Apple cider vinegar is like liquid sandpaper for your teeth

Apple cider vinegar, ACV, has exploded in popularity as a supposed cure-all, praised on social media and wellness blogs for everything from weight loss to glowing skin.

A splash of the amber liquid in water or taken as a gummy has become a daily ritual for millions chasing quick health benefits.

But is this liquid gold as virtuous and sinless as broadcast? Well, if teeth could speak, they would be screeching akin to bagpipes being strangled by a vacuum cleaner. Studies on ACV support the claims that it reduces the insulin spike immediately after you eat, which aids weight loss.

However, of all the foods we eat, ACV is amongst the most acidic. On the acid scale, where pH one is the strongest acid and seven is neutral, ACV pH is 2.8. Tooth enamel starts dissolving at a pH of 5.5. So, take ACV and mix it with popular extras like lemon (pH 2.3) and honey (pH 3.9), then cheerfully warm with hot water, and you have just concocted liquid teeth sandpaper. Habitually drinking this blunts, yellows and sensitises enamel faster than the fallout from turning off your home WiFi.

The body adheres to the biological balancing principle called homeostasis. This begs the question: if ACV is taken to such levels that teeth dissolve, can it really be beneficial for the body?

Homeostasis processes adjust conditions in the body for optimal survival. Our body carries out trillions of chemical exchanges every second to maintain balance. For example, body temperature, stomach acidity, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, blood pressure, and electrolyte levels (calcium, potassium and sodium) are all controlled by homeostasis mechanisms. Even too much oxygen can kill you.

So, no matter what we do, the body is continually trying to bring the levels back to neutral. If we chronically overstep these levels by consuming too much of one food, then the mechanisms cannot react fast enough, and disease develops.

Apart from the destruction of tooth enamel, chronic overuse of ACV has been shown to stress out the kidneys, as in overly acidic conditions, they dump potassium salts to maintain balance. There are case reports where people who drank very large amounts (½–1 cup daily for years) developed low potassium levels and bone mineral stripping (osteoporosis).

Is shedding a few pounds worth losing your teeth and altering body chemistry detrimentally?