A new study shows vinegar reduces post-meal hyperglycemia in type 1 diabetics.\u00a0 While previous studies have shown that vinegar improves insulin sensitivity in healthy or insulin-resistant subjects, information on the effect of vinegar in type 1 diabetes has been absent.<\/p>\n
Subjects in the study, tested under similar metabolic conditions, were randomly assigned to consume vinegar or placebo five minutes before a meal composed of bread, cheese, turkey ham, orange juice, butter, and a cereal bar (566 kcal; 75 g carbohydrates, 26 g protein, 6 g fat).<\/p>\n
Before the meal, the subjects received a dose of Actrapid insulin subcutaneously, which was assessed according to each patient’s insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio and was the same in the crossover study that was conducted 1 week later.<\/p>\n
Blood samples were collected before the meal and at 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240 minutes postmeal for measurements of insulin.\u00a0 The results show that fasting blood sugar levels were similar in the vinegar and placebo experiments and remained comparable until 30 minutes post-meal.\u00a0 The results at the end of the experiment, however, showed that vinegar compared to placebo reduced blood glucose by almost 20%.<\/p>\n
The study reports that the mechanisms by which vinegar reduces post-meal blood glucose levels are obscure. Previous studies have shown that vinegar delays gastric emptying. Moreover, acetic acid, the organic acid which gives vinegar its sour taste and pungent smell, has been shown to suppress disaccharidase activity\u00a0 and to enhance glycogen repletion in liver and muscle.<\/p>\n