The influence of vinegar on blood sugar – and how it can help you lose weight

 

Word should have gotten around that unusual diets rarely lead to long-term weight loss success. On the other hand, it is completely different if you consistently change your diet. The so-called “glucose trick” is also supposed to help, at the center of which is a spoonful of apple cider vinegar and a certain order of eating. Does it really work – can you lose weight like that? Studies and a nutritionist are quite optimistic.

Do you want to lose weight? Well, then I’ll take you on a thought experiment. Imagine that in front of you is a freshly baked pizza with Serrano ham and arugula. This fragrance! Mhm … But slowly, don’t bite into it. Before you indulge in this high-calorie sin, pull out a bottle of apple cider vinegar from your bag – this is where it gets uncomfortable for a moment – measure out a tablespoon of it and swallow the sour brew in one bite. You shake yourself briefly, because the aftertaste in your mouth is really not very pleasant, but fortunately you can now devote yourself fully to the pizza. But wait, not just as usual, i.e., piecemeal.

This time you first pick the vegetables from the topping, let them disappear in your mouth, then eat the ham and finally the base. And then, after a 20-minute digestive break, do some exercise. A leisurely jog, bike ride, or something. What sounds quite absurd is, from the point of view of the inventor of the “glucose diet”, a miracle weapon against unwanted kilos. The procedure described is supposed to have such a pleasing effect on the blood sugar level that you lose weight – even though you have just supplied the body with a lot of calories. What’s with that?

 

This is what is behind the “glucose trick”

The author and biochemist Jessie Inchauspé has landed a bestseller in 2022 with her book The Glucose Trick: No More Cravings, Bad Skin, and Low Moods – How to Escape the Roller Coaster of Blood Sugar Levels. In it, she explains how you can trick your body so that it breaks down fat mass even though you eat what you want. In recent weeks, BILD has made the topic even bigger.

Tricking only requires adherence to three rules at every meal. And as I said, everything is allowed to eat. If you want to lose weight with the glucose trick, you only have to follow three important rules:

Rule 1: 20 minutes before each meal, drink a glass of water mixed with a tablespoon of vinegar.
Rule 2: At every meal, you should first eat the vegetables (e.g., salad), then fats and proteins (e.g., meat or fish), then carbohydrates (e.g., potatoes, rice, fries, etc.) and then, if you absolutely want it, something sweet (e.g., yogurt, chocolate, etc.).
Rule 3: 20 minutes after each meal, you should do some exercise.

Also interesting: The effect of a walk after eating on blood sugar levels.

What is the glucose trick supposed to do?

To understand where Inchauspé’s tricks come in, we first need to understand the mechanism behind a sharp rise in blood sugar levels – which would result from eating the pizza described above in any case. When you eat high-carb (pizza!, pasta!, bread!) or sugary food, the carbohydrates are quickly converted into glucose.

While we only feel that we are getting tired (think of the low after a heavy meal), glucose in turn enters the blood and increases blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia). Now the pancreas starts releasing insulin to transport blood sugar into the body’s cells. Insulin must be thought of as a key that opens the cells so that glucose is used as energy or – and this is the undesirable part of the process – stored. This is because when the glycogen stores in the liver and muscles are full, excess glucose is converted into fat. Now comes the aspect that the author of Glucose Trick describes as a “roller coaster of blood sugar levels”: A high insulin level can now lower blood sugar too much, which leads to hypoglycemia. And this creates a vicious circle called cravings. Vicious circle, because it makes us crave fast carbohydrates above all – the roller coaster goes up again.

Blood sugar level should ride a children’s carousel instead of a roller coaster

How do you escape this vicious circle? Is there a way to eat pizza and still lose weight? Inchauspé’s nutrition trick wants to do that for us. If you follow the three dietary rules (above), this is supposed to keep the blood sugar level permanently low, even if we eat pizza and pasta. So the blood sugar level should no longer ride a roller coaster, but a children’s carousel.

The goal of the glucose trick is to keep the blood sugar level as normal as possible between 70 and 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) in order to lose weight. According to the scientist Inchauspé, this can be achieved by starting with those foods that cause blood sugar to rise slowly at mealtimes. This is mainly vegetables, which contain a lot of water as well as satiating fiber. Then come fats and proteins and only then the carbohydrates. However, because the latter enter the stomach later, the blood sugar level should no longer rise as rapidly as if they reach the stomach first. That’s why it doesn’t matter so much in the end if you eat some chocolate or something else sweet.

