# Apple cider vinegar

Source: https://onco.cc/technologies/apple-cider-vinegar/  
OnCo record `apple-cider-vinegar` (Technology). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Apple cider vinegar is promoted online as a natural remedy for skin cancer and other cancers. There is no scientific evidence that it prevents or cures any cancer. Applied to the skin it has caused chemical burns and scarring, and raw or home-fermented versions have carried infections.

## Summary

Apple cider vinegar is fermented apple juice used as a food and a folk remedy. Memorial Sloan Kettering's About Herbs summary reports that evidence for its popular uses, such as blood sugar, lipids and weight, is not conclusive, and that it was ineffective for atopic dermatitis. MSK notes that it is being promoted as an alternative cancer treatment and was among the ten natural remedies most mentioned for skin cancer in an analysis of a popular search engine, and states that there is no scientific evidence it can prevent or cure skin or any other cancer. Treating a skin lesion with vinegar instead of having it examined risks delaying the diagnosis of a melanoma or other skin cancer. Reported harms include chemical burns in children from topical use, scarring after use on a mole, low potassium and osteoporosis after excessive consumption, injury to the gullet from tablets, liver injury and pancreatitis in case reports, and E. coli and Cryptosporidium outbreaks linked to unpasteurised apple products.

## Fields

- Kind: Technology
- Status: concept
- Last checked: 2026-11-04
- Tags: complementary; supportive-care; evidence:insufficient
- Principle: Acetic acid; it has no known anticancer action in people.
- Strengths: Harmless in food amounts
- Limitations: No evidence against any cancer; Chemical burns and scarring when applied to skin; Risk of delaying diagnosis of a skin cancer

## Sources

- MSK About Herbs: Apple cider vinegar (page last updated 3 April 2026): https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/apple-cider-vinegar

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- fronts: [Diet, Exercise & Lifestyle](https://onco.cc/fronts/nutrition-lifestyle/), [Supportive Care & Survivorship](https://onco.cc/fronts/supportive-care/)
- terms: [Unproven diet claims (alkaline, juice, 'anti-cancer' diets)](https://onco.cc/terms/unproven-diet-claims/)
- bottlenecks: [Misinformation and unproven therapies](https://onco.cc/bottlenecks/b-misinformation/)

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