Apple cider vinegar and cranberry juice has become an increasingly popular natural weight loss method, touted by online health publications and influencers alike. Proponents claim it’s a safer alternative to pills and drugs, and it’s also cheaper.
But is there any research backing for these compounds to cause weight loss? Is there any risk to their use? How do real users rate and describe the effectiveness of apple cider vinegar and cranberry juice for weight loss? And what apple cider vinegar and cranberry juice brands are the best?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we analyze medical studies on apple cider vinegar and cranberry juice for weight loss, to give our take on whether this combination is likely to be effective, or if it’s a waste of money.
We’ll feature real user reviews of apple cider vinegar and cranberry juice for weight loss, and pick our top brands for each drink.
Is This Actually Proven to Work?
Both apple cider vinegar (ACV) and cranberry juice have been studied in medical research for their effects on weight loss.
A clinical trial published in the Journal of Functional Foods tested the weight loss effects of 30 milliliters (mL) per day of ACV. This is around 10% of one standard cup. After 12 weeks, those taking ACV lost 8.6 pounds.
Vinegar intake generally is associated with reductions in body weight and cholesterol levels in obese individuals according to a 2009 clinical trial.
Taking whole apple cider vinegar in liquid form is a better choice for those using this compound for weight loss than gummies or pills. As we documented in our article on do apple cider vinegar gummies work, most gummy and pill brands don’t include enough ACV per serving to match the dose used in research studies for weight loss.
Cranberry extract has been shown in two animal studies (source 1, source 2) to have an anti-obesity effect.
Cranberry juice consumption was shown to be associated with lower body weight in a medical review published in the Nutrition Research journal, but we can’t find any studies directly proving that cranberry juice directly reduces body weight in humans.
Overall, we consider the research backing for ACV and weight loss to be much stronger than for cranberry juice, but there is some promising research on both natural compounds.
But how do real users rate this combination for weight loss? We’ll discuss that in the next section.
Real Users Try ACV and Cranberry Juice for Weight Loss
A YouTube creator named “JustBeingC’Aira” shares her experience using an ACV and cranberry juice for 10 days and includes before-and-after images:
A YouTube creator named Molly Purcell claims to use an ACV and cranberry drink for detox and fat burning:
Will it Cause Side Effects?
We can’t find any clinical trials on the combination of ACV and cranberry juice, so it’s challenging to say for certain whether or not it will cause side effects.
However, we find it unlikely that this drink will cause side effects given that it’s created with whole food ingredients and no unhealthy additives.
Both apple cider vinegar and cranberry juice have been consumed for years, and are safe and non-toxic. There is less risk of synergistic effects with combined whole food ingredients than with concentrated extracts like those used in supplements.
ACV and cranberry juice may interact with medications, so patients may wish to speak with their doctor prior to using this drink for weight loss.
But what ACV and cranberry juice brands are the best picks? We’ll discuss that in the next section.
Our Clean Brand Picks
The most important thing to consider when shopping for ACV and cranberry juice is to choose brands that are free of any unhealthy additives like refined sugar or flavoring chemicals.
Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar is our top ACV pick. It’s certified organic, contains only two ingredients (apple cider vinegar and purified water), and is standardized to 5% acetic acid which is the same concentration as in most medical studies on ACV that we came across while researching this article.
Interested consumers can check out Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar at this link to the brand’s official Amazon listing.
Lakewood Organic Cranberry Juice is our top cranberry juice pick. It’s certified organic, contains only one ingredient (organic cranberry juice), and packaged in glass.
Interested consumers can check out Lakewood Organic Cranberry Juice at this link to the brand’s official Amazon listing.
Does ACV Timing Matter?
A YouTube creator named Lacey Baier has a video with over 2 million views that discusses whether the daily timing of ACV matters for weight loss:
Our Clean Weight Loss Picks
There are food-based nutrients which have been shown in medical studies to be effective for weight loss.
Dietary fiber was shown in a medical review published in The Journal of Nutrition to cause 16 pounds of weight loss in 6 months when combined with moderate caloric restriction (750 calories per day below baseline).
Supergut Fiber Mix is our recommended fiber supplement, because it contains three different types of fiber powder and no questionable additive ingredients. Interested consumers can check out Supergut Fiber Mix at this link to the product page on the brand's official website, where it retails for under $2 per serving at a subscription rate.
MCT oil is quickly absorbed by the body and increases metabolic rate, which causes fat loss. A 2015 meta-study on MCT oil documented more than one pound of weight loss over 10 weeks. This equates to potential annualized weight loss of 6 pounds per year with less than one tablespoon's worth of MCT oil per day.
Bulletproof MCT Oil is our top MCT oil product, because the only ingredient is MCT oil derived from coconuts. There are no questionable additives. Interested consumers can check out Bulletproof MCT Oil at this link to the product page on the brand's official website, where it currently costs only $15.50 for over a month's worth of product.
Coffee is one of the few whole food ingredients associated with weight loss in clinical trials. A meta-analysis published in the Nutrients journal found that coffee intake was associated with reduced body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference.
VitaCup Organic Instant Coffee Sticks is our top coffee product for weight loss, due to its convenience. No preparation or machinery is needed. The sticks can be mixed into hot or cold water (or other beverages) and consumed. The only ingredient is organic instant coffee; no questionable additives.
Interested consumers can check out VitaCup Organic Instant Coffee Sticks at this link to the product page on the brand's official website, where they retail for $1 per serving at a subscription rate.
