Apple Cider Vinegar Pills: Side Effects.

The short answer: Side effects of apple cider vinegar pills are poorly documented, since the federal pages we found cover ingredients, not capsules. So any honest list of apple cider vinegar pills side effects starts with the label. Ours lists 1,000 mg of vinegar powder, 200 mg of inulin, 100 mg of DigeZyme® and 1 Billion CFU of Lactobacillus acidophilus (at the time of manufacture) per 2-capsule serving. Federal sources tie gas to the fiber and the probiotic.

Key takeaways

• The side effects a federal source names for this capsule's ingredients are gas, bloating and cramps from fiber, and gas from probiotics in healthy people; ODS adds an infection caution for people who are seriously ill or have weak immune systems.
• Our label's 200 mg of inulin per 2-capsule serving is 0.2 g, a small slice of the 21 to 38 grams of fiber MedlinePlus recommends for adults each day.
• The panel prints no acetic acid figure and doesn't name the enzymes inside DigeZyme®, so those two rows can't be judged from the bottle alone.
• Our label says to consult a physician first if you're pregnant, nursing, under 18 or have a medical condition.

The capsule this page picks apart is ours, Apple Cider Vinegar & Probiotic Capsules, and we make a sale when you buy it. So every side effect below is pinned to a printed line on its label, with a flag wherever we couldn't find a source.

What side effects can apple cider vinegar pills cause?

The side effects federal sources tie to apple cider vinegar pill ingredients like ours are gas, bloating and cramps from the fiber row, and gas from the probiotic row in healthy people; ODS adds an infection caution for people who are seriously ill or have weak immune systems.

Much of what's online about ACV side effects describes the liquid. A capsule is dried vinegar powder in a shell, often shared with other ingredients. We found no federal page on apple cider vinegar supplements at NCCIH or MedlinePlus.

Two rows carry a named side effect, fiber and probiotic, and both point to gas. The vinegar row the product is named for has no federal listing we could locate.

Which ingredient explains gas or bloating from apple cider vinegar capsules?

Inulin and Lactobacillus acidophilus are the two ingredients in our apple cider vinegar capsules that federal sources connect to gas.

The FDA's questions and answers on dietary fiber name inulin and inulin-type fructans among the non-digestible carbohydrates the agency intends to propose adding to the definition of dietary fiber. Until that rule is done, the FDA lets makers count them as fiber on Nutrition and Supplement Facts labels.

MedlinePlus's page on fiber puts it this way: "Eating a large amount of fiber in a short period of time can cause intestinal gas (flatulence), bloating, and abdominal cramps."

Our inulin row is 200 mg, or 0.2 g, per 2-capsule serving, while MedlinePlus sets the daily fiber goal for older children, teens and adults at 21 to 38 grams. On paper that's very little, though it could still count if it starts the same week as a new fiber powder.

The second suspect is the probiotic, Lactobacillus acidophilus LA85, listed at 10 mg (1 Billion CFU at the time of manufacture) per 2-capsule serving. Gas is the one side effect the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) names for probiotics in healthy people, and it calls other problems rare for that group.

For a wider look at how fermentable fibers behave, see our guide to choosing a fiber supplement.

Can the vinegar powder in apple cider vinegar tablets upset your stomach?

Apple cider vinegar powder has no federal side-effect listing we could find, so your own reaction is the best evidence you'll get.

People search for nausea and stomach pain after ACV pills, but no government source we read tracks how often either happens with capsules. We won't borrow numbers from studies of the drink.

Vinegar gets its sharp taste from acetic acid. Our panel lists the vinegar as 1,000 mg of powder per 2-capsule serving, inside an HPMC vegetable capsule rather than a liquid you sip. That changes how it's taken, not whether it can disagree with you.

The ODS guide Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know says to be alert to a bad reaction, especially with a product that's new to you. If a capsule leaves you queasy or crampy, set the bottle aside and ask a healthcare provider.

Whether food changes anything is a timing question, and our guide to when to take apple cider vinegar capsules covers it.

What can't the label tell you about side effects?

Our apple cider vinegar capsule label can't tell you its acetic acid content, which enzymes sit inside DigeZyme®, or how many live CFU remain when you open it.

The vinegar row is a weight, not a strength. It says 1,000 mg of powder per 2-capsule serving and gives no acetic acid percentage. So nobody, us included, can convert two capsules into teaspoons of liquid vinegar.

DigeZyme® is a brand name for a digestive enzyme blend. It gets one 100 mg line on our panel with no enzyme names or activity units, so you can't compare it enzyme by enzyme with a label that does. Our comparison of digestive enzymes and probiotics explains what those units tell you.

The CFU count is dated to manufacture. The footnote says the 1 Billion CFU figure is "at the time of manufacture." According to ODS, the count at manufacture doesn't necessarily match what's in the bottle when you buy or use it. On the plus side, the label names the strain, LA85. ODS says probiotics are identified by genus, species and strain, and this row gives all three. Whether the vinegar itself carries live cultures is covered in our guide to whether apple cider vinegar is a probiotic.

The other ingredients are HPMC (vegetable capsule), brown rice flour, magnesium stearate, olive oil and silicon dioxide, and the label also claims vegan, gluten free and non-GMO. If you avoid any of those ingredients, that's reason enough to skip.

From our shop: Apple Cider Vinegar & Probiotic Capsules — per 2-capsule serving, 1,000 mg of apple cider vinegar powder, 200 mg of inulin, 100 mg of DigeZyme® and 1 Billion CFU of L. acidophilus LA85 at the time of manufacture.

Are apple cider vinegar supplement side effects likelier when you stack products?

Apple cider vinegar supplement side effects get harder to trace, and possibly likelier, when the capsule joins other probiotics, fiber products or several new supplements.

