Vinegar May Combat Fat

Maybe the vinegar effect isn't just an old-wives tale. New research from Japan is lending credence to the age-old notion that vinegar can help reduce fat. Investigators put laboratory mice on a high-fat diet and fed them acetic acid, the main component of vinegar. They put another group of mice on the same diet but gave them water. The mice in both groups gained weight but those on the vinegar "diet" put on significantly less body fat (up to 10 percent less) than the other mice. The acetic acid may work by turning on genes for fatty acid oxidation enzymes. These genes produce proteins that can break down fats and therefore suppress body fat accumulation. Research elsewhere indicates that acetic acid also may help control blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Does this mean a vinegar diet will help humans lose weight or prevent them from gaining? That's for another study to determine, but you could try dressing your salads with vinegar and olive oil to see if it helps. The Japanese study was published in the July 8, 2009, issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.