Apple Cider Vinegar for Blood Sugar: What the Studies Show
Written by the Glyco Reset editorial team
Last updated · Who reviewed this page · How we write and review
Apple cider vinegar lowered blood sugar a little in small, short trials. Fasting sugar fell about 8 to 22 mg/dL at 13.75 to 30 mL a day, roughly 1 to 2 tablespoons, with a clear effect only above about 10 mL. It is not a diabetes treatment. Dilute it, rinse after, and ask your doctor first if you take insulin or water pills.
Does apple cider vinegar lower blood sugar? What trials found
Apple cider vinegar lowered blood sugar a little in small, short trials. Across nine trials, fasting blood sugar fell about 8 mg/dL on average (Hadi et al., 2021), and in type 2 diabetes the drop was about 22 mg/dL (Arjmandfard et al., 2025).
Those are modest numbers from small studies, several with a high risk of bias.
| Study | Who took part | Vinegar used | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shishehbor 2017 (Shishehbor et al., 2017) | Pooled clinical trials | Vinegar with a meal | Smaller rise in sugar and insulin after eating |
| Hadi 2021 (Hadi et al., 2021) | 9 trials, 686 adults | 15 to 770 mL a day for 30 to 90 days | Fasting sugar about 8 mg/dL lower; A1C change small |
| Arjmandfard 2025 (Arjmandfard et al., 2025) | 7 trials, 463 adults with type 2 diabetes | 13.75 to 30 mL a day for 4 to 12 weeks | Fasting sugar about 22 mg/dL lower; clear only above about 10 mL |
| Siddiqui 2018 (Siddiqui et al., 2018) | Small trials in diabetes | Daily vinegar for 8 to 12 weeks | A1C about 0.39% lower |
| Jafarirad 2023 (Jafarirad et al., 2023) | 73 adults with type 2 diabetes finished | 30 mL a day with or after lunch for 8 weeks | A1C fell; fasting sugar gap not significant |
| White 2007 (White et al., 2007) | 11 adults with type 2 diabetes | 2 tablespoons with 1 oz cheese at bedtime | Waking sugar up to about 6% lower |
| Feise 2020 (Feise et al., 2020) | 12 healthy adults | 25 g liquid vinegar in water, or 4 tablets, with one meal | Liquid cut the rise by 31%; tablets did not |
How does vinegar reduce blood sugar spikes after meals?
Vinegar taken with a meal lowered the rise in blood sugar and insulin after eating (Shishehbor et al., 2017). The exact reason is not settled, but slower stomach emptying is one clue.
In a small pilot study, vinegar slowed how fast food left the stomach (Hlebowicz et al., 2007). Food that leaves the stomach slowly tends to release its sugar slowly, too.
In one careful meal test, the same people tried both forms on different days.
- 1
Same meal
Each person ate a test meal with 64 grams of carbohydrate.
- 2
Liquid vinegar
On one day, the meal came with 25 g of apple cider vinegar, holding 1.25 g of acetic acid, mixed in water.
- 3
Vinegar tablets
On another day, the same meal came with four commercial vinegar tablets.
- 4
Sugar checks
Liquid vinegar cut the after-meal rise by 31%. The tablets did not (Feise et al., 2020).
How much apple cider vinegar did blood sugar studies use?
Trials in type 2 diabetes used 13.75 to 30 mL a day, and most used 15 or 20 mL (Arjmandfard et al., 2025). A clear drop in fasting sugar showed up only above about 10 mL a day.
One tablespoon holds about 15 mL, so the trial range is roughly 1 to 2 tablespoons. Meal tests gave a similar amount at one sitting.
The study doses post breaks these amounts down trial by trial.
Does apple cider vinegar lower A1C?
Possibly, but only slightly. Pooled small trials showed A1C about 0.39% lower after 8 to 12 weeks of vinegar (Siddiqui et al., 2018).
A larger pooled analysis judged the A1C drop small and not robust (Hadi et al., 2021). In an 8-week trial without a placebo, A1C fell more with vinegar than with diet advice alone (Jafarirad et al., 2023).
When to take apple cider vinegar: the timings trials used
No best time of day has been proven. Each trial picked its own timing, so the evidence points to several options rather than one rule.
The Glyco Reset label gives no time of day either.
- With a meal
Meal tests
Pooled trials gave vinegar alongside a meal and saw a smaller sugar rise afterward (Shishehbor et al., 2017).
- Lunch
8-week trial
Adults took 30 mL a day with or after lunch (Jafarirad et al., 2023).
- Bedtime
Pilot study
Two tablespoons with an ounce of cheese lowered waking sugar a little in 11 people (White et al., 2007).
- Before breakfast
Safety study
30 mL in 200 mL of water slowed stomach emptying in people with gastroparesis (Hlebowicz et al., 2007).
Liquid, pills or gummies: which form of vinegar was tested?
Studies that saw an effect used liquid vinegar, usually mixed into water. In a direct test, whole vinegar tablets did not match liquid vinegar (Feise et al., 2020).
