The Household Staple That Steadies Blood Sugar
By Michael Roizen, M.D., and Mehmet Oz, M.D.

You use it to make windows and mirrors sparkle, to restore shine to your hair, to add extra zing to your endive and watercress salad and whatever else you can think of. But apple cider vinegar -- the Swiss Army Knife of household products -- has another important use: keeping blood sugar stable.

Having two tablespoons of vinegar at or near the start of a meal may clamp down on blood sugar spikes from eating starchy carbs like potatoes and pasta. Just two tablespoons of the stuff can do the trick. The vinegar slows absorption of the sugar from these foods by delaying stomach emptying, and it also makes insulin more effective. Essentially, insulin is like a mailman taking the glucose mail from your bloodstream and putting into your cellular mailbox. Both effects -- slower absorption into your bloodstream, and faster removal of sugar from your blood into cells -- keep blood sugar levels lower and more stable in diabetics.

Keeping blood sugar from surging can even cut your diabetes risk in the long run. There are quick-return benefits, too, including stymieing hunger pangs. That keeps pounds off, which makes your insulin mailman even more effective at getting sugar out of blood and into cells. That, in turn, keeps your energy level up, making it more likely you'll stay physically active (which cuts diabetes risk, too). So try splashing new potatoes and vegetables with red wine vinegar instead of mayo. Or start a meal with a mix of fresh greens and vegetables dressed in oil and vinegar. It may even help you feel satisfied all the way through an errand marathon.