Relish: a sweet condiment with a vinegar story attached

We found no trial on relish itself. The nearest evidence is about vinegar, which relish contains. In small randomized crossover trials, vinegar eaten with a meal of complex carbohydrates cut the rise in blood glucose by 20% against placebo, and it did nothing when taken with simple sugars. Those were single test meals, and the vinegar dose was far above what a tablespoon of relish holds. What relish reliably gives you is sugar. UK tables list tomato relish at 25.1 g total sugars and 480 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g), and corn, cucumber and onion relish at 28.9 g sugars and 420 mg sodium, each from a single record while brands vary widely. A US tablespoon of pickle relish weighs 15 g and carries about 4.4 g sugars and 122 mg sodium. A large sandwich portion of 1.1 oz (30 g) doubles both.

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• UK tables list tomato-based relish at 114 calories, 25.1 g total sugars and 480 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g), with almost no fat. — CoFID 2021 record 17-354, Relish, tomato based (n = -) Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: energy 114 calories, carbohydrate 27.6 g, total sugars 25.1 g, fat 0.1 g, sodium 480 mg, potassium 290 mg
• UK tables list corn, cucumber and onion relish at 144 calories, 28.9 g total sugars and 420 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g). — CoFID 2021 record 17-708, Relish, corn/cucumber/onion (n = -) Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: energy 144 calories, carbohydrate 36.6 g, total sugars 28.9 g, fat 0.3 g, sodium 420 mg, potassium 110 mg

What a real portion looks like

• A US tablespoon of pickle relish weighs 15 g and carries about 122 mg sodium and 4.4 g sugars, and a large sandwich portion of 1.1 oz (30 g) doubles that. — USDA FNDDS food code 75503020, Relish, pickle (fdc_id 2710079) (n = -) Evidence E source
  Per 100 g sodium 811 mg, total sugars 29.13 g; per 15 g tablespoon 121.7 mg sodium, 4.4 g sugars; per 30 g 243.3 mg sodium, 8.7 g sugars

What your body absorbs

• In four small crossover RCTs, about 10 g of vinegar eaten with a starchy meal cut the blood glucose rise by 20% versus placebo, but had no effect with pure sugar. — adults with or without type 2 diabetes, 4 randomized crossover trials of 9-10 people each, single test meals (n = 9-10 per trial) Evidence B source
  Postprandial glycemia -20% vs placebo when vinegar taken with complex-carbohydrate meal; no effect with monosaccharides
• In 16 people with type 2 diabetes, vinegar added to a high-glycemic meal lowered the 2-hour glucose area from 311 to 181 mmol min/l, but did nothing with a low-glycemic meal. — 16 patients with type 2 diabetes, two matched groups, single test meals with and without vinegar (n = 16) Evidence B source
  Glucose iAUC 181 +/- 78 vs 311 +/- 124 mmol min/l (P=0.04) with high-GI meal; 229 vs 238 (P=0.56) with low-GI meal

Safety, limits and interactions

• Observational studies link pickled vegetables to about 50% higher odds of gastric cancer, mostly in Korea and China, and not clearly in other countries. — 60 observational studies (50 case-control, 10 prospective) (n = 60 studies) Evidence C source
  OR 1.52 (1.37-1.68) overall; cohort studies 1.32 (1.10-1.59); other countries 1.14 (0.96-1.35)
• Observational studies, mostly from China, link Asian pickled vegetables to about twice the odds of esophageal squamous cell cancer. — 34 observational studies, 31 case-control and 3 prospective (n = 34 studies) Evidence C source
  OR 2.08 (1.66-2.60), heterogeneous
• In a 1995 Welsh Salmonella outbreak, illness was tied to kebabs served with yogurt-based relish that had been stored next to raw lamb. — case-control study of a Salmonella typhimurium DT170 outbreak, South Wales, July 1995 (n = -) Evidence C source
  Doner kebab OR 7.9 (1.5-20.5); yogurt-based relish OR undefined, P=0.009; mayonnaise-based relish OR 2.4 (0.4-13.9)

What people believe that the data does not support

• The EU refused the claim that apple cider vinegar helps control body weight, and none of 6 vinegar claims it reviewed was authorized. — EU health claim application, apple cider vinegar (n = -) Evidence E source
  Status Non-authorized; vinegar claims authorized 0 of 6

Who this works differently for

• In an RCT of 82 people with cirrhosis, sips of pickle brine at cramp onset reduced cramp severity by 2.25 points on a 10-point scale versus 0.36 with tap water over 28 days. — 82 patients with cirrhosis and more than 4 muscle cramps in the previous month, 74 completed, 28 days (n = 82) Evidence B source
  VAS-cramps change -2.25 +/- 3.61 vs -0.36 +/- 2.87 (P=0.03); sleep and quality of life unchanged

