{"id":164583,"date":"2025-09-23T23:30:08","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T23:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/164583\/"},"modified":"2025-09-23T23:30:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T23:30:08","slug":"scientific-journal-backtracks-on-apple-cider-vinegar-weight-loss-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/164583\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientific journal backtracks on apple cider vinegar weight-loss study"},"content":{"rendered":"

A high-profile journal publisher has retracted a study that suggested apple cider vinegar could help with weight loss.<\/p>\n

The study \u2014 published last year in the journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health \u2014 claimed people drinking apple cider vinegar could lose weight at dramatic rates.<\/p>\n

But after an investigation, the journal’s publisher BMJ Group has found the study’s results didn’t hold up.<\/p>\n

Researchers flag flaws with study<\/p>\n

The study described a clinical trial where 120 overweight and obese people, aged between 12 and 25, consumed small amounts of apple cider vinegar in water each day for three months.<\/p>\n

It received widespread attention when it was published, both in traditional and social media, but it also drew critical attention from academics.<\/p>\n

Researchers flagged several concerns with the study in letters to the journal<\/a>, such as the clinical trial not being publicly registered, and problems with the statistical analyses.<\/p>\n

One critique pointed out<\/a> that the study’s findings suggested apple cider vinegar worked as well as GLP-1 agonist drugs such as Ozempic for weight loss.<\/p>\n

If this result panned out, “the economic and public health impact would be virtually unprecedented” the study’s critics said.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

Re-analysis of the study data could not replicate the finding that apple cider vinegar helped with weight loss. (Wikimedia Commons: Phongnguyen1410)<\/p>\n

Katrina Kissock, a nutrition researcher at the George Institute for Global Health, said the study’s lack of public clinical trial registration stood out to her in the retraction notice.<\/p>\n

“This is super important to have when it comes to clinical trials, as it really ensures there’s this transparency in what the researchers do,” Dr Kissock said.ABC Health in your Instagram feed<\/a><\/p>\n

Follow @abchealth on Instagram, where we’re busting myths and sharing practical, smart health advice.<\/p>\n

In a statement, BMJ Group said it referred the paper to independent statisticians to examine its data, and they found they couldn’t replicate the results the researchers had reported.<\/p>\n

The statisticians also found “irregularities in the data set” and said participant data required further scrutiny.<\/p>\n

In BMJ Group’s statement, the study’s authors said these were “honest mistakes”, but they agreed with the publisher’s decision to retract the paper.<\/p>\n

Rony Abou-Khalil, the corresponding author of the retracted paper, did not respond to the ABC’s request for comment.<\/p>\n

Retractions are part of scientific review<\/p>\n

Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz, a senior research fellow at the University of Wollongong, said the study’s data was “very unreliable”.<\/p>\n

But he praised BMJ Group for investigating the criticisms and announcing it was retracting the study.<\/p>\n

“They’re really trying to bring attention to a mistake that they made in publishing the study and giving a good explanation for why it happened,” Dr Meyerowitz-Katz said.<\/p>\n

“In theory, this is how it should happen all the time, but it’s so rare that this happens that it feels very remarkable to me.”<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the BMJ Group told the ABC the retraction was part of their policy to “foster transparency and uphold the integrity of the scientific process.”<\/p>\n

They said this approach was especially important for studies that had gained widespread international attention.<\/p>\n

“”We believe this approach has a positive impact and can help strengthen public trust in science,” they said.<\/p>\n

Evangeline Mantzioris, a nutrition researcher at the University of South Australia, noted problems<\/a> with the study’s statistics when it was published last year.<\/p>\n

She said that she wasn’t surprised by the paper’s retraction.<\/p>\n

“It shows that science is backed up by continual review, even past its publication,” Dr Mantzioris said.<\/p>\n

Dr Meyerowitz-Katz said that, ideally, an investigation and retraction like this would enhance public trust in scientific publishing.<\/p>\n

“Peer review is presented to the public is as a sort of a bastion against bad evidence,” Dr Meyerowitz-Katz said.<\/p>\n

“Retractions like this, in theory, should enhance public trust because peer review is an imperfect process.”<\/p>\n

But in practice, he was less optimistic.<\/p>\n

“I personally doubt this retraction will harm public trust in science all that much, because I very much doubt that the majority of people who read the initial study, or saw Tik Toks about its results, will ever know about the retraction.”<\/p>\n

Does apple cider vinegar have any weight-loss benefits?<\/p>\n

Dr Mantzioris said there were “limited health benefits” to apple cider vinegar.<\/p>\n

“We know that it’s no different to other vinegars,” she said.<\/p>\n

“I’d rather have a balsamic vinegar on my salad, or a red wine vinegar. But that’s just me.”<\/p>\n

Is apple cider vinegar good for you?<\/a><\/p>\n

Apple cider vinegar is so popular in the wellness world that it’s being used as the title of a new TV series about disgraced influencer Belle Gibson. But does it really do anything for your health?<\/p>\n

Dr Kissock said that while there were a few small studies linking apple cider vinegar and weight loss, there was not enough evidence to draw long-term conclusions about its merit.<\/p>\n

The publication and retraction of this study did not change her assessment.<\/p>\n

“Generally, when we are making these evidence-based recommendations, it is based on multiple different studies looking at the same topic, and we’re just not there yet,” Dr Kissock said.<\/p>\n

Dr Mantzioris agreed, and said replication was important for collecting health information.<\/p>\n

“You want the data to be replicated again and again. You don’t just want one study that’s shown it, for this very reason.”<\/p>\n

How do I know if health information is credible?<\/p>\n

Dr Kissock said that when assessing a promising health claim in a study, it was important to check the credibility of the journal it was published in, the credentials of the authors, and any public clinical trial data.<\/p>\n

“Similarly, looking at any funding sources as well for a study \u2014 this could also influence how the study is done, or the findings.”<\/p>\n

She added it was important to see if any other similar research had been published.<\/p>\n

“Is this study showing something completely different to what’s already been reported or published or does it align with where the evidence is at currently?”<\/p>\n

Dr Mantzioris said that, in addition to looking for other research to back the claim up, it was important to check there was “a biological pathway that would explain the result”.<\/p>\n

This might mean, for instance, asking which nutrients or ingredients in a food could produce the given health benefit.<\/p>\n

Dr Meyerowitz-Katz said that, while there were trusted sources that studies can be checked against, they also sometimes make mistakes.<\/p>\n

“I don’t know if there is any good way to prevent yourself from being bamboozled when it is a published scientific article that’s doing the bamboozling,” he said.<\/p>\n

No method for checking the reliability of research papers was completely foolproof, according to Dr Meyerowitz-Katz.<\/p>\n

“It’s worth being cautious about even a published study, because this clearly shows that sometimes they can be problematic.”<\/p>\n