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The Surprising Health Benefits of Baking Soda

Baking soda, a humble kitchen staple, goes beyond its typical role as a leavening agent for baked goods. This versatile white powder has gained popularity for its surprising health benefits, making it a natural wonder for wellness enthusiasts. From soothing digestive issues to whitening teeth and even alleviating certain skin conditions, baking soda has found a place in various home remedies. Join us on an exploration of the remarkable health benefits of baking soda and uncover how this affordable and readily available ingredient can enhance your overall well-being.

Health Benefits of Baking Soda

Baking Soda is an Effective Antacid

Baking soda is not only a versatile ingredient in the kitchen but also serves as an effective antacid. Its alkaline nature helps neutralize stomach acid, providing quick relief from heartburn, indigestion, and acid reflux. When ingested, baking soda reacts with the acid in the stomach, producing carbon dioxide, which helps relieve bloating and discomfort. A simple and natural alternative to over-the-counter antacids, baking soda offers a soothing solution to digestive woes. It has become a go-to remedy for many seeking relief from common gastrointestinal discomforts.

Always use baking soda in moderation and consult a healthcare professional before incorporating it into your regular routine. For this purpose you can take ½ teaspoon of baking soda in half a glass of water and fully dissolve it and take 2-3 times a day.

Heartburn and Indigestion

Baking soda is low cost and a cost-effective antacid, which helps in relieving heartburn and indigestion. It is also found effective in treating ulcer pain. Use it for occasional treatment of heartburn and indigestion and be careful with amounts. Chronic use or excessive amounts can cause serious electrolyte and acid-base imbalances inside the body.

Over-the-counter antacids, such as Alka-Seltzer, Tums, and Rolaids, contain some form of bicarbonate. But a more cost-effective way to relieve occasional heartburn and indigestion is to stir half a teaspoon of baking soda into half a cup of water and drink it an hour or two after meals.

Boost Your Immune System

Kidney Disease

For individuals with kidney disease, baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, can play a beneficial role in managing certain aspects of their condition. Research suggests that taking small doses of baking soda orally can help neutralize excess acids in the blood, a common issue in patients with kidney disease. This can potentially slow down the progression of kidney damage and reduce the risk of complications associated with acidosis.

Diabetes and hypertension often induce chronic kidney disease in people, where kidneys find it difficult to remove acid from the body leading to a condition known as metabolic acidosis. Research shows promising result in treating patients with advanced kidney disease and metabolic acidosis with oral sodium bicarbonate in conjunction with their usual treatment. The sodium bicarbonate was found effective in slowing down the rate of decline in kidney function and the need for dialysis.

Ensure Proper Monitoring and Guidance

It’s crucial to consult with a healthcare professional before using baking soda as a treatment, as excessive intake can lead to side effects like electrolyte imbalances and high blood pressure. Proper monitoring and guidance are essential to ensure that baking soda is used safely and effectively as a complementary approach to kidney disease management.

Blood Sugar Regulation, A Surprising Health Benefit of Baking Soda

We know that sodium bicarbonate slows the progress of chronic kidney disease but few are aware that baking soda could be a front line defense against diabetes. Common baking soda is an essential tool in working with diabetic and metabolic conditions and can certainly be used for reducing blood sugar spikes. Obviously it does not take the place of an alkaline diet and water but bicarbonate is an easy solutions that can be used orally and transdermally.

But sodium bicarbonate can be used safely at home orally and transdermally (and should always be used with magnesium chloride for greatest effect) in all stages of diabetes.

Baking Soda Increases pH and Inhibits Cancer

In animal models increasing dietary bicarbonate levels was found effective in increasing the pH of acidic tumors and inhibit metastasis, without upsetting the pH of the blood. Though this is yet to be confirmed in human clinical trials, but considering the effectiveness of baking soda it can be safely introduced into the treatment regimen of patients dealing with cancer.

Baking soda has also been used in combination with magnesium chloride; apple cider vinegar; and lemon juice to treat health problems. These ingredients when interact together make a powerful solution to eliminate excess acids and toxins from the body.

Health Benefits of Baking Soda

Itching from Insect Bites or Burns

Baking soda neutralizes toxins and irritants on your skin’s surface and thus helps in relieving minor itching and skin irritation. Make a thick paste of baking soda and water, apply it onto the affected area from insect bites, and wait for the paste to dry completely before rinsing it off with lukewarm water. You can also rub dry powder onto your skin to get relief from allergic rashes and even skin exposed to poison oak or ivy. Research shows that adding one-half cup of baking soda to bathwater helps in soothing itchiness and irritation in patients with psoriasis.

Oral Health

Baking soda is effective in plaque removal and because of this quality it has become a popular ingredient in toothpastes and mouthwashes. Besides, polishing, cleaning and deodorizing your teeth baking soda has antibacterial activity that helps in killing Streptococcus mutans bacteria that contribute to tooth decay. But, if you directly use baking soda on your toothbrush, its mild abrasive qualities may wear down enamel over time. Use commercial toothpastes that contain baking soda to enhance plaque removal effectiveness of your tooth brushing.

Health Benefits of Baking Soda

Athletic Performance

Baking Soda is an alkali substance, which helps increase the pH of the blood. Baking soda benefits athletes when taken before intense exercise. It acts as a buffer when lactic acid builds up in hard-working muscles during intense, anaerobic exercise such as fast running or swimming. Baking soda also helps in delaying fatigue, enhancing athletic performance of distance runners and improving speed of swimmers.

Splinter & Wart removal

To remove splinter add a tablespoon of baking soda to a small glass of water and then soak the affected area twice a day. Often splinters come out on their own after using this treatment for a couple of days. To remove warts, wet the wart and apply some baking soda directly onto it and gently massage. Repeat this procedure until the unwanted wart is removed.

Beauty Benefits – More Health Benefits of Baking Soda

Natural Deodorant

You can make a natural and effective deodorant by simply mixing about a teaspoon of baking soda with enough water to create a milky liquid. Brushing dry baking soda under your arms works as natural deodorant. A surprising health benefit to many is the fact that harmful chemicals and metals found in commercial deodorants and antiperspirants are not necessary.

Relieves Sunburn

Baking soda helps in relieving sunburn. Either add ½ cup of baking soda to your bathwater prior to soaking, or add a mixture of baking soda and water to your cool compress and apply it to the sunburn directly.

Health Benefits of Baking Soda

Effective Exfoliator to Cleanse Face and Body

Make a natural and inexpensive exfoliator by mixing three parts of baking soda with one part water. This paste is gentle enough to use every day on your face and body for effective exfoliation.

Enjoy Wonderful and Relaxing Bath

You can use baking soda for making a wonderful and relaxing soak bath. This bath also helps in cleansing toxins and heavy metals out from your body. Besides relieving muscle tension and fatigue, soaking in this bath helps in removing dead skin cells.

Natural Hand Cleanser

To make a natural hand cleanser you can mix three parts baking soda with one part of water. This mix not only scrubs away dirt and neutralizes odors from your hand, but also leaves your skin light, soft and smooth.

Dr. Patrick Quillin

Dr. Patrick Quillin, PhD,RD,CNS is an internationally recognized expert in the area of nutrition and health. He has 30 years experience as a clinical nutritionist, of which 10 years were spent as the Vice President for a leading cancer hospital system where he worked with thousands of cancer patients in a hospital setting. He is a Best Selling Author with 18 books which have sold over 2,000,000 copies and also a Keynote Speaker.

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