摘要：In animal study, it has been reported that vinegar reduces serum cholesterol and that the effective ingredient is acetic acid, a main component of vinegar. We have recently shown that the intake of a bottle of a drink (100 ml per bottle) containing 15ml of vinegar is beneficial in reducing serum total cholesterol in subjects with serum total cholesterol levels of between 180 and 260 mg/dl. The test drink containing vinegar used in the relevant clinical study contained 750 mg of acetic acid per bottle. In the present study, to investigate the safety of drinks containing vinegar, we conducted three clinical trials in which we used the same test drink as the one described above. In trial 1, subjects with serum total cholesterol levels of between 180 and 260 mg/dl were given three bottles of the test drink per day for 4 weeks. In trial 2, healthy subjects were given one bottle of the test drink per day for 14 weeks. In trial 3, healthy subjects were given three bottles of the test drink per day for 4 weeks. In the three trials, no clinical problems were revealed by blood studies, urinalysis and blood pressure measurements. Neither did any subject in any test experience harmful side effects, such as digestive tract symptoms, skin diseases, or allergic phenomena. In summary, the results indicate that drinks containing vinegar are safe both in healthy subjects and in subjects with serum total cholesterol levels of between 180 and 260 mg/dl.
