Diluted Vinegar Before Meals
Use diluted vinegar before a meal as an optional glucose tactic
- Difficulty
- Starter
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 94%
Inchauspé describes a pre-meal drink made from one tablespoon of vinegar diluted in a tall glass of water. She says studies show this can reduce the glucose and insulin response to a meal. Her explanation has two parts: acetic acid slows the digestion of starch into individual glucose molecules, and it signals muscles to absorb glucose as it reaches the bloodstream. The transcript does not identify or assess the studies, so the percentages mentioned in the interview should be treated as the guest's report rather than independently established here. Dilution is a key safety detail because she specifically warns against taking vinegar as a shot and mentions protecting the teeth. The habit is optional, and people with medical conditions, medications, or adverse symptoms should seek individualized advice rather than using it as treatment.
Origin
Extracted from The Diary of a CEO. Jessie Inchauspé presents diluted vinegar before a meal as one of her optional glucose-management hacks.
Core principles
- 01Dilution is part of the method, not an optional detail
- 02Acetic acid is presented as slowing starch breakdown
- 03The guest also says muscles may take up more arriving glucose
- 04The tactic is optional and does not require changing the meal
- 05A claimed smaller spike is not permission to ignore medical needs
How to run it
- 1
Check Suitability
Decide whether vinegar is appropriate for your health, medications, digestion, and teeth. Ask a qualified clinician when those factors create uncertainty.
Pro tip Skip the tactic entirely if it is unpleasant or unsuitable; the episode offers other independent methods.
Watch out Do not use this routine to change diabetes medication or other prescribed treatment on your own.
- 2
Measure and Dilute
Put one tablespoon of vinegar into a tall glass of water. The water is integral to the method described.
Pro tip Prepare it before sitting down so the routine does not interrupt the meal.
Watch out Do not drink undiluted vinegar as a shot.
- 3
Drink Before the Meal
Consume the diluted drink before eating. Keep the meal unchanged if you are trying to observe whether this single habit affects your response.
Pro tip Test one optional hack at a time when you want clearer personal feedback.
Watch out Stop if it causes pain, reflux, nausea, or other adverse effects.
- 4
Evaluate Without Overclaiming
Notice tolerability and any repeatable changes, while recognizing that subjective experience cannot verify a glucose mechanism. Use appropriate clinical monitoring when medically indicated.
Pro tip Treat the episode's reported effect sizes as claims to verify, not guaranteed personal outcomes.
Watch out A vinegar routine does not diagnose, prevent, or cure disease.
In the wild
Inchauspé says she may drink diluted vinegar before eating chocolate cake in the afternoon, then pair the cake with Greek yogurt and move afterward. The vinegar is one optional layer, not the whole strategy.
→ The example shows how the tactic fits around a desired food without presenting it as a cure-all.
Illustrative example: an adult who has confirmed that vinegar is suitable dilutes one tablespoon in a tall glass of water before several comparable lunches. They stop if discomfort occurs and avoid changing medication or making medical conclusions from the trial.
→ The person tests tolerability and repeatability while preserving appropriate medical boundaries.
Common mistakes
Taking a Vinegar Shot
Inchauspé explicitly says to dilute the vinegar and warns that dilution is better for the teeth.
Treating a Reported Percentage as Guaranteed
The interview relays study findings without presenting enough detail to establish the same result for every listener or meal.
Replacing Treatment
The episode does not support using vinegar instead of prescribed medication or professional care.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for adults who tolerate vinegar and want to test one of the episode's optional meal habits.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for anyone with contraindications, dental or digestive concerns, medication interactions, or a need for clinician-managed glucose treatment.
From the transcript
“1 Tbsp of vinegar in a tall glass of water before a meal”
“acetic acid slows down that process”
“Don't do it as a shot. Make sure you dilute it”
From the episode
The Scary New Research On Sugar & How They Made You Addicted To It! Jessie Inchauspé