Daily Vinegar Ingestion Improves Depression and Enhances Niacin Metabolism in Overweight Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The Nugget

Daily vinegar ingestion can help alleviate depression symptoms and enhance niacin metabolism in overweight adults. Specifically, participants drinking vinegar showed greater improvements in mood compared to those taking a vinegar pill.

Make it stick

🍎 Vinegar as a mood booster: Daily ingestion of vinegar has been linked to improved depression scores in healthy adults.
🧪 Niacin metabolism plays a role: Increased niacin (nicotinamide) levels were observed alongside mood improvements.
📉 Significant symptom reduction: PHQ-9 scores dropped by 42% in vinegar drinkers compared to 18% in the control group.
📊 Methodology matters: Results were from a 4-week randomized controlled trial, ensuring reliable findings.

Study design: Randomized controlled trial with two groups:
- VIN group: Participants ingested 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of red wine vinegar diluted in water twice daily (total of 2.95 g acetic acid).
- CON group: Participants took one vinegar tablet daily (0.025 g acetic acid).
Duration: 4 weeks, with assessments through validated questionnaires ( CES-D and PHQ-9) at baseline and after the trial.
Methodological strengths: Random assignment, pre- and post-intervention measurements, and metabolomics analysis to assess biochemical changes.

Acetic acid: The main component of vinegar that contributes to its health benefits.
Metabolomics: A scientific approach that studies the chemical processes involving metabolites, providing insights into metabolic changes in the body.
PHQ-9: A validated questionnaire used for diagnosing and measuring the severity of depression.
CES-D: Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, a screening tool for self-reported depression symptoms.
NAD+: Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, a coenzyme involved in redox reactions and energy metabolism.

Consuming liquid vinegar led to a 26% reduction in CES-D scores and 42% reduction in PHQ-9 scores compared to minimal changes in control participants.
These results suggest vinegar could serve as a simple adjunct therapy for improving mental health.

Metabolomics analysis showed increased nicotinamide levels and an upregulation of the NAD+ salvage pathway, linking acetic acid intake with favorable changes in metabolism and mood.
Changes in isoleucine and isobutyric acid levels were also noted between the groups, indicating broader metabolic effects.

Regular ingestion habits (vinegar diluted in water twice daily vs. a single pill) may contribute to the effectiveness, possibly enhancing behavioral engagement with the treatment among vinegar consumers.

"Daily vinegar ingestion over four weeks improved self-reported depression symptomology in generally healthy adults."
"The metabolic alterations observed suggest a potential role for vinegar as an adjunct therapy for mood enhancement."
"We hypothesize that daily liquid vinegar ingestion would lower depression questionnaire scores after four weeks."
"Metabolomics analyses revealed increased nicotinamide concentrations, previously linked to improved mood."
"Vinegar is inexpensive, easily incorporated into diet, and widely accessible."

This summary contains AI-generated information and may have important inaccuracies or omissions.