Good, bad news on apple cider vinegar

Q: I hear apple cider vinegar helps with weight loss and improves glucose tolerance for people with diabetes. Is this true? — Emma S., Los Angeles

A: ACV starts off as apple juice, but adding yeast (for fermentation) turns its fruit sugar into alcohol, and then bacteria turn the alcohol into acetic acid — the key ingredient that conveys ACV’S health benefits. Studies show that ACV can reduce the rise in your blood glucose level after a meal and help promote weight loss as part of a calorie-restricted diet.

However, Dr. Tod Cooperman, president and founder of Consumerlabs.com, wants consumers to be careful with ACV. High levels potentially can damage your teeth, throat and stomach.

Due to its growing popularity, ACV is now popping up in pill form, and www. Consumerlabs.com tested some to see how they compared with the liquid.

All the liquid ACVS they tested had between 5 and 6 percent acetic acid in them. But when they tested the pills, they found a wide range of results, from an acetic acid level of 0.4 percent (ineffective) up to 30 percent (potentially dangerous)! One maker of ACV pills told Consumerlabs. com that it’s going to add a warning label and include specific instructions for use.

Q: I recently had a spinal fusion operation, and I’m tapering off my pain meds. But my pain doesn’t seem to be going away. There’s no indication anything is wrong. Why do I feel so bad? — John W., Hebron, Kentucky

A: Tiger Woods had his spinal fusion operation (anterior lumbar interbody fusion) in April 2017. After a year, he’s now playing golf at a level that can be attained only by a few people. But Tiger also had a rough time getting away from the medications that were necessary for him to endure his operation.

A recent study from the University of Colorado Boulder sheds some light on why millions have found taking pain pills isn’t always a simple solution to post-op pain.

The study, published in Anesthesia & Analgesia, found that in animal tests, the longer test subjects were taking morphine, the longer their pain lasted after they stopped taking opioids. Something is going on inside the nervous system’s pain receptors that actually prolongs pain and the desire for pain relief.

That’s why you need a good pain-management specialist to guide you through your detox and regular physical therapy to make you ever stronger.

Email questions for Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen to youdocsdaily@sharecare. com.