Study's Credibility Collapses Due to Data Discrepancies
BMJ Editor-in-Chief: "Do Not Cite These Findings"
The core scientific evidence supporting the diet effects of apple cider vinegar (ACV), which had gained worldwide attention for its purported weight loss benefits, has been revealed to be false. The ACV craze has been curbed after a leading British medical journal officially retracted the relevant paper.
The core scientific evidence supporting the diet effects of apple cider vinegar (ACV) has been revealed to be false.
On September 23 (local time), IT media outlet Gizmodo and major foreign news agencies reported that the British Medical Journal (BMJ) Group had retracted a Lebanon-based ACV weight loss study published in its journal 'BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health' in March last year, citing reasons such as lack of data reliability.
Claimed 8kg Weight Loss in 12 Weeks Became a Global Sensation
The paper claimed, based on a clinical trial involving 120 overweight and obese adolescents and adults, that consuming ACV could result in up to 8kg of weight loss in just 12 weeks. Immediately after its release, media outlets around the world reported on it extensively, and ACV gained massive popularity as a diet product both domestically and internationally.
However, from the outset, doubts were raised that "the results are too dramatic," prompting BMJ to launch its own investigation. The investigation found that the original data could not reproduce the study's results, and that participants had not been randomly assigned. Some of the figures were statistically unrealistic, and significant flaws in the statistical approach were also identified.
Dr. Helen Macdonald, BMJ's publication ethics lead, stated, "We wanted to introduce this to our readers because it seemed like a simple and useful weight loss method, but ultimately, it was an unreliable study," emphasizing, "It is not advisable to cite or refer to this paper in the future." The authors explained that the results were due to mistakes, not intentional misconduct, but agreed to the retraction.
From Diet Trend to Retraction Due to Lack of Evidence
After the paper was published, major global media outlets such as BBC and CNN gave it extensive coverage, turning ACV into a worldwide diet trend. In Korea, products were launched with the image of "vinegar that makes you lose weight just by drinking," and ACV-related items became bestsellers on online shopping malls.
However, skepticism existed from the early days of its announcement. Dr. Duane Mellor of Aston Medical School in the UK pointed out, "This study was not even pre-registered as a clinical trial," criticizing it for violating basic scientific ethics. BMJ acknowledged this and stated it would strengthen its editorial standards.
Experts point out that there is insufficient scientific evidence not only for weight loss but also for the overall health benefits of ACV. Australian nutritionist Dr. Rosemary Stanton said, "Claims that it is rich in potassium and magnesium are also untrue," and advised, "Effects that seem too good to be true should be viewed with skepticism."
ACV is an unrefined vinegar made by crushing and fermenting apples, leaving beneficial bacteria and yeast, known as "mother vinegar." In Korea, it has been consumed as a diet supplement or sold in powder form.
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