StudyRepo

Literature review of the effects of acetate, a SCFA (short-chain fatty acid), on body weight and metabolism.

A 15 year old Korean boy drank a very acidic vinegar beverage daily without diluting it enough. He had to go to the ER with severe acid burns to his esophagus. "He had been habitually drinking more than half a cup (100–150 mL) of a pomegranate-fermented vinegar beverage with no sufficient dilution every morning for 1 month. The acidity of this beverage was 2.7% with a pH of 2.6, and it was composed of acetic acid (35%), citric acid (60%), and maleic acid (5%) in the form of organic acids. The manufacturer recommended a 3:1 dilution of water and vinegar before drinking."

120 overweight or obese Lebanese people between 12 and 25 years were put into 5, 10, or 15ml of apple cider vinegar groups or a placebo group for 12 weeks. The ACV contained 5% acetic acid and was taken, diluted in 250ml of water, every morning on an empty stomach. The ACV groups achieved significant reduction in body weight in a dose dependent manner, losing 5-7kg over the course of 12 weeks. They also had slightly lower serum glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides.

39 participants were put into 2 groups. Both groups had a calorie restricted diet with a 250kcal/day deficit, but one group ingested 30ml of apple cider vinegar daily. The trial ran for 12 weeks. After 12 weeks, the ACV group had lost significantly more fat.

175 obese Japanese people were randomly assigned to one of 3 groups. Daily, they ingested 500ml of a beverage containing either 15ml apple vinegar (750mg acetic acid), 30ml vinegar (1,500mg acetic acid), or 0ml vinegar (placebo). The experiment lasted 12 weeks. They drank 250ml of the beverage after breakfast, and 250ml after dinner. Starting from week 4, the subjects began losing fat and waist circumference in a dose-dependent manner. The placebo group gained a slight amount of fat. Serum triglyceride levels also improved in the vinegar groups.