The internet is good for many things, but providing trusted advice on natural remedies is definitely not one of them, especially when it comes to apple cider vinegar.

網路有很多方便的用途，但提供具有根據的自然療法建議絕對不是其中之一，而提到蘋果醋時更是如此。

A quick Google search will show you that people use it for everything from cleaning their teeth to curing yeast infections.

稍微在 Google 上搜尋一下，你就能看到人們用蘋果醋來解決從清理牙齒到治療酵母菌感染的各種問題。

So if people on the internet are doing it, it's worth trying, right?

所以既然網路上的大家都在這麼做，那肯定值得一試對吧？

Definitely wrong.

絕對不對。

Because not only is there little evidence to support most of the uses for apple cider vinegar, but some of them are straight-up bad for you.

因為不僅沒有什麼具體證據支持蘋果醋的大部分用途是有效的，其中一些用法還可能對你有害。

Apple cider vinegar is basically just fermented juice.

蘋果醋基本上就是發酵後的果汁。

Yeast turns the sugars in apple juice into alcohol, and bacteria then turns that alcohol into acetic acid, the chemical linked to most of cider vinegar's alleged benefits.

酵母菌將蘋果汁中的糖分轉化為酒精，細菌再把酒精變成乙酸，而這種化學物質則提供了大部分人所宣稱，蘋果醋能帶來的好處。

But here's the thing: This process isn't unique to apple cider vinegar.

但事情是這樣的：這個轉化過程並不只是蘋果醋獨有的。

In fact, acetic acid is in all types of vinegar, from white wine to balsamic.

其實，從白酒醋到巴斯米克醋等各類醋中都有乙酸。

The main thing that makes cider vinegar different is that it might be easier to swallow than a straight-up swig of balsamic.

蘋果醋與眾不同的主要特點，或許是比起直接將巴斯米克醋灌下去，它比較容易直接喝下肚。

And if you are so inclined to gulp it down, there's at least one benefit you can look forward to.

而如果你被迫要直接喝下去，你至少可以期待一個好處。

Research shows that drinking cider vinegar after a meal may help lower your blood sugar levels.

研究表明，飯後喝蘋果醋可能有助於降低血糖水準。

So studies have demonstrated that when people eat a high-starch meal and follow it with a little bit of apple cider vinegar, the blood sugars after eating those meals may not go up as much compared to when you eat placebo.

研究表明，在吃完含有高澱粉的一餐後喝上一點點蘋果醋，與飯後吃安慰劑時相比，飯後血糖可能不會漲得那麼多。

That's doctor and trained chef Edwin McDonald.

這位是醫師兼持照廚師艾德溫·麥克唐納。

He says that ingesting as little as 20 grams of apple cider vinegar has been shown to slow the release of food from your stomach into your intestines.

他說只要攝取少量的二十克蘋果醋，已被證明可以減緩食物在通過胃前往腸道時的消化速度。

That's where your body breaks down starches like pasta into sugars and as a result...

你的身體會在此處將例如麵食等澱粉轉變為糖類，而結果就是...

You're not gonna absorb those sugars as quickly.

你不會那麼快吸收這些糖分。

So when you don't absorb sugars as quickly, your insulin levels really don't rise as much, and your blood sugar doesn't rise as much.

而當你不會那麼快吸收糖分時，你的胰島素水準就不會上升那麼多，而你的血糖也不會上升那麼多。

And that's great news for anyone who's diabetic or pre-diabetic.

而這對所有罹患糖尿病，或是糖尿病前期的人們來說是個好消息。

Now, despite what you read online, it probably won't help you lose weight.

不管你在網路上讀到了什麼文章，蘋果醋很可能沒辦法幫你減重。

I also run a weight-management clinic, and this question comes up all the time.

我也有開一家體重管理診所，每次都會被問到這個問題。

But lowering your blood sugar after a meal is just about the only benefit of drinking apple cider vinegar.

但能在飯後降低血糖幾乎是喝蘋果醋的唯一好處了。

Research does suggest that acetic acid can slow down the accumulation of body fat and prevent metabolic disorders in mice and rats.

