You've read the models' tip that a gulp of vinegar before a meal keeps the weight off? Well, according to Japanese research, it's true. Certainly if you're a mouse...

When they were fed a high-fat diet along with vinegar, they developed up to 10 percent less body fat than mice fed a high-fat diet and water.

Apparently, acetic acid - the acid in vinegar - switches on genes making some fat-burning enzymes operate to suppress the accumulation of body fat.

This sounds great! It's not unsafe! Vinegar is cheap! You won't get rooked by a scam like the Acai Diet!

Another plus is that two further studies show that vinegar-swilling mice have lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure. When the Central Research Institute in Handa, Japan, tried it on people, those given 15 ml a day lost fat - mostly that muffin-top fat that bulges over the waistband.

What vinegar does is slow the time it takes for our stomachs to empty after eating, taking the edge off appetite. So you're likely to eat less during a meal and feel fuller longer after it.

How much vinegar does it take for this miracle? Just 4 teaspoons for the stomach-slowing down action. That's about what you use in a vinaigrette. If you prefer lime or lemon juice, it seems to work as well.

Even if it doesn't work, it tastes nice. And you aren't being rooked for buying into the Acai Diet scam. Want more natural fat burners? Read on...