All you need is a little acid. But it matters a lot what type of acid.

Acetic acid seems to be the most effective.  Acetic acid is the chief acid of vinegar.

The best types to use are red or white wine vinegars. The most common vinegar, white, is cheap but somewhat harsh-tasting, so it’s not a good choice for most recipes. The other common vinegar, cider vinegar, is milder and less acidic. The less common but well-known balsamic vinegar is much sweeter and would probably be a poor choice. So too is rice vinegar, which has a sweet flavor and light acidity.

Vinegar is a key ingredient in several different dishes. Typically, it is used together with oil to dress salads and vegetables. Its presence in pickles is also noticeable but pickles .

 Jennie Brand-Miller, profesor at The University of Sydney and a recognized authority on the glycemic index says Lemon juice is just as powerful as vinegar and Lime juice is likely to work just as well.

A surprisingly small amount is effective. A typical vinaigrette dressing of oil and vinegar works well and can taste wonderful. Add mustard powder, garlic, and your favorite spices.

In one study the glucose response with vinegar was 31 percent lower than without it. In another study vinegar significantly reduced the glycemic index of a starchy meal from 100 to 64 (where white bread = 100).

Fermented foods also reduce blood glucose levels. The natural fermentation of starch and sugars by a yeast starter culture that produces lactic and propionic acid is what makes sourdough bread. In a third study the glycemic index of sourdough bread was 68 compared 100 for non-sourdough bread.

All these foods will help you hold your blood glucose in check. They do that by slowing the speed with which your stomach empties.

Your best bet is to include a side salad with an olive oil and vinegar or lemon dressing in as many meals as possible. An other option is to use lemon juice, lime juice and vinegar as flavoring agents replacing salt. Your body will thank you.

Primary References:
Liljeberg H, Bjorck I. “Delayed gastric emptying rate may explain improved glycaemia in healthy subjects to a starchy meal with added vinegar.” Eur J Clin Nutr. 1998 May;52(5):368-71.

Liljeberg HG, Lonner CH, Bjorck IM. “Sourdough fermentation or addition of organic acids or corresponding salts to bread improves nutritional properties of starch in healthy humans.” J Nutr. 1995 Jun;125(6):1503-11.

Brighenti F, Castellani G, Benini L, Casiraghi MC, Leopardi E, Crovetti R, Testolin G. “Effect of neutralized and native vinegar on blood glucose and acetate responses to a mixed meal in healthy subjects.” Eur J Clin Nutr. 1995 Apr;49(4):242-7.

Secondary Reference:
Brand-Miller, Jennie, Kaye Foster-Powell, and David Mendosa. “What is the advantage of vinegar, lemon juice, and sourdough bread?” in What Makes My Blood Glucose Go Up…and Down? New York: Marlowe & Company, 2003, p. 141-2.

This study is just one of several that support this conclusion.

Vinegar Significantly Lowers Blood Glucose, Insulin Response, and Increases Satiety


Supplementation of a meal based on white wheat bread with vinegar reduced postprandial responses of blood glucose and insulin, and increased the subjective rating of satiety.

To investigate the potential of acetic acid supplementation as a means of lowering the glycemic index (GI) of a bread meal, and to evaluate the possible dose-response effect on postprandial glycemia, insulinanemia and satiety, 12 healthy volunteers participated in tests performed by researchers at Applied Nutrition and Food Chemistry, Lund University, Sweden.

Three levels of vinegar (18, 23 and 28 mmol acetic acid) were served with a portion of white wheat bread containing 50 g available carbohydrates as breakfast in randomized order after an overnight fast. Bread served without vinegar was used as a reference meal. Blood samples were taken during 120 min for analysis of glucose and insulin. Satiety was measured with a subjective rating scale.

They found: “A significant dose-response relation was seen at 30 min for blood glucose and serum insulin responses; the higher the acetic acid level, the lower the metabolic responses. Furthermore, the rating of satiety was directly related to the acetic acid level. Compared with the reference meal, the highest level of vinegar significantly lowered the blood glucose response at 30 and 45 min, the insulin response at 15 and 30 min as well as increased the satiety score at 30, 90 and 120 min postprandially. The low and intermediate levels of vinegar also lowered the 30 min glucose and the 15 min insulin responses significantly compared with the reference meal. When GI and II (insulinaemic indices) were calculated using the 90 min incremental area, a significant lowering was found for the highest amount of acetic acid, although the corresponding values calculated at 120 min did not differ from the reference meal.”

The researchers concluded: “Supplementation of a meal based on white wheat bread with vinegar reduced postprandial responses of blood glucose and insulin, and increased the subjective rating of satiety. There was an inverse dose-response relation between the level of acetic acid and glucose and insulin responses and a linear dose-response relation between acetic acid and satiety rating. The results indicate an interesting potential of fermented and pickled products containing acetic acid.”

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2005) 59, 983-988. doi: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602197. Vinegar supplementation lowers glucose and insulin responses and increases satiety after a bread meal in healthy subjects, E Östman, Y Granfeldt, L Persson and I Björck.