Tablets bring their own problem. After a tablet injured one woman's throat, tests of eight products found wide gaps in acid content and label claims (Hill et al., 2005).
We found no trial of vinegar gummies. The FTC says a study supports a product only when the dose and form match what was tested (FTC, 2022).
Is apple cider vinegar safe every day? Risks to know
At the amounts used in trials, side effects looked uncommon (Launholt et al., 2020). Four risks still matter, depending on who you are and how much you take.
The Glyco Reset side effects page covers the same risks for the drops.
| Risk | What was found | Who should take care |
|---|---|---|
| Acid on teeth and throat | Acidic drinks wear enamel (Mayo Clinic, 2025); a tablet injured a throat (Hill et al., 2005) | Everyone: dilute, rinse after, never sip it straight |
| Low potassium | One case after about 250 mL a day for years (Lhotta et al., 1998) | People on water pills (diuretics) or taking large amounts |
| Low blood sugar | Insulin, sulfonylureas and meglitinides can push sugar below 70 mg/dL (NIDDK, 2021) | Anyone on those drugs; ask your doctor first |
| Slower stomach emptying | Vinegar slowed it further in gastroparesis (Hlebowicz et al., 2007) | People with gastroparesis (NIDDK, 2018) |
Can apple cider vinegar replace metformin or diabetes care?
No. Vinegar is a food, not a diabetes drug, and NCCIH warns never to replace treatment with an unproven product (NCCIH, 2018).
In 2021 the FDA and FTC warned ten companies whose supplements claimed to treat diabetes (FDA, 2021). The ADA does not recommend supplements such as chromium or cinnamon for blood sugar benefit (ADA, 2026).
Habits carry much stronger proof. In the National Diabetes Prevention Program, a 5% to 7% weight loss cut type 2 diabetes risk by 58% (CDC, 2024).
Where Glyco Reset and other vinegar drops fit
Glyco Reset lists apple cider vinegar first, but the amount per serving is not stated. The whole 60 ml bottle would cover only 2 to 4 days of a study dose even if it were pure vinegar.
It is not pure vinegar. Water, pure cane sugar, apple pectin, citric acid and sodium citrate share the bottle, and no study of the finished drops exists.
The Glyco Reset ingredients page covers each one in detail.
Before you try apple cider vinegar for blood sugar: a checklist
Go through these points with your doctor before you add vinegar to your routine.
Comparing bottles instead? The buyer’s guide to blood sugar drops shows how to check a label.
Before you start, check: 0 of 7 checked
Apple cider vinegar and blood sugar: common questions
Questions people type into Google and Bing, answered from the label and the sources on this page.
Does apple cider vinegar lower blood sugar?
In small trials, a little. Pooled studies found fasting blood sugar about 8 mg/dL lower in mixed groups (Hadi et al., 2021) and about 22 mg/dL lower in type 2 diabetes (Arjmandfard et al., 2025). The trials were few, small and short.
How much apple cider vinegar should I take for blood sugar?
No official dose exists, so set any amount with your doctor. Trials in type 2 diabetes used 13.75 to 30 mL a day, about 1 to 2 tablespoons, with a clear effect only above about 10 mL (Arjmandfard et al., 2025).
When is the best time to take apple cider vinegar for blood sugar?
No best time has been proven. Trials gave vinegar with a meal (Shishehbor et al., 2017), with or after lunch (Jafarirad et al., 2023) or at bedtime with a little cheese (White et al., 2007).
Does apple cider vinegar lower A1C?
Maybe slightly. One pooled analysis found A1C about 0.39% lower after 8 to 12 weeks (Siddiqui et al., 2018), while another called the A1C drop small and not robust (Hadi et al., 2021).
Is it safe to drink apple cider vinegar every day?
At the amounts used in trials, side effects looked uncommon (Launholt et al., 2020). Daily acid can still wear tooth enamel, and people on insulin or water pills should ask a doctor first.
Can apple cider vinegar replace metformin?
No. Vinegar is not a diabetes drug, and no trial tested it as a swap for metformin. Keep every prescribed medicine, as NCCIH advises (NCCIH, 2018).
Should apple cider vinegar be diluted?
Yes. Trials mixed it into water, for example 30 mL in 200 mL (Hlebowicz et al., 2007). Straight vinegar is harsh on the throat and on tooth enamel.
Do apple cider vinegar gummies or pills work?
Tablets have not matched liquid vinegar. In one meal test, liquid vinegar cut the blood sugar rise by 31% while whole tablets did not (Feise et al., 2020). We found no trial of gummies.
Can apple cider vinegar cause low potassium?
In very large amounts, it may. One woman who drank about 250 mL a day for about six years developed low potassium and weak bones (Lhotta et al., 1998). That is a single case report.
Does apple cider vinegar damage tooth enamel?
It can. Mayo Clinic says acidic drinks like vinegar can wear down enamel (Mayo Clinic, 2025). Dilute it and rinse your mouth with plain water afterward.
