Vinegar may be a fat buster

The lasting fat-busting weapon may be found right in your kitchen. According to the health website WebMD, Japanese researchers said that ordinary household vinegars appear to turn on genes that help the body break down fats. This helps prevent fat buildup in the body, thwarting weight gain.

Vinegar has been used in folk remedies since ancient times. In recent years, research has suggested that acetic acid, the organic chemical in vinegar which gives it its sour taste, can help control blood pressure and sugar.

The Japanese researchers, led by Dr Tomoo Kondo from the Central Research Institute of the Mizkan Group Corporation, found that vinegar could influence genes link to fatty acid oxidation and heat-generating (energy-burning) proteins.

They feed mice a high-fat diet. One group of mice was given vinegar through a stomach tube. Another group was given a lower dose – vinegar diluted with water – and a third group was not given vinegar. The experiment showed that all the vinegar-fed mice developed a lot less body fat (up to 10 percent less). Than mice which did not receive the vinegar compound. The amount of the food eaten by the mice was not affected.

The research suggests that vinegar might help a person lose weight or fight obesity.
The findings were published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry August edition.