You may wonder if any scientific evidence supports the use of apple cider vinegar for IBS, which is of growing interest among those seeking natural remedies for digestive health.

Like other types of vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar (ACV) in salad dressings, sauces, baking, pickling, and food preservation.

In this article, we examine the scientific evidence behind ACV’s potential benefits for IBS and digestive health and explore whether you should include it in your diet.

What Is Apple Cider Vinegar?

ACV is a type of vinegar made from apple cider or apple must. It primarily contains acetic acid.

ACV undergoes a fermentation process involving bacteria and yeast. Initially, they add yeast to crushed apple juice to ferment sugars into alcohol (1).

The final product of this fermentation process is a liquid containing approximately 5% acetic acid, the primary component responsible for vinegar’s sour taste (2).

Does Apple Cider Vinegar Help The Gut?

ACV is versatile and commonly used in salads, sauces, and baking. It also has a historical role in traditional medicine practices (3).

Today, some consume ACV diluted in water or juice, believing in its potential health benefits, particularly for gut health.

Numerous health claims surround ACV, but looking at these claims against scientific evidence is essential.

Claim 1: Apple cider vinegar helps IBS

Some people claim ACV helps with IBS symptoms based on personal experiences, but it’s crucial to rely on scientific evidence for reliable information.

Currently, no scientific evidence supports the use of ACV for managing IBS symptoms.

Consuming ACV as a remedy for IBS poses risks, such as potential damage to the digestive tract due to its acidity (4).

Additionally, spending money on ACV supplements for IBS might not be worth it since there are no proven benefits.

Claim 2: Apple cider vinegar helps digestion

Many people believe ACV helps digestion. They think that because ACV is acidic, it increases stomach acid and aids digestion.

However, there is no strong scientific evidence to support this claim. One study even suggests that ACV does not affect digestion (5).

Some people claim ACV contains enzymes that aid digestion. In reality, ACV doesn’t have digestive enzymes. Your stomach produces its own, much stronger than the acid in ACV.

So, while ACV IBS claims are popular, they need more scientific backing. Always speak with your doctor before trying new remedies.

Claim 3: Apple cider vinegar helps with sore throats

Some people claim ACV can relieve sore throats, especially in those with an ongoing sore throat, by breaking up mucus and having antibacterial effects.

While ACV does possess antimicrobial properties due to its acidity, there is currently no evidence supporting its effectiveness inside the human body.

Instead, studies primarily focus on its external uses, such as in food hygiene and cleaning dentures (6, 7).

One case report mentions a woman using ACV for vaginal candida infection (thrush) (8).

However, you should not generalize this advice due to limited research unless researchers conduct more extensive studies.

Changes in pH from ACV could even exacerbate vaginal thrush. This is, therefore, a great example of how not all studies are transferable to the general population.

Studies also examine how ACV improves the immune system, but researchers conduct these studies in animals, which unfortunately have no relevance to humans (9, 10, 11).

If you have a persistent sore throat lasting over a week, it could indicate a more serious medical condition. Always consult your doctor if this symptom persists without improvement.

Claim 4: Apple cider vinegar reduces gas

One claim about ACV is that it contains enzymes that help break down food and prevent gas production.

However, the enzymes in ACV are not the type needed to break down food, so scientific evidence does not support this claim.

Your body naturally produces enzymes, mainly in the small bowel, to aid food digestion.

Although enzyme deficiencies can occur, they are rare and require different and much higher doses of enzyme supplements.

Claim 5: Apple cider vinegar helps with bloating

People often promote ACV as a remedy for bloating because they believe its acidity aids digestion and reduces gas buildup in the stomach.

However, bloating can stem from various causes, including low stomach acid, constipation, or dietary factors like high fiber intake or carbonated drinks.

While some people claim to find relief from bloating with ACV, scientific evidence supporting its effectiveness specifically for bloating is limited.

Claim 6: Drinking apple cider vinegar can help with constipation

The claim that ACV helps with constipation by stimulating gastric juices lacks scientific support.

One small study examined people with diabetes and gastroparesis, a condition that slows down the movement of food from the stomach into the bowel.

This study’s result suggests that ACV worsens symptoms by slowing down digestion (12).

Most cases of constipation result from dietary and lifestyle factors or nerve signaling issues in the gut, which ACV is unlikely to address.

If you are experiencing constipation, please speak to a healthcare professional for more personalized advice.

Claim 7: Drinking apple cider vinegar can reduce heartburn

Heartburn is a burning sensation in the chest caused by stomach acid moving up towards the throat, known as acid reflux or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) (13).

The claim suggests that low stomach acid causes heartburn and that drinking ACV increases acidity levels.

However, low stomach acid typically does not cause heartburn, and the actual cause is often unknown.

Several factors can increase your risk of heartburn or trigger it in some people (14):

• Certain foods and drinks, e.g., coffee, alcohol, chocolate, and fatty or spicy foods
• Being above a healthy weight
• Smoking
• Pregnancy
• Stress and anxiety
• Certain medicines
• A hiatus hernia

Our stomachs also naturally regulate acidity levels with a buffer system that maintains pH balance (the acidity levels in your stomach). If foods could change our pH levels, we would die.

Claim 8: Apple cider vinegar is a prebiotic

Prebiotics are essentially food for gut bacteria, helping to promote healthy levels of beneficial bacteria in the gut.

You can read more about prebiotics in this post: ‘Do prebiotics help IBS symptoms?’. 

Some claim ACV acts as a prebiotic because it contains pectin from apples.

However, the fermentation process of ACV significantly reduces the amount of pectin present, rendering it unlikely to have any meaningful prebiotic effect.

For effective prebiotic benefits, it’s better to consume foods rich in intact prebiotics, like fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Claim 9: Apple cider vinegar has anti-inflammatory properties

One of the most common claims about ACV is that it has anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce gut inflammation.

However, scientific evidence does not support these claims. A study on rats with arthritis actually showed increased inflammation when given ACV (15).

Animal studies are not always applicable to humans, and no solid scientific evidence supports ACV as an effective anti-inflammatory agent in humans.

Claim 10: Apple cider vinegar is a probiotic

ACV is a type of fermented food similar to kefir, sauerkraut, and kombucha. Although ACV may contain beneficial gut bacteria, experts do not consider it a probiotic.

You can read more about probiotics for IBS here. 

To qualify as a probiotic, the good bacteria must survive the digestive process and reach the large intestine in sufficient quantities to have a beneficial effect.

Unlike probiotic supplements, fermented foods like ACV lack a protective layer around their bacteria. Stomach acid and digestive enzymes likely destroy most of the bacteria.

It’s important to note that only ‘organic’ ACV containing the ‘mother’ actually contains beneficial bacteria. You can identify it by its cloudy appearance.

Some animal studies suggest that ACV could improve the benefits of taking a probiotic (16). However, these benefits may not translate directly to humans.

Is drinking apple cider vinegar dangerous?

ACV contains high levels of acetic acid, which softens enamel and makes it more susceptible to wear and decay, increasing the risk of tooth erosion (17).

Due to its acidity, regular consumption of undiluted ACV can harm the throat, as observed in studies linking ACV consumption with tooth enamel erosion (18).

Other studies, known as ‘case reports,’ discuss one-off incidents with ACV, but these do not give an accurate picture of what could happen in general.

Summary

Scientific evidence supporting apple cider vinegar for IBS and digestive health claims is lacking.

If you enjoy the flavor of ACV, use it in cooking or as a part of meals, but avoid consuming it on its own to prevent potential damage to your teeth.

Always consult your doctor if you experience any digestive health symptoms. This will ensure that you get the correct and safe medical management you need.