Apple cider vinegar has been a buzzword for quite some time. Right now, many people associated drinking apple cider vinegar with weight loss. As a coffee drinker, it is only natural for us to ask the question, can you add apple cider vinegar to your cup of coffee?
Adding apple cider vinegar to coffee is not recommended. Apple cider vinegar comes with 4 to 7% of acetic acid which when comes with the acidic property of coffee can cause a variety of health inconveniences like bloating, nausea, and heartburn. Worst cases include brittle bones and weak teeth enamel.
Can You Add Apple Cider Vinegar To Coffee?
The simple answer to this question is no.
You can technically add apple cider vinegar to coffee, but the resulting drink would be very acidic, and drinking it would surely cause health issues like bloating, acid reflux, nausea, and heartburn.
Doing the same over a regular period would have serious health impacts on your body. The bones on your body can become brittle, and you can even weaken the tooth enamel.
Another common health problem you get can is an upset digestive system. Though there might be some benefits, the health risks and sufferings make it not worth it.
So if you’re asking the question, is it safe to add apple cider vinegar to coffee? No, it is not safe as you will be making an acid-rich drink that is sure to cause trouble over time if not immediately.
Is Apple Cider Vinegar More Acidic Than Coffee?
Yes, apple cider vinegar is generally more acidic than most varieties of coffee. On the pH scale, vinegar has a pH of 2 to 3 while coffee has a pH value of 4.85 to 5.10. From these figures, we can say that apple cider vinegar is more acidic than coffee.
The above conclusion works for the majority of the cases.
But there are scenarios where your coffee can be more acidic in nature.
The roasting of the coffee beans affects their acidity levels. Dark roasted coffee beans will be less acidic whereas light roasted coffee beans can be very acidic in taste.
The brewing method of your coffee can also determine its acidity levels.
If you’re a fan of the cold brew, then you don’t have a very acidic drink. Other methods produce more acidic coffee without a doubt.
The amount of time you brew is also important. The less time you brew, the more acidic your coffee will be.
The type of coffee bean is also another potential factor that could impact the acidity level in your coffee.
So without taking a look at the exact drink in your hands, it will be hard to say if it is more acidic than apple cider vinegar or not. But if you’re having a standard coffee, then there is a good chance that ACV is more acidic than your cup of joe.
How To Add Apple Cider Vinegar To Coffee?
If you must add apple cider vinegar to your coffee, there is a way to do it, but you might not like it.
The first method would be to choose the least acidic coffee you can find on the market.
Most dark roast coffee beans will come with little acidity. Roasting your coffee beans for a long time will reduce the concentration of most of its chlorogenic acid, acetic acid, citric acid, linolenic acid, and other acids.
You can dilute your apple cider vinegar with water and then mix it with your coffee. This way you can add ACV to your coffee.
But there are some drawbacks to this method. Your coffee will taste bitter as it is made from a darker roast. If you’re used to light and medium roasts all your life, you may have a make a big adjustment which isn’t worth it.
The second method is to make use of Decaf coffee or herbal coffee. Both these coffee types come with less acetic acid and when mixed with apple cider vinegar, they won’t be as acidic as other coffee types.
The problem with this method is that you lose the element of caffeine. Decaf coffee comes with 97% less caffeine, so if you’re drinking coffee for the kick of caffeine, it won’t make any sense to try this.
Both these methods give us a way to mix apple cider vinegar with coffee. But they are not great in any way, and just because these methods are feasible doesn’t mean you should try them.
In my opinion, you will do fine by not mixing apple cider vinegar and coffee.
Can I Put Apple Cider In My Coffee?
Yes, you can add apple cider to your coffee.
Apple cider is different from apple cider vinegar.
Apple cider vinegar is made by fermenting apple into sugar alcohol and later it is converted into acetic acid with the help of bacteria.
Apple cider, on the other hand, is made by crushing apples and collecting their juice. Unlike apple juice, there is minimal filtration and you will find pulp and even skin in apple cider.
Apple cider can be alcoholic or non-alcoholic based on the method used to make it.
Coming back to the topic at hand, you can add apple cider to coffee as it is not as acidic as apple cider vinegar.
Here’s a simple recipe to make an Apple Cider Latte.
