蘋果醋是否有利於身體健康?

As a practicing physician and professor of medicine, people ask me about the benefits of drinking apple cider vinegar all the time. I enjoy those moments, because we can talk about the history of vinegar, and then distill the conversations to how it could, maybe, benefit them.
作爲一名從業醫師和醫學教授，我總是被問及喝蘋果醋的益處。我享受這些時刻，因爲我們可以從醋的歷史談起，然後談及醋的提煉，及其益處。

A cure for colds, the plague and obesity?
可治療感冒、瘟疫和肥胖？

Historically, vinegar has been used for many ailments. A few examples are that of the famous Greek physician Hippocrates, who recommended vinegar for the treatment of cough and colds, and that of the Italian physician Tommaso Del Garbo, who, during an outbreak of plague in 1348, washed his hands, face and mouth with vinegar in the hopes of preventing infection.
從歷史角度來看，醋已被用於治療多種疾病。比如，著名的希臘醫生希波克拉底就建議喝醋治療咳嗽和感冒；意大利醫生托馬索·德爾·加博（Tommaso Del Garbo）在1348年瘟疫爆發的那段時間用醋洗手、洗臉、漱口，以期預防感染。

Vinegar and water has been a refreshing drink from the time of Roman soldiers to modern athletes who drink it to slake their thirst. Ancient and modern cultures the world over have found good uses for "sour wine."
不論是羅馬士兵還是現代運動員，他們都喜歡喝醋和水解渴，認爲它們是令人神清氣爽的飲料。世界各地的古代和現代文化都記錄着'酸酒'的益處。

While there is plenty of historical and anecdotal testimony to the virtues of vinegar, what does medical research have to say on the subject of vinegar and health?
雖然很多歷史和軼事都歌頌着醋的益處，但科學研究對於醋和健康這一話題又有何說法呢？

The most reliable evidence for the health benefits of vinegar come from a few humans studies involving apple cider vinegar. One study demonstrated that apple cider vinegar can improve after-meal blood glucose levels in insulin-resistant subjects. In 11 people who were "pre-diabetic," drinking 20 milliliters, a little more than one tablespoon, of apple cider vinegar lowered their blood sugar levels 30-60 minutes after eating more than a placebo did. That's good - but it was only demonstrated in 11 pre-diabetic people. When my brother and I were kids back in the '80s, we loved going to Long John Silver's.
涉及蘋果醋的人類研究是說明醋的健康益處的最可靠證據。一項研究表明：對於抗胰島素受試者而言，餐後喝蘋果醋可改善血糖水平。11位糖尿病前期受試者餐後30至60分鐘內喝了20毫升蘋果醋（比一湯匙多點兒），而他們的血糖水平有所降低，降低的水平比服用安慰劑的效果更好。這一點很棒--但受試者只有11位糖尿病前期患者。20世紀80年代，我和哥哥還是個孩子，我們喜歡去Long John Sliver's餐店。

But it wasn't just for the fish. It was for the vinegar - malt vinegar. We would uncap a bottle at the table and swig that tangy, delicious nectar of the gods straight.
但我們去那兒不僅是爲了吃魚，而且也爲了喝醋--麥芽醋。我們會打開桌上的一瓶醋，濃郁的香味撲鼻而來，十分美味。

Some social media and online searches would have us believe that drinking vinegar is a cure-all. However, the health benefits we suspect vinegar has need to be confirmed by larger human studies.
有些社交媒體和在線搜索會引導我們，讓我們以爲醋是萬靈神藥。但我們認爲醋的健康益處仍需由更大規模的人類研究來證實。