The bottom line

In 16 people with type 2 diabetes, vinegar added to a high-glycemic meal lowered the two-hour glucose area from 311 to 181 mmol min/l. The authors conclude it works only with a high-GI meal, and the abstract does not give the vinegar dose. Apple cider vinegar has been sold as a weight tool, and the EU refused the claim that it helps control body weight. That refusal means the evidence was judged insufficient, which is not the same as proof of no effect. One group reacts differently. In an RCT of 82 people with cirrhosis and frequent muscle cramps, pickle juice lowered cramp severity by 2.25 points on a 10-point scale over 28 days, against 0.36 with tap water. That was pickle brine, not relish, and the salt load matters for anyone with fluid build-up. The cautions come from observational data. Across 60 studies, pickled vegetables were linked to 52% higher odds of stomach cancer (OR 1.52, 1.37 to 1.68), with the link strongest in Korea and China and not significant elsewhere (OR 1.14, 0.96 to 1.35). Those were East Asian salted and fermented vegetables. A separate review of 34 studies, mostly retrospective and Asian, tied pickled vegetables to about twice the odds of esophageal squamous cell cancer (OR 2.08, 1.66 to 2.60), with results that varied widely between studies. Neither says anything firm about vinegar relish from a jar. In a 1995 Salmonella outbreak in South Wales, illness was linked to kebabs served with a yogurt-based relish, a single outbreak that applies to fresh dairy relishes. We have no card on children, pregnancy or medicines for relish. The gaps are large. There is no USDA reference record for relish, and we found no study of the sweet cucumber relish most Americans buy, for absorption, health effect or safety.

Sources

1. rlh-r3-01 · reference dataset
   CoFID 2021 17-354 Relish, tomato based: Energy (kcal) 114; Carbohydrate (g) 27.6; Total sugars (g) 25.1; Fat (g) 0.1; Sodium (mg) 480; Potassium (mg) 290
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England / OGL v3.0 · checked 2026-09-29
2. rlh-r3-02 · reference dataset
   CoFID 2021 17-708 Relish, corn/cucumber/onion: Energy (kcal) 144; Carbohydrate (g) 36.6; Total sugars (g) 28.9; Fat (g) 0.3; Sodium (mg) 420; Potassium (mg) 110
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England / OGL v3.0 · checked 2026-09-29
3. rlh-r3-03 · reference dataset
   FNDDS 75503020 Relish, pickle (fdc_id 2710079): Sodium, Na 811 mg per 100 g; Total Sugars 29.13 g per 100 g; 1 tablespoon 15 g (121.7 mg sodium, 4.4 g sugars); 1 individual packet 9 g; Guideline amount on large sandwich 30 g (243.3 mg sodium, 8.7 g sugars)
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023 · checked 2026-09-29
4. rlh-r3-04 · RCT, crossover, acute
   Vinegar did not alter PPG when ingested with monosaccharides, suggesting that the antiglycemic action of vinegar is related to the digestion of carbohydrates. ... The antiglycemic properties of vinegar are evident when small amounts of vinegar are ingested with meals composed of complex carbohydrates. In these situations, vinegar attenuated PPG by 20% compared to placebo.
   Ann Nutr Metab, 2010 · checked 2026-09-29
5. rlh-r3-05 · RCT, acute
   In group A, the incremental area under the curve of glucose (GiAUC(120)) was lower after the addition of vinegar (181+/-78 mmol min/l vs 311+/-124 mmol min/l, P=0.04). ... We conclude that the addition of vinegar reduces postprandial glycaemia in patients with T2D only when it is added to a high-GI meal.
   Eur J Clin Nutr, 2010 · checked 2026-09-29
6. rlh-r3-07 · meta-analysis, observational
   The OR (95% CI) was 1.52 (1.37-1.68) for the overall association, 1.56 (1.39-1.75) for case-control, and 1.32 (1.10-1.59) for cohort studies. The OR (95% CI) was 1.89 (1.29-2.77) in Korean, 1.86 (1.61-2.15) in Chinese, and 1.16 (1.04-1.29) in Japanese studies, and 1.14 (0.96-1.35) in studies from other countries.
   Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 2012 · checked 2026-09-29
7. rlh-r3-08 · meta-analysis, observational
   The overall random effects odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for pickled vegetable consumption was 2.08 (1.66-2.60), but the results were heterogeneous across studies.
   Br J Cancer, 2009 · checked 2026-09-29
8. rlh-r3-09 · case-control
   A case-control study found that illness was associated with eating kebabs (odds ratio undefined, P = 0.002), doner kebabs (odds ratio 7.9, 95 % confidence interval 1.5-20.5, P = 0.02) and kebabs with yoghurt based relish (odds ratio undefined, P = 0.009) ... Investigators of food poisoning outbreaks linked to takeaway food should consider cross-contaminated relishes and dressings as well as undercooked meat as potential vehicles of infection.
   Epidemiol Infect, 1999 · checked 2026-09-29
9. rlh-r3-10 · EU claims register entry
   POL-HC-6626 Apple cider vinegar Helps control and normalize body weight. Non-authorised
   EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-6626, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-29
10. rlh-r3-06 · RCT, 28 days
    We enrolled 82 patients with cirrhosis and a history of >4 muscle cramps in the previous month from December 2020 to December 2021. ... At trial completion, the respective values for the pickle juice and control arms were -2.25 ± 3.61 points on the VAS for cramps, compared with control tap water (-0.36 ± 2.87), P = 0.03
    Am J Gastroenterol, 2022 · checked 2026-09-29