Research review
Does apple cider vinegar help with an infection?
Apple cider vinegar has been tested against bacteria and a fungus in lab dishes, not against an infection in a person. No controlled trial exists for a UTI, yeast infection, ear infection or any virus.
The evidence doesn't support drinking, diluting or applying apple cider vinegar as a treatment for a urinary tract infection, a yeast infection, an ear infection, or a cold or flu virus. What exists is laboratory testing showing that concentrated vinegar slows the growth of certain bacteria and fungi in a dish — no study has tested apple cider vinegar as a treatment for an infection in a controlled human trial.
What the evidence doesn't support
No controlled human trial has tested apple cider vinegar, in any form, for a urinary tract infection, a vaginal or oral yeast infection, an ear infection, or a viral infection of any kind, including a cold. The lab studies below tested vinegar against microbes growing in a dish, at concentrations and contact times that don't reflect drinking a capsule or a diluted shot. The one report of apple cider vinegar clearing an infection in a person is a single case, not a trial, and can't establish that the vinegar caused the improvement.
What the trials found
A 2018 lab study in Scientific Reports tested apple cider vinegar against E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans grown in culture. Growth was inhibited at different dilutions for each microbe — a 1-in-50 dilution stopped E. coli, 1-in-25 stopped S. aureus, and Candida needed a much stronger 1-in-2 dilution (nearly full-strength vinegar) to be inhibited. The vinegar also reduced inflammatory signaling in immune cells exposed to the microbes. This was bench-top microbiology, not a study of an infection in a person.
A 2015 lab study tested apple cider vinegar against Candida strains linked to denture-related mouth infections, using a diluted vinegar solution in test tubes alongside nystatin, a prescription antifungal, tested in the same lab conditions. Apple cider vinegar inhibited the Candida strains and reduced their ability to stick to acrylic denture material. This is test-tube data; it doesn't tell us what happens when a person drinks or gargles vinegar.
A small 2024 lab study measured the zone of inhibition apple cider vinegar and ginger extract produced against three oral microbes — Streptococcus mutans, Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans — on an agar plate, and found measurable inhibition for both. Again, this is a plate test, not a study of infections in people, and it says nothing about viruses.
Outside the lab dish, there is no controlled human evidence at all. Undiluted or poorly diluted vinegar is acidic enough to irritate or burn skin and mucous membranes, so it shouldn't be applied to sensitive tissue; a suspected infection needs a doctor.
No study identified anywhere in this search tested apple cider vinegar against a virus — not a cold virus, not any other. The lab work above covers bacteria and a fungus, which are biologically unrelated to viruses; inhibiting one says nothing about the other.
| Study | What was tested | Setting |
|---|---|---|
| Sci Rep, 2018 | E. coli, S. aureus, Candida albicans | Lab culture, not human |
| J Prosthodont, 2015 | Candida (denture-related) | Test tube, not human |
| J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 2024 | S. mutans, E. faecalis, Candida albicans | Agar plate, not human |
Questions people ask
Does apple cider vinegar help with a urinary tract infection?
No trial has tested this. The lab studies above tested vinegar against E. coli in a dish, not against a UTI in a person, and an acidic drink can irritate an already-inflamed bladder for some people.
Does apple cider vinegar help with a yeast infection?
No trial has tested it. Applying undiluted or poorly diluted vinegar to sensitive tissue carries its own irritation risk; a suspected yeast infection is worth a doctor's visit.
Is apple cider vinegar antibacterial?
Lab tests have found it inhibits the growth of specific bacteria in a dish, at set dilutions. No study has shown that it treats a bacterial infection in a person — that's a different, untested question.
Does apple cider vinegar help with an ear infection?
No study has tested this. An ear infection, especially with pain, discharge or fever, is worth having a doctor look at rather than treating at home.
Does apple cider vinegar kill viruses, like a cold virus in the throat?
No study we found tested apple cider vinegar against any virus. The antimicrobial lab work above is limited to bacteria and a fungus.
What about a dog's ear infection or yeast infection?
This page is about a human dietary supplement, and none of the research above was done in animals or tested a treatment use. A veterinarian, not this article, is the right source for treating an infection in a pet.
When to talk to a doctor
A urinary tract infection, a yeast infection, an ear infection, or any infection that doesn't clear up, comes with fever, or keeps recurring is worth a doctor's evaluation. Apple cider vinegar is not a treatment for any of these, and nothing above should delay getting one diagnosed and treated properly.
Related reading: apple cider vinegar side effects, who should not take apple cider vinegar, and apple cider vinegar: what the research does and doesn't show.
Sources
- Antimicrobial activity of apple cider vinegar against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans; downregulating cytokine and microbial protein expression A lab study found apple cider vinegar inhibited the growth of E. coli, S. aureus and Candida albicans in culture, at different dilutions for each, but did not test it as a treatment in people.
- Antifungal Activity of Apple Cider Vinegar on Candida Species Involved in Denture Stomatitis A lab study found apple cider vinegar inhibited Candida strains linked to denture-related mouth infections and reduced their ability to stick to denture material, in test tubes, not in people.
- Evaluation of Antimicrobial Effect of Ginger, Apple Cider Vinegar against Streptococcus Mutans, Enterococcus Faecalis and Candida Albicans A lab plate test found apple cider vinegar produced a measurable zone of inhibition against three oral bacteria and fungi, but the study did not test it as a treatment for an oral infection in people.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.