In addition, you are satiated more quickly by the fiber, fats, and proteins, so that fewer carbohydrates are consumed overall. In addition, vinegar water before eating and exercising shortly after eating are said to lower blood sugar.

Lower blood sugar with vinegar? This is what a nutritionist thinks

Does vinegar actually lower blood sugar levels? What about the intake of food in a certain order: Does it help you lose weight – or does it just spoil the joy of eating? And finally: Is exercise recommended 20 minutes after a meal?

I asked these three questions to the nutritionist Dr. Matthias Riedl. He is the medical director of Medicum Hamburg and the author of numerous nutrition guides. In any case, he has only positive things to say about the tablespoon of vinegar before eating: “With this ritual, you can lower the rise in blood sugar levels,” Riedl tells FITBOOK. However, one should not expect miracles. And: Be careful, the acid can damage the tooth enamel. Therefore, the doctor’s advice is to take the vinegar “only diluted and wait 30 minutes before brushing your teeth”.

What studies say

Smaller studies suggest that apple cider vinegar, diluted before eating, can help slow down the rise in blood sugar levels. In 2004, Prof. Carol Johnston of Arizona studied the effects of vinegar on postprandial blood sugar levels in healthy individuals, as well as those with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes. Vinegar reduced postprandial blood sugar spikes by 34 percent in insulin-resistant participants and by 19 percent in type 2 diabetics. Another study from Sweden that looked at the effects of vinegar on insulin sensitivity after a high-carb meal in people with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes showed that taking vinegar before a meal improved insulin sensitivity in these individuals. Another indication that vinegar could serve as a simple and inexpensive way to support blood sugar control in insulin-resistant or diabetic patients.

And then there is a real study board that proves the beneficial effect of apple cider vinegar on body weight: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in 2024 in the BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, 120 participants took either 5, 10, or 15 milliliters of apple cider vinegar every day in the morning on an empty stomach, diluted in 250 milliliters of water, over a period of 12 weeks. Or they took a placebo. The participants who consumed apple cider vinegar lost an average of between six and eight kilograms of body weight. And that within a few weeks.

Does the order of eating affect blood sugar? This is what studies and the expert say

Let’s move on to the order of eating. As a reminder, the “glucose trick” involves eating vegetables and salad first, then fat and protein, and finally carbohydrates to see weight loss success. Then the blood sugar level is supposed to bob along in the children’s carousel, which is great. Research confirms this – most recently at the end of 2024 by scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. And physician Riedl sees it that way, too. “With this order, the increase in blood sugar levels after eating is more even and less pronounced.” Diabetics in particular can benefit from this order, he says. “If possible, it is best to eat carbohydrates mainly at the end. Ultimately, however, diabetics should prefer fewer carbohydrate-rich meals anyway,” is his advice.

Does exercise after eating lower blood sugar levels?

Lastly, exercise 20 minutes after eating. Does this measure also bring the blood sugar level into the normal range? Yes, confirms Matthias Riedl. “Basically, exercise after eating can help lower blood sugar levels.” However, the extent depends on the intensity and the individual. According to the doctor, some people tend to rise in blood sugar during sports. The reason could be stress hormones, which the body releases more during stronger activity. Accordingly, the glucose trick would not always be able to help you lose weight.

Conclusion on the “glucose trick”

The concept of the “glucose trick” is based on three simple dietary rules: vinegar water before eating, a certain order in which the food is consumed, and exercise after the meal. The aim is to keep blood sugar levels stable and thus avoid cravings and increased fat storage. Studies suggest that apple cider vinegar may actually have a positive impact on blood sugar. The recommended food order and exercise after eating also seem to have scientifically sound effects. Experts such as Dr. Matthias Riedl confirm the advantages but point out that one should not expect miracles. Overall, the “glucose trick” could be a useful addition to a healthy diet, but it should not be considered the sole solution to weight loss. And please don’t pick the pizza, that inhibits the enjoyment a lot. There are certainly dishes that are better suited for the “glucose trick”. Although: It’s strange to eat the Bolognese before the pasta.

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