Goli is a supplement brand that became popular for their apple cider vinegar (ACV) gummies. The brand claims their supplement is "America's #1 ACV Vitamin Brand," and is a "source of quality vitamins & nutrients for many health benefits."
But can the health benefits of ACV really be obtained from a sugary gummy? Do Goli ACV gummies contain ingredients shown in clinical research to improve health? Do they contain any questionable additives? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of Goli ACV gummies?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Goli ACV gummies to give our take on whether or not the supplement is healthy.
We'll also discuss the risk of side effects, document which retailer sells Goli ACV gummies for the best price, and feature real customer reviews.
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredient label for Goli's ACV gummies is shown above.
Apple cider vinegar is unsurprisingly the main active ingredient, at a dose of 1,000 milligrams (mg).
As we explained at length in our review of apple cider vinegar gummy benefits, most clinical studies proving a weight loss and immunity benefit from ACV used doses far higher than 1,000 mg.
As an example, a clinical trial on ACV for weight loss, published in the Journal of Functional Foods, found that ACV supplementation at a daily dose of 30 milliliters (mL) caused 8.6 pounds of weight loss in 12 weeks.
However, this dose is equivalent to more than 25x the amount in one serving of Goli gummies.
Folic acid is a synthetic form of vitamin B9 that may be associated with increased cancer risk (source 1, source 2, source 3).
We don't understand why folic acid would be included in an ACV supplement.
Goli ACV gummies also contain a number of additive ingredients that health-conscious consumers may wish to avoid.
Organic cane sugar is included at a dose of 4 g (grams) per serving, so there is 400% more sugar than ACV in each serving.
Citric acid is a preservative and flavor enhancer shown in a medical review published in the Toxicology Reports journal to cause serious inflammatory reactions in some individuals.
The doses of some of the inactive ingredients in Goli ACV Gummies are shown below (from the brand's website):
An issue we have with Goli is that the brand highlights exotic botanical ingredients in their marketing, but includes incredibly small doses of those ingredients:
Pomegranate is highlighted on Goli's site, as shown above, as a healthy ingredient in their gummy formulation.
However, as documented in the ingredient list, there are 40 micrograms (mcg) of pomegranate in each gummy.
According to the USDA, one pomegranate has a dose of 220 g, which equates to 220,000,000 mcg.
This means that one single pomegranate has a dose more than 5 million times higher than the pomegranate dose in a Goli ACV gummy.
Another way to explain this is that Goli could buy one pomegranate and have enough pomegranate to fulfill hundreds of thousands of orders.
Overall, we are unconvinced that Goli ACV gummies are likely to provide any health benefits due to the dosage issues discussed above.
Real People Try Goli
A YouTube creator named "KeepingUpWithNocie" reviewed Goli ACV gummies and shares the benefits she claims to have experienced:
A TikTok user named "kayla marie" claims to have lost weight taking Goli's gummies:
@kmariah.xo goli apple cider vinegar gummy pt. 1 update - Target: $20 & i take 2 a day in the am on an empty stomach #weightlossjourney #applecidervinegar ♬ original sound - kayla mariah
Do Goli Gummies Cause Weight Loss?
Goli doesn’t claim that their ACV gummies cause weight loss, but many online reviewers of the supplement do, so consumers are often curious about whether or not Goli ACV gummies are likely to cause weight loss.
While ACV is clinically shown to cause weight loss, we do not consider Goli gummies likely to cause weight loss, given the relatively low ACV dose.
As stated in the Ingredient Analysis section, we haven't come across a single clinical trial proving that ACV at the dose in Goli is effective for weight loss, nor does the brand cite any on their website.
We haven't seen clinical research suggesting that any of the other active ingredients in Goli gummies are effective for weight loss either.
Goli ACV vs. Liquid ACV
One of the most popular videos on Goli ACV is from a health and fitness influencer named Thomas DeLauer.
He compares the health and nutritional benefits of Goli ACV gummies and apple cider vinegar in liquid form, in a video with over 250,000 views:
Do Goli Gummies Cause Side Effects?
Goli doesn't appear to have funded any clinical trials on their ACV gummy supplement, so we can't say for certain whether or not the gummies cause side effects.
However, we can make an educated guess based on the ingredients.
Apple cider vinegar can cause indigestion and heartburn at high doses, but the dose in Goli is far too low to cause those effects in our opinion.
As documented in the Ingredient Analysis section, citric acid may cause inflammatory reactions in some individuals, but this isn't likely in the average consumer
Overall, we consider Goli ACV gummies unlikely to cause side effects in healthy adults. The gummies are formulated with safe, non-toxic ingredients.
Where to Get the Best Price
Goli ACV gummies are sold at many online retailers.
Here's a price breakdown for a one-time purchase at the time of updating this article:
Brand website: $19 (plus shipping, link)
CVS: $15.99 (plus shipping, link)
Walgreens: $15.99 (plus shipping, link)
Amazon: $14.98 (free shipping, link to official Amazon listing)
Goli ACV gummies are currently 37% cheaper at Amazon than at the brand's website when factoring in shipping fees.
Customers Rate Goli ACV Gummies
Amazon is a better resource for honest customer reviews than a brand's website in our opinion.
At the time of updating this article, Goli ACV Gummies have been reviewed over 350,000 times on Amazon, with an average review rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars.
A top positive review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named "JK2512" who gave the product a 5/5 rating:
"I take ACV for many of it's health benefits. The one most, obvious and immediate sign these worked for me is that I was able to cease using underarm deodorant within two days of using the product (I stopped using antiperspirants in 2012; and shortly thereafter, I stopped using deodorant too - so long as I take ACV consistently, I have not had use either product since 2012)."
We want to note that there doesn't appear to be any clinical research suggesting that ACV supplementation reduces body odor, and this may be a placebo effect.
A top negative review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named "B. Junkin-Mills" who gave the product a 1/5 rating:
"On the bottle they admit that each gummy has 500 mg of Apple Cider Vinegar. 500 mg = HALF of a ml. For weight loss, 15-30 ml ACV are recommended per day. For blood sugar management, 20 ml are recommended. Etc. The point is that you would go through a bottle every 2 days or so to hit the recommended ACV allowance. At $20/bottle that would really add up."
Goli currently has a 1.5 out of 5 star rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website, but the brand responds to the majority of customer complaints in an attempt to resolve the situation, which is a sign of a high-quality brand.
Goli ACV Gummies Pros and Cons
Here are the pros and cons of Goli ACV gummies in our opinion:
Pros:
- Recently increased ACV per serving
- Positive Amazon reviews
Cons:
- ACV appears significantly underdosed for health benefits
- Not clinically tested
- Contains 400% more added sugar than ACV
- Contains citric acid
- Contains folic acid
- Contains flavoring agents
- Questionable marketing claims
- Brand's website charges for shipping
