Baking Soda

Baking Soda: Overview

Alternative names: Sodium Bicarbonate

Baking soda is a very common household product, used for baking, cleaning, and odor-removal.  It also has many medicinal uses.

Diagnose your symptoms now!
  • let The Analyst™ find what's wrong
  • identify any nutritional deficiencies
  • learn what you should be doing right now

Why it is Recommended

Here are some of the many medical uses of baking soda:

  • Natural deodorant (apply a pinch – either dry or mixed with a little water – under the arms)
  • Itch reliever (apply baking soda either dry or as a paste made with water to relieve insect bites, rashes, irritation, sunburn)
  • Antacid (neutralizes stomach acid and relieves heartburn, indigestion, ulcer pain.  Take ½ teaspoon in ½ a glass of water every 2 hours, but only use it occasionally.)
  • Toothpaste (blend 6 parts baking soda with a part salt; very effective at plaque removal and killing oral bacteria.  Only use a little, or mix with regular toothpaste, because it is abrasive and can wear away tooth enamel with overuse.)
  • Kidney stones (baking soda makes urine less acidic, which reduces the likelihood of uric acid kidney stone formation)
  • Kidney repair (baking soda is commonly used in dialysis and treating kidney damage.  It helps remove excess fluids and waste from the bloodstream; daily intake improves kidney function and slows the progress of chronic kidney disease; it can also prevent and even reverse kidney failure.)
  • Reduces blood acidity (injected intravenously, in cases of shock, severe dehydration, and uncontrolled kidney failure or diabetes)
  • There are unproven claims that can it can be used to treat cancer

Side-Effects

Although generally very safe, when used in excess baking soda can upset the body's acid-base balance, and cause nausea, diarrhea, stomach cramps, thirst.

On This Page

Baking Soda:

Baking Soda can help with the following:

Infections

Athletes Foot

Soak the feet in a solution of baking soda and water for about 30 minutes daily.  This will change the pH of the skin.  Also sprinkle baking soda on the feet and in your shoes and socks.  It will soak up some of the perspiration and help neutralize the skin at the same time.

Organ Health

Chronic Renal Insufficiency

Reported in Natural News, August 26, 2009: Researchers in the United Kingdom have made a breakthrough in the treatment of advanced CKD – using a daily dose of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda).  Baking soda has been shown to slow the decline of kidney function in CKD, according to a study set for publication in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).  "This cheap and simple strategy also improves patients' nutritional status, and has the potential of translating into significant economic, quality of life, and clinical outcome benefits," said researcher Magdi Yaqoob, MD, of the Royal London Hospital.

Dr. Yaqoob studied 134 patients with advanced CKD and low bicarbonate levels, a condition known as metabolic acidosis.  One group of these patients was treated with a small daily dose of sodium bicarbonate in tablet form, in addition to their usual care.  The results?  The rate of decline in kidney function was dramatically reduced in these patients.  Overall, the decline was about two-thirds slower than in patients not given sodium bicarbonate.  "In fact, in patients taking sodium bicarbonate, the rate of decline in kidney function was similar to the normal age-related decline," Dr. Yaqoob stated.

The patients taking sodium bicarbonate were also less likely to develop end-stage renal disease (ESRD) which causes people with CKD to require regular dialysis.

Concerned or curious about your health?  Try The Analyst™
Symptom Entry
Symptom Entry
Diagnosis
Diagnosis
Suggestions
Suggestions
LifeMeter
LifeMeter®
Full Explanations
Explanations
Optional Doctor Review
Review (optional)

KEY

Moderately useful: often helps with
Moderately useful:
often helps with
Very useful: is highly recommended for
Very useful:
is highly recommended for
We use cookies for traffic analysis, advertising, and to provide the best user experience