Does apple cider vinegar help with cholesterol? What the research does and doesn't show

The evidence doesn't clearly support apple cider vinegar as a way to manage cholesterol. Two meta-analyses pooling dozens of trials found a small average change in total cholesterol, with no consistent effect on LDL or HDL specifically — while one smaller randomized trial in people with diabetes found LDL did move. The overall picture is mixed, not a settled benefit.

What the evidence doesn't support

It doesn't support apple cider vinegar as a treatment for high cholesterol or dyslipidemia, and it doesn't support a specific expected change in LDL or HDL — the two largest pooled analyses found none, even where total cholesterol moved slightly. No trial has tested a capsule or powdered apple cider vinegar product for cholesterol; every trial described below used a measured amount of liquid vinegar.

What the trials found

A 2021 systematic review and meta-analysis pooled 9 studies (10 study arms) of apple cider vinegar and lipid or glycemic outcomes in adults. Total cholesterol was on average 6.06 mg/dL lower with vinegar (95% CI: -10.95, -1.17), and fasting glucose and HbA1c were also lower. No significant overall change was seen in LDL, HDL, fasting insulin or insulin resistance. A subgroup of people with type 2 diabetes, and people taking 15 mL/day or less, showed a bigger drop in total cholesterol and triglycerides specifically; healthy participants without diabetes showed a rise in fasting glucose and HDL instead of a drop — an inconsistent pattern the review's authors didn't fully explain.

A larger 2025 meta-analysis pooled 25 clinical trials (33 arms, 1,320 adults) and found a similar small average drop in total cholesterol (-6.72 mg/dL) alongside fasting glucose and HbA1c improvements, again with no significant change in LDL, HDL or triglycerides across the full pooled group — though triglycerides did move lower in trials lasting 12 weeks or more, and total cholesterol and triglycerides both improved more in the diabetic subgroup specifically.

Against that pooled null on LDL, a smaller 8-week randomized trial in adults with type 2 diabetes given 30 mL/day of apple cider vinegar found LDL dropped significantly compared with a diet-only control group, along with total cholesterol and the cholesterol-to-HDL ratio. That single trial's result runs against what the two larger pooled analyses found for LDL specifically, which is part of why the overall picture reads as mixed rather than settled.

Questions people ask

Will apple cider vinegar lower cholesterol?

The two largest pooled analyses found a small drop in total cholesterol on average, but no consistent effect on LDL or HDL. One smaller trial in people with diabetes found LDL did drop significantly, which doesn't match the pooled result — the evidence isn't consistent enough to say cholesterol reliably comes down.

Can apple cider vinegar lower cholesterol, specifically LDL?

Two meta-analyses covering a combined 34 trial arms found no significant overall change in LDL. One smaller randomized trial found a significant LDL drop in people with type 2 diabetes specifically. That's a real inconsistency in the literature, not a settled answer.

How much apple cider vinegar do the cholesterol trials use?

The trials described above used 15–30 mL of liquid vinegar a day, for 8 weeks or longer in most cases. No capsule or powder dose has been tested for cholesterol outcomes.

When to talk to a doctor

High cholesterol and dyslipidemia typically call for monitoring and, often, medication. Apple cider vinegar is not a treatment for either, and the mixed trial results above don't support using it as a substitute for prescribed lipid management. If you take a cholesterol medication or have been told your cholesterol is high, talk to your doctor before adding any new supplement.

Related reading: apple cider vinegar and diabetes: what the research does and doesn't show, apple cider vinegar and weight: what the research does and doesn't show, and apple cider vinegar benefits: what the research does and doesn't show.