Vinegar at bedtime may benefit type 2 diabetics

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The results of a study published in the current issue of Diabetes Care suggest that a dose of vinegar taken at bedtime may favorably impact waking glucose concentrations in patients with type 2 diabetes.

"Given the importance of maintaining acceptable blood glucose concentrations, there is much interest in identifying foods and diet patterns that will help individuals with diabetes manage their condition," write Dr. Carol S. Johnston and colleagues from Arizona State University, Mesa. Previous studies have shown that taking vinegar at mealtime can lower glucose levels.

In the current study, the researchers examined the effect of vinegar taken at bedtime in four men and seven women (ages 40 to 72 years) with type 2 diabetes who were not taking insulin.

The patients measured fasting glucose at 7 a.m. for three consecutive days before the study. They then followed a standardized meal plan for 2 days, consuming either 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or water at bedtime with 1 oz cheese. After a 3- to 5-day "washout period," in which they took no vinegar, the subjects crossed over to the alternate bedtime treatment.

The participants had a typical fasting glucose of 7.6 mmol/L before the start of the study. (Fasting glucose levels among non-diabetics are generally 5.5 mmol/L or lower.)

The fasting glucose in the diabetics fell by 0.15 mmol/L (2 percent) with placebo and by 0.26 mmol/L (4 percent) with vinegar treatment, a statistically significant difference.

The investigators found that the vinegar treatment was especially effective for the six subjects who had a typical fasting glucose greater than 7.2 mmol/L. Fasting glucose in these participants was reduced by 6 percent compared with a reduction of 0.7 percent in those with a typical fasting glucose less than 7.2 mmol/L.

"Vinegar is widely available, it is affordable, and it is appealing as a remedy, but much more work is required to determine whether vinegar is a useful adjunct therapy for individuals with diabetes," the authors conclude.

SOURCE: Diabetes Care, November 2007.