Overview

• The publisher withdrew the March 2024 BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health study on September 23–24 after it had reported 6–8 kg weight loss over 12 weeks in Lebanese adolescents and young adults.
• Independent statisticians could not replicate the reported analyses and cited multiple errors, improbably small p-values, patterns inconsistent with random allocation, lack of preregistration, and inadequate methods reporting.
• The authors said discrepancies were honest mistakes stemming from version mismatches and data export or rounding issues, and they agreed to the retraction.
• BMJ’s content integrity editor said journalists should no longer cite the paper, and an appended expert report said participant-level data would require further scrutiny after the highly publicized study influenced coverage worldwide.
• A separate 2025 Nutrients meta-analysis found only modest, dose-dependent reductions in weight and BMI with apple cider vinegar—largest near 30 mL/day—while emphasizing heterogeneity and the need for larger, longer, preregistered trials with rigorous monitoring.