Apple Cider Vinegar FAIL: FODMAPs & Reflux

On the hypothesis that my mineral deficiencies are caused by low stomach acid, today I tried supplementing with vinegar. This morning, I took a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with some water at breakfast (a Quest bar and coffee) and at lunch sprinkled some red wine vinegar on my salad. The good: I didn't get hungry between meals--that's unusual for me, especially on such a light breakfast. The bad: I got acid reflux and a lot of burping, which is also unusual for me. Sinus congestion, too. Given my very low-carb breakfast, the only reason I could think of for the reflux was FODMAPs. (Quest bars have prebiotic fiber that gives some people FODMAPs problems, but not me.) Apples are one of the worst things for giving me acid reflux, and apple cider vinegar is apparently high in FODMAPs--fermentable carbohydrates that some people don't digest well. When you don't digest a carbohydrate well, it ferments in your intestines.

Fermentation requires bacteria. But I haven't been giving any care and feeding to my gut bacteria. I've been on a low-carb diet for over five years, don't use resistant starch, don't eat fermented foods except a little homemade coconut yogurt, and I'm in the middle of another round of antibiotics (the second one this year). I've shown the bugs all the charity of Ayn Rand. Yet they've gotten along well enough without any help to give me three hours' acidic misery with nothing but a little vinegar to feed them.

The lack of hunger between meals suggests that I'm digesting my food better, and hopefully, absorbing more minerals. I'm going to try again tomorrow with lime juice or red wine vinegar, which are supposed to be low-FODMAPs.

ETA: From looking at a few scholarly articles (not the alternative health hype that's all over the internet), it's unclear why vinegar is antiglycemic. It may have to do with interference with carbohydrate digestion.

Comments

Larcana said…

I absolutely believe all this excitement over gut bacteria is overstated. Those little beggars stay with us more than we realize. Yes, those patients on long term antibiotics or hospitalized with IV antibiotics are at risk for "bad bug" overgrowth but most people are not.
That said ACV is the worst thing for me! Little amounts of vinegar are evan bad for me. FODMAP city.
I feel your pain.

May 28, 2015

Lori Miller said…

For people who tolerate it well, it does seem to be a good blood sugar stabilizer, appetite suppressant, disinfectant, hair treatment, GERD cure, cancer cure, face lift in a bottle, tooth straightener, and tax accountant. Maybe I exaggerate, but it was hard to find anything negative on the stuff.

But for me, it was miserable. I don't mind a little used in ketchup or salad dressing, but knocking it back on an empty stomach was bad. Even lemon juice taken the same way this morning gave me a sour stomach and the need to eat something just to feel better.

May 28, 2015

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