Does Apple Cider Vinegar Help You Lose Weight And Lower Blood Sugar? | Nourishable Raw Episode 14 [448415]
2025-09-13Understanding Your Blood Sugar Range: A Guide to Optimal Health
When it comes to maintaining overall health, one of the most critical factors is managing blood sugar levels. However, many people are unaware of what constitutes a normal blood sugar range and how to achieve it. In this article, we will delve into the world of blood sugar management, exploring its importance, causes of fluctuations, and ways to maintain a stable range.
The Science Behind Normal Blood Sugar Range
Blood sugar is the primary source of energy for our bodies. It's measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) after an overnight fast or 2 hours post-meal. The American Diabetes Association recommends the following blood sugar ranges:
- Fasting: Less than 100 mg/dL
- Postprandial (after eating): Less than 140 mg/dL
However, these values can vary depending on age, weight, and activity level. For example, children have different reference ranges for normal blood sugar levels compared to adults.
The Impact of Lifestyle Choices high blood sugar weight gain on Blood Sugar Range
Diet is one of the most significant factors influencing blood sugar levels. Consuming high-carbohydrate foods, refined sugars, and saturated fats can cause rapid spikes in blood glucose, leading to insulin resistance over time. On the other hand, incorporating fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes helps regulate blood sugar by slowing down digestion.
Exercise: A Key Factor in Maintaining Blood Sugar Range
Regular physical activity has numerous benefits for overall health, including improved insulin sensitivity and reduced inflammation. However, high-intensity exercise can cause temporary increases in blood glucose levels due to stress hormones like cortisol. It's essential to find a balance between rest days and physically demanding activities.
The Role of Sleep in Regulating logbook for blood sugar levels Blood Sugar
Sleep deprivation is often overlooked as a contributor to poor blood sugar control. Studies have shown that chronic sleep loss leads to increased inflammation, insulin resistance, and impaired glucose regulation. Aiming for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night can help maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
The Connection Between Stress and Blood Sugar Range Fluctuations
Stress triggers the release of cortisol, a hormone that raises blood glucose levels by increasing gluconeogenesis in the liver. Elevated stress levels over time can contribute to insulin resistance, exacerbating pre-existing metabolic conditions like type 2 diabetes.
Is Your Diet Supporting or Hindering Healthy Blood Sugar Levels?
Maintaining healthy blood sugar ranges also involves managing lifestyle choices beyond diet and exercise. Factors such as sleep quality, environmental toxins exposure, and medication adherence all play a crucial role in maintaining optimal health.
Tips for Effective Blood Sugar Management
- Regular monitoring: Use glucometers or continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) to track your blood sugar levels.
- Dietary adjustments: Increase fiber intake from whole foods and blood sugar level 385 limit refined sugars, saturated fats, and added sodium.
- Exercise regularly: Aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week and incorporate strength training exercises at least twice a week.
- Get enough sleep: Prioritize quality rest to help regulate blood sugar levels.
By incorporating these strategies into daily life and maintaining an awareness of what constitutes normal blood sugar ranges, individuals can reduce their risk for chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer.
Apple cider vinegar has been promoted to help you lose weight, reduce belly fat and lower blood sugar, but what is the evidence behind these claims? Subscribe to Nourishable at Follow Nourishable on twitter, facebook and instagram to stay up to date on all things nutrition. fb.me/nourishable.tv Hosting, Research, Writing & Post-Production by Lara Hyde, PhD Music & Video Production by Robbie Hyde Opening Motion Graphics by Jay Purugganan The information in this video is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this video is for general information purposes only. Image: rawpixel.com from Pexels References The internet tells us that apple cider vinegar can help you lose weight, reduce belly fat and lower blood sugar. Apple cider vinegar, or ACV as it is lovingly abbreviated, is made by adding yeast to apple cider which ferments the sugar into alcohol. Bacteria then break down the alcohol and convert it to acetic acid, which gives the vinegar its distinctive sour flavour. First let’s look at the weight loss claims. One study had healthy overweight participants drink an ACV spiked beverage or placebo every day for 3 months. People drinking ACV lost weight, decreased their waist circumference and reduced body fat, especially the pesky deep belly fat. This seems pretty compelling for ACV, but we would need to see these results replicated in other studies before we could really trust them. Plus, this study was in Japanese men, so we’d also need to see if the results are consistent in other populations. And that’s the thing - they haven’t been replicated in other human studies. Some theories suggest apple cider vinegar can enhance satiety, that feeling of fullness after eating meal, and therefore cause you to eat less during the rest of the day. One study did find that ACV increased satiety, but it was due to nausea. Yeah, relying on nausea to reduce how much you eat doesn’t sound like a fun way to live. So overall, there’s lots of anecdote but little scientific evidence for the apple cider vinegar and weight loss claims. There’s more research exploring whether vinegar can lower blood sugar and help manage diabetes, though not all with apple cider vinegar specifically. A bunch of studies looked at whether feeding vinegar with a meal could prevent the super high spikes in blood glucose. Overall the results are pretty mixed. Sometimes eating vinegar with a meal lowered blood glucose, and sometimes it didn’t. The results were inconsistent in both healthy people and in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance like type 2 diabetes. And drinking vinegar for a longer period of time didn’t seem to matter. A 3 month long study supplementing with vinegar didn’t show any changes in HbA1c, which is used to assess longer term blood glucose management. Despite anecdotal evidence, there doesn’t seem to be consistent, game changing science on apple cider vinegar for blood glucose control. Other ways to avoid super high spikes in blood glucose include shifting away from refined carbs like white bread and towards complex carbs found in fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, plus regular physical activity which promotes insulin sensitivity. But is it harmful? Generally it seems to be safe when consumed in reasonable amounts with food or diluted in water - max 2 tablespoons. You’d want to avoid drinking it straight because it is so acidic that it can erode tooth enamel and burns the esophagus. There’s also some reports that it can interfere with potassium balance and may interact with some drugs, so talk to your doctor first before adding a bunch of ACV to your diet. If you like the flavour of ACV, then go ahead cook with it. I keep some in my pantry and I like to drizzle it on top of steamed spinach or use it salad dressings. There isn’t much of a scientific backing that apple cider vinegar is a gamechanger for weight loss or blood glucose management, but if the flavour helps you shift towards eating more fruits and vegetables then that can be beneficial for health.