Why Vinegar Doesn’t ‘Clean’ Your System Before a Drug Test

Despite widespread online assertions, there is no scientific proof that apple cider vinegar or any other type of vinegar can “cleanse” your body and enable you to pass a drug screening.

If you’re hunting for strategies to avoid a positive drug result, you’ve likely seen suggestions to drink vinegar to “flush” your system in a single day. What’s the reality?

Some people claim apple cider vinegar (ACV) has detoxifying qualities that speed up the removal of “toxins” — including THC, the cannabis compound detected by many drug tests — within 24 hours. However, no medical or scientific data supports this claim.

Is it safe to try anyway? Keep reading to see what the research indicates.

Why do people think it works?

The explanations for why vinegar would supposedly cleanse your system are imprecise. Still, the way the body handles cannabis gives some context.

When you consume cannabis, THC is rapidly metabolized into an inactive compound. That metabolite binds with glucuronic acid to form an acidic metabolite that is eliminated in urine.

Some proponents argue that the acidic environment created by drinking vinegar encourages greater and faster excretion of THC this way, but there’s no evidence to substantiate that claim.

Some studies do indicate that adding ACV to a urine sample can lower urine pH, which might produce a false negative. Yet, laboratories performing urine drug tests can detect when pH has been artificially altered.

Why it’s unlikely to work

Again, there’s no evidence that drinking vinegar will help your body rapidly eliminate THC. Even if it did have some effect, the sample you provide would probably draw scrutiny.

Many ACV “cleanses” aimed at avoiding positive results advise consuming large quantities of water in the hours before testing. That produces noticeably diluted urine. In some situations, submitting diluted urine can trigger an automatic failure; in others, you’ll be asked for another specimen, often under observation.

Adding ACV to your urine specimen is also likely to be suspicious. Drug-testing centers are well aware of this tactic and measure the pH of samples to confirm they fall within a normal range. A valid urine sample typically has a pH spanning 4.6 to 8.0, whereas apple cider vinegar’s pH is about 3.0.

Remember that samples are commonly screened for:

• temperature
• specific gravity
• creatinine concentration
• presence of adulterants

Any risks to trying it?

Vinegar isn’t a dependable method to “clean” your system. But could attempting it cause physical harm?

ACV is generally considered safe and is linked to various health benefits, but it is quite acidic. Dilute it with water before drinking, and rinse your mouth with water afterward to protect tooth enamel.

Are there reliable alternatives?

Despite numerous products that claim otherwise, there’s no proven way to rapidly remove a substance from your body. If you want to avoid a positive result, you’ll need to allow your body to eliminate it on its natural timeline.

How long that takes varies between individuals and depends on multiple factors, including body composition and the duration of use.

For cannabis, expect anywhere from 1 to 30 days.

Here’s how long other frequently tested substances can be detected in urine:

• amphetamines: 2 to 4 days
• barbiturates: up to 7 days
• benzodiazepines: up to 7 days
• cocaine: 1 to 4 days
• codeine: 2 to 4 days
• heroin: 2 to 3 days

Bottom line

There’s no proof that vinegar “cleanses” your system. Even if it had some effect, your urine sample would likely be rejected.

If you’re worried about an upcoming test, the most reliable approach is to let your body eliminate substances naturally.