Apple cider vinegar has a long history in the kitchen and beyond, and it's genuinely one of our best-selling products, so here's an honest look at what it actually does.

What it is

Apple cider vinegar is made by fermenting the natural sugars in apple juice into acetic acid, the compound that gives vinegar its sharp taste and most of its properties. Good-quality, unfiltered apple cider vinegar contains "the Mother," a cloudy structure of proteins, enzymes and natural bacteria left over from fermentation, generally a sign you've got a less-processed product.

What the research actually supports

Vinegar's most genuinely interesting research is around blood sugar. A well-known study (Johnston & Buller, 2005) found that 20g of vinegar taken with a high-carbohydrate meal reduced the after-meal blood sugar spike by 55%, though it made no measurable difference with a lower-carbohydrate meal. That's a real, specific finding, not a general "vinegar controls your blood sugar" claim, and it isn't a substitute for medical management of diabetes or any other condition.

Vinegar is also thought to increase the feeling of fullness after a meal, which is a plausible, modest mechanism by which it might support weight management as part of a wider healthy diet, rather than something that burns fat on its own.

In the kitchen and around the house

Beyond the research, apple cider vinegar earns its place simply as a good ingredient: in salad dressings, marinades, pickling, and as a natural cleaning agent. Acetic acid has genuine antibacterial properties, which is part of why vinegar has been used as a natural preservative for centuries.

How to take it

Most people take 1–2 tablespoons (15–30ml) diluted in a large glass of water, once a day, or before a meal. It's strong stuff undiluted, so diluting it, and rinsing your mouth afterwards, helps protect your teeth from the acidity.

Our Wedderspoon Apple Cider Vinegar with Mānuka Honey

Ours combines raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar with genuine Wedderspoon Mānuka honey, made in New Zealand without heat or chemicals, so it keeps its natural enzymes and the Mother intact. It's a pleasant, tart-and-sweet daily tonic, equally happy in a glass of water, a salad dressing, or a marinade.

Shop Wedderspoon Apple Cider Vinegar with Mānuka Honey

Prefer to pair it with our honey too? Try the Wedderspoon Gut Health Bundle.