What's the Actual Deal With Apple Cider Vinegar?

Apple cider vinegar is something of a jack-of-all-trades in the wellness world. Often referred to as ACV, apple cider vinegar is basically apple cider with yeast added to it to start the fermentation process. Recently, health blogs and websites have started claiming that ACV can do everything from improving your digestion to curing your dandruff to helping you lose weight. Name a health problem, and ACV is likely to come up as a natural cure-all for it.

But while all those rave reviews sound promising, science doesn't exactly tell the same story. There hasn't been much research on these purported benefits of apple cider vinegar (especially in humans), so there's not much proof about what it can and can't do.

That said, there are some small-scale studies that have pointed to the potential benefits of apple cider vinegar- provided you’re using it correctly (i.e., you’re not taking too much or drinking it straight, which can wreak havoc on your teeth or cause diarrhea). Here's what you need to know.