How Much Apple Cider Vinegar Per Day (One Diluted Glass)
Jump to RecipeThe 1 to 2 tablespoon range that health sources cite, why it gets diluted, and one measured morning glass with its sodium and what the weight-loss studies actually found.
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Nobody wants to stand in the kitchen guessing whether a "splash" of vinegar is one tablespoon or several. Here's the shortcut: measure it.
The question behind the search is usually two questions. How much is the right amount, and does it do anything for weight? The short version is a range of 1 to 2 tablespoons a day, with water, and a fat-loss case that's thinner than the internet makes it sound. The rest of this page shows where those numbers come from, what the studies did and didn't find, and who should skip the drink.
There's no baking soda in this glass. If you've seen a pinch of it added, that's a different drink with sodium of its own: use food-grade, aluminum-free baking soda and see baking soda and apple cider vinegar for the amounts. The fizz-versus-neutralize chemistry is in does baking soda neutralize apple cider vinegar. For a sparkling version, there's the apple cider vinegar soda.
How many tablespoons of apple cider vinegar per day?
Three sources, three slightly different framings.
Healthline's dosage page calls 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 mL) with water a typical dose, before or after meals. It names no numeric upper limit there, and says no recommended doses exist for general wellness. Its side effects page is firmer: start small, work up to a maximum of 2 tablespoons (30 mL) a day, diluted in water.
Cleveland Clinic says there's no standard dosage, caps it at two tablespoons a day, and gives 1 tablespoon in a mug of warm water as its example.
Harvard Health Publishing points out a disagreement worth knowing about. Recommendations vary, it says, but most are on the order of 1 to 2 teaspoons, not tablespoons, before or with meals. A tablespoon is 15 mL and a teaspoon is 5 mL, so the low end of the range differs a lot between sources.
Our glass uses 1 tablespoon (15 mL). That's the bottom of the tablespoon range and the same amount Cleveland Clinic uses. If you've never had it before, Healthline's advice to start small and work up applies, and so does the teaspoon camp's caution.
The Food Science / Lab Kitchen Note
Apple cider vinegar is 5 to 6 percent acetic acid, per Healthline. That acid is what makes it sour, and it's also why dilution matters. Stirring a tablespoon into a full cup of water lowers the acid concentration a lot compared with the bottle. We haven't found a source that measured the acidity of a diluted glass or what it does to teeth, so we can't put a number on it.
What the sources do have is undiluted and lab data. In a lab study (not in a mouth), vinegars at a pH of 2.7 to 3.95 caused 1 to 20 percent mineral loss from teeth after 4 hours. Cleveland Clinic adds that once enamel is worn down, you can't get it back.
The nutrition is tiny. USDA FoodData Central lists cider vinegar at 50 calories, 10 mg of sodium and 170 mg of potassium per cup (239 g). Scaled to 1 tablespoon (about 15 g), that's about 3 calories and about 0.6 mg of sodium. The FDA sets the sodium Daily Value at 2,300 mg, so 0.6 mg is about 0.03 percent of it. Both numbers are our calculation from those records.
Three amounts, compared on sourced data
This compares published data. It is not a taste test. "No sourced data" means we found nothing to put in the cell.
| Amount per day | Dilution given by the source | What the sources report |
|---|---|---|
| 1 tbsp (15 mL) | 1 cup (237 mL) of water (Healthline, before-bed page, for a 1 to 2 tbsp dose); a mug of warm water (Cleveland Clinic) | 2009 trial: about 2.6 lb (1.2 kg) lost over 3 months, per Healthline. Vinegar in that trial wasn't specifically apple cider vinegar (Harvard) |
| 2 tbsp (30 mL) | 1 cup (237 mL) of water (Healthline, before-bed page) | 2009 trial: about 3.7 lb (1.7 kg) over 3 months, per Healthline. 2025 meta-analysis: larger effects at 30 mL a day than at 5 to 15 mL. 2 tbsp is the cited ceiling |
| 1 to 2 tsp (about 5 to 10 mL, our conversion) | No sourced data | Harvard says most recommendations are around this amount. No sourced weight data |
What the research says
The older trials. Harvard Health describes a 2009 trial of 175 people who drank 0, 1 or 2 tablespoons of vinegar daily. They lost a modest 2 to 4 pounds over three months and had lower triglycerides. Healthline reports the same trial as about 2.6 lb (1.2 kg) with 1 tablespoon and about 3.7 lb (1.7 kg) with 2. Harvard adds two limits: neither study it cited specifically tested apple cider vinegar, and the 2018 study it mentions, 39 people over 12 weeks, was small and short. Harvard's own verdict is that there's little proof it works for weight loss, and that the evidence for vinegar as a reliable long-term tool isn't compelling. Healthline notes that a recent review found insufficient evidence.
