“There are many purported benefits that have been associated with taking apple cider vinegar. Unfortunately, like many other alternative or complementary therapies, the scientific evidence is very weak or lacking altogether,” says Jeffrey T. Kirchner, DO, the chief medical officer of the American Academy of HIV Medicine in Washington, DC, and a physician adviser at Penn Medicine/Lancaster General Health in Pennsylvania. RELATED: The Truth About Apple Cider Vinegar and Hepatitis C
Possible Benefits, No Solid Research
Because there is no published research, data, or studies on apple cider vinegar and HIV, “all of what we know about the health benefits of apple cider vinegar must be extrapolated from animal studies, studies in non-HIV patients, and theoretical benefits based on biochemistry and potential physiologic mechanism,” Dr. Kirchner says. While apple cider vinegar is unlikely to harm you, the lack of studies means there’s no solid recommendation on not only whether it will benefit you but how to use it. For instance, when asked about the purported benefits of apple cider vinegar for people living with HIV/AIDS, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, a federal agency responded: “We do not have any research on this topic so we do not feel comfortable commenting on the use of apple cider for people living with HIV. We can say that anyone who has a serious health condition or illness should consult with their healthcare provider before trying any treatments on their own.” RELATED: Can Apple Cider Vinegar Help Psoriasis?
Probably Won’t Hurt You But May Not Help
As far as safety “there are no overt drug interactions with apple cider vinegar and HIV medications (antiretrovirals) that I am aware of or could find any specific pharmacologic data on,” Kirchner says. The main drawback: Consuming too much apple cider vinegar may cause tooth enamel to wear away or cause gastric upset, says Kirchner. His advice: Be open and keep an eye on the costs and benefits to you. “Although I am a strong proponent of evidence-based medicine when it comes to clinical decision-making and therapeutics, such as prescribing specific combination antiviral medications for HIV, for all of my patients, I try to keep an open mind when engaging patients regarding the use of these products,” he says. RELATED: Apple Cider Vinegar and Diabetes: A Cure or an Aid?
Evaluating the Benefit of Alternative Treatments for You
Back in the 1980s and early 1990s, before there were effective drugs that treated HIV, “many more patients with the disease were taking and experimenting with alternative therapies, knowing at the time they had a terminal illness and physicians did not have much else to offer,” says Kirchner. With his patients today, Kirchner says that he asks the following questions:
What else are you taking besides the medications I prescribe for you?Why are you taking it? (For example, is it to improve sleep, pain, anxiety, energy, libido, or weight loss, etc.)?How much is it costing you?
“I often will recommend trying something for 2 to 3 months, and if there is no perceived benefit, I will then tell patients it is likely not worth continuing the product,” he says. It’s estimated that Americans spend more than $30 billion dollars annually on alternative therapies, according to Kirchner. “I do not want my patients wasting their money,” he says. Kirchner himself has taken two capsules of apple cider vinegar each day for the past five years, “at the advice of one of my patients, who recently passed away after a tragic fall but was otherwise quite healthy and vibrant at age 94,” he says. “I am a competitive distance runner and like to believe there may be some antioxidant benefits from this product.” RELATED: Can Apple Cider Vinegar Help Eczema and Atopic Dermatitis?
