Vinegar is a common household product that has been around for thousands of years. It is a popular food supplement, flavoring, preservative and condiment. Some believe it could also help lower cholesterol. It is a claim that scientists have investigated with mixed results.

Research shows there are some health benefits to the apple cider vinegar, but not conclusively to lower cholesterol.

A 2014 study published in the Journal of Membrane Biology seemed to point to vinegar as a potential lowering agent for cholesterol. Researchers found that mice given apple cider vinegar experienced lowered serum lipid levels than those fed the same diet without the vinegar.

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In seeming conflicting results, a 2011 study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry showed that apple cider vinegar was able to decrease triglyceride levels in rats. However, these same rats experienced an increase in their levels of both HDL and LDL cholesterol.

A 2008 study published in the Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences looked at how diabetic rats were affected by apple cider vinegar. It found that apple cider vinegar improved the total lipid profile of the diabetic rats including lowering LDL and increasing HDL levels.

Proponents of vinegar as a cholesterol aid put vinegar near the top of the list of home remedies for cholesterol problems. For instance, Earth Clinic, a group that promotes natural health cures, reports apple cider vinegar is among one of the best ways to lower cholesterol naturally. They also suggest a healthy diet as well as coconut oil and red yeast rice.

Vinegar can be made from the fermenting of nearly anything with sugar. It is commonly made and sold in the United States from corn and apples. The popular condiment maker Heinz describes its vinegar-making process as a fermentation of apples and corn, which is filtered. The alcohol made in this fermentation process is changed to vinegar, which is diluted to 5 percent acidity level for sale in stores.

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