7 Ways White Vinegar Can Benefit Your Health

Vinegar is more than just an ingredient in your salad dressing — white vinegar is also good for your health in a number of ways.

Vinegar — which is a combination of water and acetic acid — has been used for centuries as a medicine, preservative and health supplement, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. And certain white vinegar benefits can still be harnessed today by eating, drinking or even cleaning with the ingredient.

Below, browse white vinegar's health benefits and some safety precautions to keep in mind.

Distilled vinegar is good for you (along with other variations of the drink) in part due to its antioxidant qualities.

Indeed, vinegar is packed with micronutrients and compounds like polyphenols and melanoidins, respectively, that act as antioxidants, according to September 2016 research in ‌Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety‌.

These antioxidants shield your cells from damage, which in turn may help protect against conditions like heart disease, obesity, and cancer, per an April 2016 review in ‌Current Opinion in Food Science.‌

White vinegar is also good for you due to its potential ability to support heart health. For instance, the ingredient has been linked to lower blood pressure, per the ‌Current Opinion in Food Science‌ review.

According to the same review, taking daily vinegar supplements has also been linked to increased levels of "good" cholesterol and decreased levels of "bad" cholesterol.

Another possible benefit of drinking white vinegar is its ability to help control blood sugar.

Vinegar has been shown to affect how your body processes glucose and can help slow down your digestion when added to a starchy meal, both of which may prevent blood sugar spikes, according to a May 2018 review in the ‌Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine‌.

The same study found that people with diabetes who took vinegar orally experienced lower blood glucose levels 30 minutes later than those who did not. However, the researchers say that more studies are needed to determine the long-term effects of vinegar, plus the best dose and type of vinegar to take if you have diabetes.

Another January 2013 study in the ‌Journal of Diabetes and Endocrinology‌ found that when people with type 2 diabetes added 15 milliliters of white vinegar to their middle meal each day for a month, it was linked to a decrease in fasting blood sugar compared to those who did not. The vinegar was also linked to lower HbA1c — a common biomarker for diabetes.

As a bonus, the blood-sugar-lowering effect of white vinegar suggests that it might also be linked to improved blood flow.

For instance, a June 2015 study in the ‌European Journal of Clinical Nutrition‌ found that when people with signs of prediabetes took a small dose of vinegar before a meal, they experienced increased blood flow and decreased triglyceride and insulin levels compared to a placebo.

However, this research only included eight people, so larger studies are needed to better establish this link.

Another of white vinegar's benefits for the body is that it may help support weight loss.

This may be because vinegar slows digestion, which can help you feel full longer and may lead to eating less overall, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

However, there's still not enough consistent evidence to suggest a strong connection between vinegar and weight loss, per the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Still, some studies have linked the two. A small April 2014 study in the ‌Journal of Food and Nutrition Research‌ found that 37 people with diabetes, overweight and high blood pressure who took 20 milliliters of hawthorn vinegar after each meal for a month experienced a mean weight loss of around 3 pounds.

That said, this doesn't mean that vinegar caused the weight loss — more and larger studies are needed to better establish the connection between vinegar and shedding pounds.

Distilled white vinegar is good for your ear health, too: Indeed, you can put vinegar in your ear (as long as you do it safely — more on how to do that below).

If you have too much earwax, putting white vinegar in your ear may help. Per the University of Florida, here's how you put vinegar in your ears to remove wax:

• Mix equal parts distilled white vinegar with warm water.
• Use a syringe to gently pour the vinegar and water solution into your ears.
• Tilt your head to let it drain out.

Besides using vinegar against earwax, you can also use white vinegar for ear infections.

For example, putting vinegar in your ear may help prevent swimmer's ear, a bacterial infection that can occur when water gets into the ear canal during swimming, per the Mayo Clinic. Here's how to try this at-home remedy:

• Mix equal parts white vinegar and rubbing alcohol.
• Pour 1 teaspoon of the white vinegar ear rinse into your ear canal.
• Tilt your head to let it drain out.

Your doctor may also recommend using distilled vinegar and water solution if you have a hard-to-treat infection and a hole in your ear, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Follow their instructions for how to apply the mixture.

Vinegar also has antimicrobial effects. As a result, it may help clean and treat various conditions like nail fungus, warts and lice, according to May 2014 research in the ‌Journal of Food Science‌.

Another December 2013 review in the ‌Journal of Infection and Public Health‌ found that the acetic acid in vinegar may help manage burn wound infections.

However, more research is needed to better establish vinegar's ability to treat these conditions and how exactly to use it.

Vinegar is also a disinfectant, which is why it can be used as a nontoxic alternative to cleaning chemicals for certain chores, like removing mineral deposits and soap scum that accumulate in your bathroom, per the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

But it's important to note that while using vinegar as a cleaning solution can kill some bacteria, it doesn't kill them all (salmonella, for example). That's why it's typically recommended to stick to commercial products.

The disinfecting power of white vinegar can also be harnessed to support your oral health. A May 2014 study in the ‌Scientific World Journal‌ found that soaking toothbrushes in white vinegar helped kill common bacteria like S. mutans (which can cause tooth decay).

But remember, vinegar can't eliminate all pathogens, per the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. So be sure to practice safe oral hygiene by replacing your toothbrush every three months or so.

Though white vinegar is good for you in many contexts, there are a few side effects to keep in mind.

Per the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, these can include:

• Upset stomach
• Irritation of the esophagus
• Eroding tooth enamel