that made it bearable to drink. 

DAY 2

April wanted to lose weight for her wedding and hoped the apple cider vinegar drink everyday could help her with that

April wanted to lose weight for her wedding and hoped the apple cider vinegar drink everyday could help her with that

Sophie: I woke up this morning and had the Golden Kiwifruit-flavoured Apple Cider Drinking Vinegar by Comvita alongside my morning fresh fruit and granola. It went quite nicely together, and was an energising alternative to my usual coffee or fresh juice. I’d try this combo again.

April:I drank my vinegar first thing when I woke up on Saturday morning. I wanted to get it out the way before I had my real breakfast and morning coffee. I have to admit, I wasn’t looking forward to drinking it, however I actually found it really refreshing first thing in the morning. I normally drink a pint of water after I wake up, but this quenched my thirst so I felt I didn’t need to.

DAY 3

Sophie: Waking up a little hungover, I’m sorry to say I was craving a fry-up rather than the apple cider vinegar. But remembering how good it made me feel yesterday, I drank a bottle when I woke up. I actually think it helped me to recover better; I felt less sick than usual.

April: I hadn’t really noticed much of a difference so far, however, by the third drink, I was starting to like the taste.

DAY 4

Sophie combined her apple cider vinegar drink with her morning breakfast of nuts, seeds, fresh fruit and granola

Sophie combined her apple cider vinegar drink with her morning breakfast of nuts, seeds, fresh fruit and granola

April said drinking the vinegar everyday helped suppress her appetite

April said drinking the vinegar everyday helped suppress her appetite

Sophie: Despite feeling a little drowsy today, I was feeling more productive and awake in the hours since drinking the vinegar. It made me feel invigorated throughout the afternoon, and I wasn't as hungry as I might normally have been.

April: Today I had my vinegar during the afternoon rather than in the morning, which I hadn’t done until now. An hour later, I felt quite perky - I really did not expect it to give me such a little pick-me-up. It actually stopped me giving into the 4pm chocolate cravings: Hallelujah!

DAY 5

Sophie: A couple of hours after drinking my morning vinegar, I was feeling sprightly. I wasn't particularly hungry or craving anything just before dinner either. Good stuff!

April: By day five, I started to realise that the amount I ate for dinner for the past couple of evenings had reduced significantly and on one evening, all I wanted to eat was a slice of toast – which is extremely rare for me. I am questioning whether it’s the stress and anxiety of wedding preparation that is preventing me from eating or if it’s the vinegar that is making me feel less hungry?

DAY 6

Sophie said the apple cider vinegar helped with her bloating and acid reflux

Sophie said the apple cider vinegar helped with her bloating and acid reflux

Sophie: I’ve noticed that my acid reflux isn’t as bad since I’ve been drinking the vinegar. It makes me feel brighter and like I’m being really healthy, but I’m getting a bit bored of it by day six. I don’t think I could drink it every day.

April: I’m not going to lie. I forgot to drink the vinegar. By the time I remembered it was 8pm and I'd rather have a glass of wine mid-week.

DAY 7

Sophie: I was in a rush this morning so I decided to drink my vinegar en route to work. It wasn’t until 2pm that I realised I was only starting to get hungry having had no breakfast. I couldn’t quite believe it, as normally I really struggle without a substantial breakfast or a mid-morning snack.

April: I have lost 2 pounds! I am on a diet for my wedding so you would expect some weight loss, but losing 2 pounds in a week blew my mind. I’ll take that!

VERDICT 

April (left) and Sophie (right) both said that they would struggle to drink the vinegar every day but were both impressed with the results after just seven days

April (left) and Sophie (right) both said that they would struggle to drink the vinegar every day but were both impressed with the results after just seven days

Sophie: I am pleasantly surprised by the vinegar. It’s drinkable and refreshing but most of all I feel like I am being good to my body. I normally get really bad bloating which has been dramatically reduced this week, as has my acid reflux. For these reasons, I’m definitely going to try and incorporate apple cider vinegar into my diet.

April: I can’t quite believe how amazing this challenge has been for weight loss. I’ve been dieting for a while for my wedding, but drinking the vinegar has definitely helped me budge the pounds and suppressed my huge appetite. It’s not something I will drink every day but I would definitely consider it to help when I'm trying to lose weight.

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