ODS lists taking many different supplements among the situations where side effects are most likely. With this capsule, overlap hides in four places:

• A second probiotic. A daily probiotic capsule, strip or chewable means two sources of live microbes.
• A greens or reds powder. Some list inulin inside a blend, and two of ours do.
• A psyllium product. Our Psyllium Fiber & Digestive Enzyme Powder lists 3,000 mg of psyllium husk seed powder per 1 Sachet serving, a different fiber on top of this capsule's inulin.
• A second vinegar product. ACV gummies or shots on top of capsules double up on the one row with the least data.

Our gut health collection puts every digestion label we carry side by side for an overlap check.

How should you take apple cider vinegar capsules to keep side effects easy to spot?

Take apple cider vinegar capsules exactly as the label says: two capsules daily for adults, with 6-8 oz of water, and never more than that.

1. Take the full serving and nothing extra. If you miss a day, skip it rather than doubling up.
2. Drink the water. The label says, "For best results, take with 6-8 oz (177-237ml) of water or as directed by healthcare professional." MedlinePlus notes that water helps fiber pass through the digestive system, which fits the inulin row.
3. Start it on its own. Don't begin a new probiotic, fiber or vinegar product in the same stretch. Then, if something feels off, there's one obvious suspect.
4. Write it down. ODS suggests keeping a record of every supplement and medicine you take, with the dose and how often, to share with your healthcare providers.
5. Stop if it disagrees with you, then tell your provider. ODS says you can also report a reaction to the FDA and to the company on the label.

What if the vinegar or the inulin is the row you'd rather skip?

If you'd rather avoid the vinegar or inulin rows, Digestive Enzyme & Probiotic Capsules list neither, though the schedule and label detail differ.

The swap trades one set of unknowns for another. You drop the vinegar and the fiber, and you gain named enzymes, such as bromelain and papain, in a blend with one 2500 HUT/400mg figure per 1 Veggie Capsule serving. But the probiotic side has no CFU count.

Both labels carry the same caution.

From our shop: Digestive Enzyme & Probiotic Capsules — per 1 Veggie Capsule serving, the panel has no vinegar powder or inulin row and names every enzyme in its blend, fungal lactase among them.

Do you need an apple cider vinegar supplement at all?

You may not need an apple cider vinegar supplement. ODS says no official recommendations cover probiotic use by healthy people, and the capsule's fiber is tiny next to food.

ODS also says supplements can't replace the variety of foods in a healthy eating routine, and fiber shows why. MedlinePlus says Americans eat about 16 grams a day on average, well under the 21 to 38 gram goal. If fiber is your gap, beans, fruit, vegetables and whole grains can close far more of it than 0.2 g of inulin can.

You can probably skip this capsule if:

• Your meals already sit comfortably and you don't want another bottle to track.
• You'd be adding it on top of a probiotic and a fiber product you already take.
• You're hoping it will stand in for something a provider prescribed. ODS says to get your provider's approval before using supplements in place of prescribed medicines.

Who should skip apple cider vinegar pills or check with a provider first?

Our apple cider vinegar pill label tells four groups to consult a physician first: anyone pregnant, nursing, under 18 or managing a medical condition.

ODS adds a few more, so this table sorts everyone by the part of the label that concerns them.

Only one row, the probiotic, carries a federal warning of its own. ODS says probiotics might cause problems such as bacterial infections in people who are already seriously ill or have weak immune systems. Its general guide adds that some supplements can change your response to anesthesia if taken before surgery, and that combining supplements with prescribed medicines needs your provider's approval.

FAQ: apple cider vinegar pills side effects

Can apple cider vinegar pills cause diarrhea?

No federal source we read lists diarrhea as a side effect of apple cider vinegar capsules. The nearest guidance covers fiber: MedlinePlus says adding fiber to your diet slowly, instead of all at once, can help reduce gas or diarrhea. Our label lists 200 mg of inulin per 2-capsule serving. If loose stools start after any new supplement, stop taking it and check with a healthcare provider.

Are apple cider vinegar pills safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding?

Ask your physician first. That's what our apple cider vinegar pill label tells anyone pregnant or nursing to do, and its directions are written for adults ("adults take two (2) capsules daily"). We checked all four rows, and none of the sources on this page gives a pregnancy or nursing safety answer for any of them. The one supplement ODS leaves out of its pregnancy-and-nursing caution is a standard prenatal.

Is it OK to take apple cider vinegar pills every day?

Daily use is what our apple cider vinegar pill label describes, at two capsules a day for adults, but the label gives no end date. We also found no federal data on taking vinegar capsules for months or years. So keep to the one daily serving, and if you plan to stay on it long term, show the bottle to your provider.

Does gas from an apple cider vinegar capsule settle down over time?

Gas from the fiber in an apple cider vinegar capsule may ease as your gut adjusts, based on MedlinePlus's general fiber guidance. It says fiber-related gas often goes away once the natural bacteria in the digestive system get used to the increase. No source gives a timeline for this capsule. If gas keeps bothering you or comes with other changes, stop and talk with your provider.

What happens if you take too many apple cider vinegar pills?

Taking more apple cider vinegar pills than the label's two capsules daily raises every row at once, including the vinegar powder, the one row with no federal side-effect listing we could find. Our caution rules it out: "Do not exceed recommended dose." ODS says supplement side effects are most likely at high doses. If you've taken extra by mistake and feel unwell, contact a healthcare provider.

Sources

• Probiotics: Fact Sheet for Consumers (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements)
• Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements)
• Fiber (MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia)
• Questions and Answers on Dietary Fiber (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)

If this left you looking for somewhere to start, read apple cider vinegar capsules with a probiotic — its amounts per serving are listed on the page. For the practical questions this raises, how dosing, sourcing and subscriptions work is answered in one place.