In the war on weight, science has created an arsenal of powerful weapons: liposuction, the Ab Roller®, control-top undergarments. Now, science once again offers hope to all those fighting the good fight in the war on weight: a weapon called acetic acid.
Acetic acid…better known as plain, ordinary vinegar.
A new study from Japan says that vinegar has been shown to prevent the buildup of fat in mice – and what the humble salad dressing does for mice, it might also do for men.
In the study, a team of researchers at the Central Research Institute of the Mizkan Group Corporation fed a group of test mice a diet in which 50% of the food energy came from fat. One-third of the mice were then given vinegar-spiked water at a high dose, one third were given a low dose of vinegar, and the rest got just plain old water.
And what happened? Both groups of vinegar-treated mice lost some fat — about 10% of their body fat by weight. The mice that didn’t get the after-dinner vinegar aperitif didn’t lose an ounce.
After checking out the mice at the genetic level, the research team concluded that vinegar was holding down the accumulation of body fat by “turning on” certain genes responsible for burning it off. If the results can be repeated in human studies, vinegar might very well go from being a mere pickle-preserving liquid to a swank member of the exclusive – and highly profitable — weight-loss-beverages club.
Which would suit the gang over at research sponsor Mizkan Group Corporation just fine. The company is, after all, the largest producer of vinegar in Japan, and one of the biggest in the world.
Coincidence? You be the judge.
