Baking Soda: Uses, Health Benefits, Side Effects

Baking soda is that wonder ingredient that sits cozily in the fridge most times. Baking soda or Sodium Bicarbonate has all those qualities that qualify it as a miracle product. It adds a sparkle to your smile or sometimes cleanses the basin that has been a mess for quite a while.

Uses of Baking Soda

You put the best of your efforts to bake that cake for the weekend. However, it turns out it was not as you expected. The cake was hard and dry. You missed adding that alkaline white powder that is always resting cozy in your fridge. Baking soda is a must-go ingredient and adds to the soft or fluffy texture of baked items such as cakes, muffins, or cookies.

Baking soda contains leavening properties and when it combines with vinegar or lemon juice, it produces carbon dioxide and helps the dough to rise giving it a fluffy texture. The uses of baking soda are not limited to only cooking.

Household Staple

No house is complete without a dedicated corner for baking soda. The commodity can be used for a variety of household purposes.

• It cleanses the teeth and makes them shine bright. Hence, it can be used to freshen your breath or remove the antibacterial and antimicrobial properties hiding behind your teeth. It is a great solution to maintaining that perfect oral hygiene. The toothpaste that we use contains a fair amount of soda that helps fight bacteria and removes stains on teeth.

• You can dab a mixture of coconut oil and baking soda for odourless armpits which means, baking soda replaces expensive deodorants too. Just that you need to be sure of the quantity that goes into making the perfect solutions.

• Our refrigerators are sometimes a haven for all food spoiled and rotten vegetables. These emanate a foul odour. Although keeping your refrigerator clean is always recommended, to do away with the foul odour that your fridge can give out, you may keep a small bowl of soda behind all things on one of the racks.

• Guess what, add a few drops of your favourite oils - lavender, jasmine, or chandan to a jar mixed with pinches of soda, and cover it with a muslin cloth to get that fresh odour the air in your home needs.

• Whitener, stain remover, odour eliminator and so much more - baking soda does it all for you! Did we add - baking soda even helps polish old silver vessels or remove pests from veggies purchased from the market? These add to the list of uses too.

Dietary Warning − If you are on medication or undergoing treatment of any kind, we would recommend you consult your doctor before including soda to your drinks or foods. If you have been facing indigestion and waiting for a few burps, using soda may not be a great idea. It may react with the medicines you have been taking of late.

Baking Soda: Versatile for All Health Reasons

The use of baking soda helps treat a range of health conditions such as eczema, bowel cleansing, insect bites, ulcers, stones, and a lot more. The application levels vary with the uses.

• Baking soda aids in losing weight. While drinking large quantities of soda can make you bloated. Generous amounts of soda improve your metabolism and help burn fats that your body accumulates.

• Baking soda works great as an antacid and hence, it can help cure heartburn and indigestion. However, the consumption has to be judicious as baking soda is high in sodium. It is important to be aware of the sodium intake that goes into your body in the form of baking soda.

• The ulcers that most of us usually get in our mouth find a remedy as well with the use of baking soda. Rinsing out the mouth with a mixture of water and baking soda helps reduce the pain the ulcers may cause.

• Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is a wonder product when used by athletes. The use of baking soda helps delay fatigue and facilitates athletes to perform longer. However, the use has to be in doses as prescribed by the physician.

Baking soda relieves you of sunburns and seasonal itches. A small cup of soda in bathing water can do wonders for the body.

Side-effects of Baking Soda

In this section, let us review what an overdose of sodium bicarbonate can do to your body. While sodium bicarbonate is nontoxic and using the same in generous amounts can be very effective, an overdose of it can be very fatal to the human body. It can cause side effects, such as −

• Diarrhoea

• Convulsions

• Constipation

• Vomiting

• Irritability

• Muscle spasms/weakness

The most harmful one of all is that an overdose of sodium bicarbonate can rupture the stomach. People with heart ailments must always keep sodium bicarbonate at bay. Consumption of baking soda can be very risky for patients with heart diseases. Also, use of baking soda is not recommended for pregnant women.

Conclusion

It is always recommended to keep a note of the amount of sodium bicarbonate one has used to help in case a medical intervention is required. Always keep a jar of baking soda. It is an inexpensive wonder ingredient. Generally recognized as safe, it can be a great ingredient for home remedies and household solutions.