Adding vinegar to your diet can encourage weight loss.

This video was originally published on NutritionFacts.org and republished with permission. NutritionFacts.org

The struggle to lose weight affects many, and as the rest of the world increasingly adopts a more western diet, that struggle is expanding across the globe. Luckily there is an easy way to put a stop to adding pounds and help encourage weight loss – and all you have to do is simply add more vinegar to your diet.

A double blind study in Japan investigated the effect vinegar has on weight reduction. Their findings concluded that vinegar does indeed have a very noticeable affect on how the body burns fat. For the study, 150 people were split into 3 groups – One ingested a drink containing 2 tablespoons of vinegar, another were given a drink with 1 tablespoon of vinegar while the final group were given no vinegar at all. These three groups were monitored over a period of a few months and the results showed that the more vinegar consumed, the higher the weight loss increase.

The reason this happens is due to a compound found naturally in vinegar called acetic acid. This acid, once metabolized, activates an enzyme called AMPK which acts as a sort of fuel gauge for the body. After being activated, the AMPK enzymes tell the body to increase energy by burning fat rather than storing it.

Maintaining a healthy diet and getting daily exercise remains the best and most surefire way promote weight loss, but it’s beneficial to know that you can begin this weight loss journey simply by adding a vinaigrette to your salad.