Does apple cider vinegar actually do anything?

If something claims to be a miracle cure—for cancer, for overeating, for run-of-the-mill acne—you should start by assuming it isn’t. Life is hard and long and there are no easy shortcuts, especially when it comes to your health. That includes the internet darling that is apple cider vinegar.
Proponents of the fermented liquid seem to think it can cure just about any ailment, and sometimes advise taking shots of it to stave off illness. Cider vinegar is just one in a sea of trendy superfoods that plague the web, but it’s a great example of how easy it is to ascribe unfounded health benefits to generally innocuous ingredients. Apple cider vinegar won’t magically make your problems go away, no matter how much you believe in it. Most of the “evidence” in support of its benefits comes from shoddy journals and pseudo-doctors.
In fact, there seems to be just one thing it could theoretically be good for. Well, actually, two. Apple cider vinegar is a great way to catch flies. Way better than honey.
So here’s a round-up of some of the most common suggested uses for what is essentially just half of an excellent salad dressing—and the reasons that the remedies (mostly) don’t work
Weight loss/heart disease
A handful of mouse and rat studies (mostly in subpar “scientific” journals that don’t require the same rigor as legitimate journals do) seem to have convinced the internet that taking shots of vinegar can stave off diabetes. But human studies have shown such small weight-loss benefits as to be considered insignificant.
It’s possible that vinegar is somewhat helpful to your metabolism, but the results so far suggest it won’t be a miracle treatment. According to a couple of small studies, the acetic acid in vinegar could stave off blood sugar spikes that otherwise prompt your body to store fat, but that mechanism hasn’t been thoroughly proven yet. If you’re trying to improve your cardiovascular health or shed some pounds, you’re far better off doing high-intensity interval training combined with some type of strength training, plus eating a balanced diet with plenty of fiber and whole foods. Those interventions have much better evidence supporting them.

Cancer
Just...no. Please do not try to treat your cancer by drinking vinegar of any kind. Even if Japanese scientists really did kill cancer cells by exposing them to apple cider vinegar, that does not prove that vinegar will treat cancer inside your body. If you just leave cancer cells in a petri dish for too long they will die, but that doesn’t mean we can treat cancer by telling patients to wait it out. Please please please see a doctor if you have cancer. The treatments are scary and certainly far from perfect, but they’re still your best shot.