Know2eat

Balsamic vinegar

What balsamic vinegar has been studied for

1 association assessed — 1 with at least some human evidence behind it. Strongest first.

  • 1 Limited
3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About balsamic vinegar

Cooked grape must fermented and aged, sweeter and thicker than other vinegars. Traditional aged balsamic and the widely sold "balsamic vinegar of Modena" are different products — the latter is mostly wine vinegar with grape must and sometimes caramel colour, and it contains a meaningful amount of sugar.

Also known as balsamic vinegar, aceto balsamico, balsamic vinegar of Modena

Blood Sugar & Metabolic Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Limited

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Blood glucose response

Blood Sugar & Metabolic Health
Limited evidence

The vinegar-and-blood-sugar research is largely about acetic acid taken with a starchy meal, and most trials used cider or plain wine vinegar. Balsamic is acidic in the same way but also brings sugar of its own, so extending those results to it is an assumption rather than a finding.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Balsamic vinegar

Ask about Balsamic vinegar

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories88 kcal4%
Protein0.49 g1%
Total fat0 g0%
Carbohydrate17 g6%
Total sugars14.9 g—
Water76.5 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0 g0%
Vitamins
Vitamin A0 µg0%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Minerals
Calcium27 mg2%
Iron0.72 mg4%
Magnesium12 mg3%
Phosphorus19 mg2%
Potassium112 mg2%
Sodium23 mg1%
Zinc0.08 mg1%
Copper0.026 mg3%
Manganese0.131 mg6%
Other measured compounds
Ash0.37 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Vinegar, balsamic (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 172241).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

Nothing dependable is recorded about how preparation changes this food’s nutritional properties. Rather than guess, this section stays empty.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Worth knowing

    It contains sugar, unlike other vinegars

    Grape must is concentrated grape juice, so balsamic carries sugar that cider or distilled vinegar does not. Glazes and reductions concentrate it further. This matters if vinegar is being used specifically for blood sugar reasons.

  • Too much

    Acid erosion of tooth enamel

    Balsamic is both acidic and sugary, a combination that is harder on teeth than either alone. It is a dressing ingredient rather than something to drink.

  • Worth knowing

    Lead has been found in some aged balsamic vinegars

    Testing in California has repeatedly found lead in aged balsamic vinegars at levels requiring a Proposition 65 warning, thought to come from the grapes and from traditional wooden barrel ageing. Amounts are small relative to typical use, but it is a reason not to treat balsamic as a health drink.