Menopause Myth or Fact: Apple Cider Vinegar Cures Hot Flashes

Menopause Madness is Real

Is the cure for hot flashes during perimenopause apple cider vinegar? If only it were that easy.

We all know that menopause is a natural and normal aspect of a woman’s life. But we also know that the menopause journey is fraught with unpleasant, shall we say, “side-effects.” The laundry list of perimenopause symptoms that occur due to the decline in sex hormones includes but is not limited to a decrease in libido, sleep disruption, brain fog, vaginal dryness, weakened cardiovascular and bone health, and weight gain. And then there are the hot flashes. The dreaded hot flashes that can occur at any time day or night. Unbidden radiant heat that consumes the entire body and often leaves a woman drenched in sweat.

Doctors barely understand what actually causes hot flashes, and not surprisingly, don’t have a solution to the problem either, leaving women to come up with their own homemade hot flash remedies. One such remedy, purported to eliminate hot flashes, is apple cider vinegar, the cure-all for various ailments. But is apple cider vinegar a menopause miracle?

What are Hot Flashes and Why Do They Occur?

Hot flashes are a vasomotor response which results in a heated flush which may be accompanied by perspiration, heart palpitations, and sleep disturbances. This phenomenon usually lasts for 5-7 years and occurs in approximately 75-80 percent of women during perimenopause. The pathophysiological mechanism is not understood completely, however, the most probable scenario involves a cascade event where an estrogen deficiency causes subsequent disturbances in amine neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine. Reductions in the activity of these neurotransmitters in the brain result in abnormal disturbances to the thermoregulatory set point in the hypothalamus.

What does that mean in lay terms? Essentially, your endogenous thermostat goes a little haywire due to a faulty mechanism, and therefore, the body attempts to cool itself by vasodilating (flushing) and sweating.

What Do We Know About Apple Cider Vinegar?

Apple cider vinegar (ACV)is made from fermented apple juice, and contains acetic acid, very trace amounts of minerals, vitamins, polyphenols and amino acids. Unpasteurized ACV also contains “the mother,” which is composed of enzymes and probiotics or beneficial bacterial species remaining from the fermentation process. Proponents of ACV, believe that products containing the mother are the most beneficial. There is convincing, though inconclusive evidence, that ACV may:

●      Support weight loss by promoting satiety and curbing appetite

●      Exhibit hypoglycemic and anti-diabetic effects to control blood sugar

●      Support healthy blood lipids and cholesterol.

Does Apple Cider Vinegar Cure Hot Flashes?

First of all, we traced idea of ACV as cure for hot flashes to a 2002 book extolling the virtues of ACV. In the book, the author writes that hot flashes may be the result of the body trying to release toxins from the body. The author suggests that using ACV can help regulate or neutralize the toxins in the body, therefore reducing the body’s need to “flash” as a method of releasing toxins.

The things is, hot flashes during perimenopause (and sadly even after a woman hits menopause) is a complex interplay between estrogen and neurotransmitters that control thermoregulatory actions of the hypothalamus, not toxins trying to escape the body. Therefore, there is no good evidence to support the use of ACV in menopause to alleviate these uncomfortable menopausal symptoms.

And for the record, the body contains specialized organs including the kidneys, bowels, spleen, liver and lymphatic system to detoxify and excrete waste products, and no food or supplement possesses these specialized powers.

Apple Cider Vinegar Won’t Cure Your Hot Flashes, But It Is Tasty on Salads

There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that ACV is a cure-all for everything, including hot flashes, but the science doesn’t back it up at all. But if you’re enjoying your ACV tonics, it probably isn’t going to hurt you, but be aware that there can be some unpleasant side effects from ingesting too much vinegar. As an acid, ACV can also cause damage to the esophagus and stomach and can demineralize tooth enamel.

But apple cider vinegar is an excellent addition for a salad dressing mixed with olive oil and honey. Here’s a recipe to try from cooktoria.