The 2025 meta-analysis. A systematic review and meta-analysis in Nutrients pooled 10 randomized trials in adults with overweight, obesity or type 2 diabetes, using 5 to 30 mL of apple cider vinegar a day for 4 to 12 weeks. Body weight and BMI fell, with larger effects at 30 mL a day than at 5 to 15 mL, where the weight effect wasn't significant. Our own read of the paper is less rosy: high heterogeneity between trials, only 2 of the 10 at low risk of bias, an asymmetric funnel plot, an abstract and results that disagree on participant count (789 versus 861), and one included trial that appears to be retracted. We quote no pooled figure for that reason. The authors themselves call for more studies on true efficacy and safety, and the weight effect wasn't significant at the lower 5 to 15 mL doses.
Common mistakes
Taking it as a shot. The viral version is a straight shot of vinegar. Healthline and Cleveland Clinic both say undiluted vinegar can damage the throat and esophagus. Pour the water in first and stir the tablespoon into the full cup.
Sipping it all day. Our sources link acid contact with enamel wear, and sipping stretches the contact out. We found no source on sipping time, so this is our practical call: drink the glass in one sitting, through a straw.
Brushing right away. Acid-softened enamel isn't the moment for a toothbrush. Rinse with water, then wait at least 30 minutes, as Healthline advises.
Substitutions and swaps
| Original | Swap | Proportion | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool plain water | Warm water, like a mug of tea | Cleveland Clinic: 1 tbsp in a mug of warm water | Same acid, warmer drink. We found no sourced mug size |
| Cool plain water | Unsweetened tea | No sourced proportion | Adds whatever the tea carries; not counted in our nutrition |
| Raw, unpasteurized vinegar | Pasteurized vinegar | Same 1 tbsp (15 mL) | Healthline's pregnancy page treats pasteurized as the more cautious pick, because unpasteurized can carry bacteria such as Listeria and Salmonella |
| Liquid vinegar | Pills or gummies | No sourced proportion | Cleveland Clinic mentions them and Healthline reports esophageal burn case reports with pills |
Storage
Make the glass fresh and drink it. None of the pages we read give a storage time for a mixed glass, so we give none. Keep the bottle itself away from children, since Cleveland Clinic says to keep pure apple cider vinegar out of their reach.
Nutrition note
The values on the card are estimates: about 3 calories and about 0.6 mg of sodium per glass, which is about 0.03% of the 2,300 mg Daily Value (FDA). They're calculated from typical USDA FoodData Central values for cider vinegar (record 173469), scaled from 1 cup (239 g) down to 1 tablespoon (about 15 g). Plain water is counted as adding nothing, although tap water varies. We list only the two values we could source, because we haven't found sourced figures for carbohydrate, fat or fiber in this record, and we won't guess. Any tea or sweetener you add isn't counted.
Servings: 1 glass (1 cup)
How Much Apple Cider Vinegar Per Day (One Diluted Glass)
The 1 to 2 tablespoon range that health sources cite, why it gets diluted, and one measured morning glass with its sodium and what the weight-loss studies actually found.
Ingredients
Equipment
- Measuring spoons (a true tablespoon, not a soup spoon)
- Glass (holds at least 1 cup (237 mL) with room to stir)
- Glass or reusable straw (keeps the drink off your teeth)
Instructions
- Measure the water first. Pour 1 cup (237 mL) of plain water into a glass. Adding the water first means the vinegar never sits at the bottom undiluted.
- Add the vinegar. Level 1 tbsp (15 mL) of apple cider vinegar into the water and stir once. Never drink the vinegar straight or as a shot.
- Drink it through a straw. Drink the glass in one sitting through a straw. Rinse your mouth with water afterward.
- Wait before brushing. Wait at least 30 minutes before brushing your teeth, so the acid isn't scrubbed into softened enamel.
Notes
This is our ratio, not a medical rule. It sits inside the 1 to 2 tablespoon range the sources cite, and nothing on this page comes from tasting the drink or trying it out.
Nutrition is our calculation from the USDA FoodData Central record for cider vinegar. Plain water is counted as adding nothing.
Make it fresh. We found no sourced storage time for a mixed glass, so we give none.
Nutrition Facts
Per 1 glass (1 tbsp apple cider vinegar in 1 cup water) (estimated)
- Sodium
- 0.6 mg
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to drink apple cider vinegar in the morning or before bed?
We found no sourced best time of day, and Healthline says drinking it right before bed seems to offer no added benefit over other times. If you drink it at night, finish at least 2 to 3 hours before lying down, because acidic drinks can cause reflux.
What are the side effects of drinking apple cider vinegar every day?
The sources name tooth enamel wear, throat and esophagus burns from undiluted vinegar, and low potassium, with insulin, digoxin and diuretics as the named drug interactions. Most of the harm reports are single cases, which can't prove cause, so dilute it and use a straw.
Can you take apple cider vinegar pills or gummies instead of the drink?
Cleveland Clinic mentions them, and Healthline reports esophageal burn case reports with pills. We found no sourced dose for pills or gummies, so we give none.
Why does the scale drop in the first days of an apple cider vinegar routine?
A bathroom scale can't tell fat from water or lean mass, so an early drop doesn't show fat loss. We found no study linking apple cider vinegar to water loss, so we don't claim one.
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