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SINGAPORE - Conscious women hail it as a detox tonic, while countless brides-to-be count on it to lose some last-minute weight before their wedding day.
Even pop star Fergie takes it to curb her appetite. She recently let slip in an interview with an American fashion magazine that it was the “diet secret” behind her trim abs.
I’m not talking about the latest weight loss pill or appetite suppressant, but rather, an ancient folk tonic which is gaining popularity here as a “natural” weight loss remedy the apple cider vinegar.
The brownish, yellow liquid is typically made using crushed apples and left to ferment to become vinegar.
NTUC Healthcare, which stocks apple cider vinegar at its stores, has seen a “steady growth” of about 10 to 20 per cent annually in sales in recent years. It is also one of the store’s “best-selling organic products”, according to Irene Tay, a senior manager at the marketing and buying department of NTUC Healthcare.
Homemaker Irene Wong and student Huang Si Le are both avid fans of apple cider vinegar.
Irene took it daily by mixing it with water for half a year before her wedding “for slimming and detoxing”, while Si Le uses it to curb her “enormous appetite”.
“It really worked for me. I felt fresher and not as leaden with toxins,” said the 30-year-old Irene, who managed to shave off 3kg from her 55kg frame by her wedding day.
“I stopped taking it when my bridal gown designer told me to stop losing weight. By then, my wedding gown was becoming too loose for me,” she added.
But is apple cider vinegar really effective for weight loss and “flushing out” toxins?
Despite its touted health benefits, Ms Nehal Kamdar, a dietitian with Raffles Hospital, said that it remains “an unproven treatment”, without “sufficient research and evidence to prove that it is effective for weight loss”.
While the risks of taking occasional, small amounts of apple cider vinegar seem low, Ms Kamdar cautioned against consuming large quantities of the tonic over a long-term period. This is because the main ingredient in apple cider vinegar is acetic acid, she explained.
“As the name suggests, it is highly acidic. So, it is important to always dilute apple cider vinegar with water. Consuming pure apple cider vinegar can damage the tooth enamel and tissues in your mouth and throat,” Ms Kamdar added.
Long-term consumption may also lower potassium levels and bone density.
“If you’re already low in potassium or have osteoporosis, talk to your doctor before you start taking apple cider vinegar,” advised Ms Kamdar.
“Vinegar also contains chromium, which can affect the body’s insulin level. So, diabetics who are thinking of consuming it on a daily basis are advised to first seek their doctor’s advice.” - TODAY/ar
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