A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial testing apple cider vinegar for weight management in Lebanese adolescent and young adult patients with overweight and obesity was retracted in September 2025. A post-publication review determined that the analyses couldn't be replicated. The data set showed patterns inconsistent with random allocation, and the reported P values were improbably small for the limited number of patients included.
In the trial, researchers evaluated apple cider vinegar supplementation compared with placebo among patients with overweight and obesity. The participants were randomly assigned under blinded conditions. However, the study was not prospectively registered, in violation of BMJ journal policy. Following publication, the researchers provided their data set for review, including attempts to replicate results and assess data authenticity.
The retraction notice identified limitations that compromised the study’s reliability, including inadequate reporting, and irregularities within the data set. The researchers attributed the discrepancies to mismatched versions of data, rounding errors, and formatting problems when exporting the results from statistical software into spreadsheets. Nonetheless, they agreed with the decision to retract the trial.
The researchers’ institutions were notified and provided with the statistical review and identifiers of patients whose data required independent verification. Related analyses and responses will remain publicly accessible, but correction of the trial cannot proceed without institutional review and further validation.