研究確實表明，乙酸可以減緩小鼠和大鼠體內脂肪的堆積，並防止代謝紊亂。

But there's little evidence that it has the same effect on humans.

但沒有什麼證據證明它對人類也有同樣的效果。

In one weight-loss experiment, 30 volunteers drank two tablespoons of either apple cider vinegar, malt vinegar, or a placebo drink, twice a day, for two months straight, and none of them lost weight.

在一項減肥實驗中，30 名志願者分別喝了兩湯匙的蘋果醋、麥芽醋或安慰劑飲料，一天兩次連續兩個月，卻沒有一個人有瘦下來。

In an older study with a similar design, participants did lose weight, but only about a third of a pound each week, which McDonald says isn't much.

在一項有著類似設計的較老研究中，參與者們雖然確實減輕了體重，但每週只減了三分之一磅左右，而據麥克唐納所說，這不算什麼。

But if not for weight loss, what about using cider vinegar to whiten your teeth?

但如果減肥不行的話，用蘋果醋美白牙齒又如何呢？

I caution people against that.

我會警告大家不要這樣做。

That's because cider vinegar is an acid.

那是因為蘋果醋是一種酸。

In fact, most brands have a pH between 2 and 3, which is similar to stomach acid, so swishing it around in your mouth can over time wear down the enamel around your teeth,

事實上，大多數品牌蘋果醋的 pH 值都在 2 與 3 之間，與胃酸相近。因此如果用它來漱口，長期下來會損耗包裹著牙齒的琺瑯質，

leaving them feeling rough to the touch and more susceptible to cavities and decay.

讓它們表面變得粗糙，並且更容易蛀牙。

Yikes.

好噁。

Then there are the people who use apple cider vinegar as a shampoo replacement.

還有一些人會使用蘋果醋作為洗髮水的替代品。

And as it turns out, there's actually a pretty good reason for that.

而事實證明，這個用法背後其實有個不錯的原因。

Because cider vinegar is so acidic, Dr. McDonald says it can kill some of the microbes that make your hair stink, and it can also limit the population of a type of fungus that can lead to dandruff.

因為蘋果醋的酸性很強，麥克唐納博士說它能殺死讓頭髮聞起來臭臭的微生物，並且能限制一種會導致頭皮屑發生的黴菌生長。

But there's a flip side.

但事情還有另一層面。

Because cider vinegar is so acidic, it can also burn or irritate your scalp.

因為蘋果醋實在太酸了，它也會灼傷或刺激你的頭皮。

So you should always dilute it with water.

所以使用時一定要用水稀釋。

Oh, and despite what you read online, cider vinegar is not effective against head lice.

噢，還有儘管你可能在網上看到過，但蘋果醋對頭蝨並沒有效果。

In fact, one study found that among six home remedies that people use to eliminate lice, like olive oil and mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar is the least effective.

事實上，一項研究發現，在人們用來清除頭蝨的六種家庭療法，例如塗上橄欖油和蛋黃醬等等，其中蘋果醋的效果最差。

None of them worked though.

不過這六種療法都沒有用就是了。

The claims of what apple cider vinegar can do don't stop there.

而其他人宣稱蘋果醋所具有的神奇功效可不只有這些而已。

Just keep in mind that at least for now, none of them is supported by a large body of scientific research.

只要記得至少目前為止，這些功效都沒有被大規模的科學研究所證實就行了。

Now, of course, we're not talking about taste.

當然，我們所討論的不是蘋果醋的味道。

When it comes to cooking, there's no uncertainty: Apple cider vinegar is delicious.

畢竟在做菜方面，有一件事是無庸置疑的：那就是蘋果醋真的美味無比。

I use it all the time when making dressing, pickles, and sauces.

我在做沙拉醬、醃菜和醬汁時都會用蘋果醋。

Yes, I cook.

對，我會做飯。

I just don't walk away from meals thinking I've just swallowed some ultimate cure-all.

我只是不想在吃完飯後想像自己剛吞下了什麼能治百病的靈丹妙藥而已。