Ingredients list:
- 1/2 cup brewed coffee
- 3 oz apple cider
- 1/3 milk or creamer
- 1 or 2 tablespoons maple syrup (to your taste)
Directions:
- Take your brewed coffee in your coffee cup
- Pour milk, apple cider, and maple syrup in a saucepan and mix them well while heating at a low temperature.
- Make sure the milk mixture is hot but not boiling. Once you reach that stage, remove it from the stove.
- Create a froth from the mix using a milk frother. If you don’t have a milk frother, you can simply pour the milk mixture into a mason jar with a closed lid and shake it vigorously until you get a nice froth.
- Now, pour the frothy mixture on top of the brewed coffee.
- You can add a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg to enhance the flavor. If you’re feeling fancy, then whipped cream will surely help.
Can I Drink Coffee After Drinking Apple Cider Vinegar?
If you want to have both coffee and apple cider vinegar in your life, then it is better to give a good gap between the two.
The best time to consume apple cider vinegar is in the morning. So it is better if you can allot that time slot only for vinegar and take coffee later in the day.
The main reason we say this is because of the acidic nature of both the drinks. ACV will supply a good amount of acetic acid to you and if you feed your body with more acid shortly in the form of coffee, you might feel bloated or even heartburn.
If you must have your caffeine, then you have to tolerate the health issues that might come as a result.
If caffeine is not the main reason you take coffee, then you can consume decaf coffee or herbal coffee after drinking ACV. These two options are not that acidic in nature, and won’t upset your digestive system like caffeinated coffee.
Can Apple Cider Vinegar Replace Coffee?
Yes, you can replace coffee with apple cider vinegar if you’re looking to lose weight and get other benefits from the latter. You should also be okay with losing your caffeine input as apple cider vinegar does not come with any caffeine content.
If you choose to do so, you won’t have to spend time maintaining your coffee maker anymore. Haha… okay, I’m bad at jokes.
Here are some benefits of apple cider vinegar
- The first and the foremost reason why people flock towards apple cider vinegar is for weight loss. ACV makes you feel full thereby reducing your overall intake. This can aid in weight loss and even help you lose some fat.
- ACV can help with regulating blood sugar levels. Apple cider vinegar can be handy for managing Type-2 diabetes. This type of diabetes is caused by insulin resistance. Adding ACV to your diet can improve insulin sensitivity which helps treat Type-2 diabetes.
- ACV can improve skin health. Thanks to its acidic nature, it can rebalance the pH of your skin. ACV is also a well-known remedy for skin conditions like eczema and dry skin.
- Apple cider vinegar lowers heart disease risk factors. Though we don’t have proper testing with people, animal studies like this one have given us promising results with reduced cholesterol and triglycerides.
If you feel like these benefits are much more valuable than the ones coffee gives you, then feel free to switch to raw apple cider vinegar.
Be informed that ACV does not give you any caffeine. If you drink coffee purely for the stimulating effects of caffeine, then apple cider vinegar can’t replace your cup of joe.
Like we already said, you can have both these drinks in your life if you give them a long enough gap. Take your ACV on an empty stomach in the morning and take your first cup of coffee after 4 to 7 hours. This should not create any heartburn or bloat.
Can Coffee Replace Apple Cider Vinegar?
Yes, you can replace apple cider vinegar with coffee if your primary goal is to lose weight. Though coffee won’t be as efficient as ACV, it can still do a good job. The caffeine content in coffee burns your energy faster and also boosts your metabolism.
With coffee, you’re also going to get a boatload of antioxidants that can fight the free radicals in your body. Not only that, there are many other benefits you can get from drinking black coffee without any additives.
Also, you can maximize the benefits from coffee by adding super healthy additives like raw honey, coconut cream, almond milk, or other healthy alternatives to sugar.
Replacing ACV with a coffee can give you more fruits than doing the vice versa depending on what you seek. Either way, it is possible if you know what you want and do it right.
Apple Cider Vinegar In Coffee – Wrap Up
Apple cider vinegar and coffee are a no-go.
The combination is just too acidic and will surely give you at least an inconvenience in the form of bloating, heartburn, or nausea. Over a long time, the fruits of this habit won’t be sweet.
You can consume both of them safely provided you give enough time between the two. Or you can choose herbal or decaf coffee to take your ACV with, in which case, the effects are neutralized (mostly).