Is soaking feet in a vinegar bath for 30 minutes a cure for all diseases? No, that's not true: this is a folk myth uncorroborated by scientific evidence. Videos on social media claim this to be a "cure" for numerous conditions, from foot fungus to digestive problems, and also allege it is effective for weight loss but there is no credible evidence supporting these claims.
The claim appeared again in this video (archived here) posted on the TikTok account @serafimm12 on May, 4, 2023. The video has also been shared on several TikTok accounts (here and here, for example).
Below is how the post appeared on TikTok at the time of writing:
(Source: TikTok.com screengrab taken Mon May 15 01:20:00 2023 EST)
The graphic on the video reads:
Soak your feet in vinegar once a week and you will see how all your diseases disappear.
Another graphic adds:
Baths with apple cider vinegar have been used since ancient times for treating weight loss, digestive problems, and back, knee, and hand pains.
(Translated from Russian into English by Lead Stories staff).
While there is some literature supporting the antimicrobial properties of apple cider vinegar, there is no evidence that vinegar can cure all diseases or forms of fungal infections. Furthermore, recommended treatments for nail fungus include no mention of vinegar as a solution. Overall, medical literature on complete-cure, high effectiveness treatments for nail fungus contain no mentions of this cure.
Lead Stories performed a Google search on May, 15, 2023, and found no credible reports of such a treatment being effective against diseases or health conditions.
