With its natural pH neutralizing effects, sodium bicarbonate serves a variety of purposes.
As such, sodium bicarbonate is used to treat a variety of conditions.It has medicinal properties and has been employed in the past as a relief from scalding / burns, and allergic reactions to a number of plants to relieve itching.
In a personal hygiene, Sodium Bicarbonate is used as an additive to toothpaste where it is known to have whitening properties and can neutralise acid in the mouth.
Around the home is widely used as a cleansing agent, and added to washing machines to soften water and remove odours from clothing. It is particularly effective, when diluted in warm water, at removing stubborn tea and coffee stains from cups and mugs. While sodium bicarbonate is a readily available product in most households, few individuals are aware of how many different ways this amazing product can be used.
Sodium bicarbonate is an effective treatment for a variety of health conditions. For more information we highly recommend looking at the work of Dr. Mark Sircus and his book Sodium Bicarbonate Nature Unique First Aid Remedy.
Our Sodium Bicarbonate is:
What Is sodium bicarbonate?
Sodium bicarbonate (IUPAC name: sodium hydrogen carbonate) is a chemical compound with the formula NaHCO3. It is a salt composed of sodium ions and bicarbonate ions. Sodium bicarbonate is a white solid that is crystalline but often appears as a fine powder. It has a slightly salty, alkaline taste resembling that of washing soda (sodium carbonate). The natural mineral form is nahcolite. It is a component of the mineral natron and is found dissolved in many mineral springs. It is among the European Union-encoded food additives, identified as E 500.
A variety of health aids, personal hygiene products and household cleaners on the market today are laced with toxic cleaners and other concerning substances. Sodium bicarbonate, on the other hand, is a natural chemical compound. From its use as a medicinal substitute to a household cleaning product, sodium bicarbonate is effective at restoring balance in the body and the home without harsh chemicals or toxins.
Sodium bicarbonate, is a natural substance that helps regulate pH. This regulation keeps a substance from becoming too acidic or too alkaline, which is important in maintaining health.
The little wonder with 1001 uses
Sodium Bicarbonate is a good substitute for commercial products used for bathing. It does not contain fragrances and chemicals, it is colorless and odorless, and it does not leave residues in the bath tub. It makes bath water alkaline and leaves the skin feeling silky.
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Many components of the modern western diet – meats, fish, dairy products, most grains, sugars, alcohol and caffeinated drinks (in fact, almost everything except vegetables, millet, most fruits and, as we have just seen, apple cider vinegar) – contribute to one’s body becoming too acidic.
This, in turn, can open the door to a variety of problems, some of them (including arthritic complaints) potentially serious if this acidic condition persists for many years.
This is because your body will attempt to compensate by retaining alkaline salts in the bloodstream to offset the increase of tissue acidity. Since your body can only tolerate a small imbalance in blood pH (the acid-alkali balance), it will rob alkaline components from other places – including your body’s precious alkaline reserves – in an effort to restore proper pH equilibrium.
This can result in heartburn, digestive distress, stomach upset, fatigue and a multitude of other symptoms. Simple, inexpensive kitchen baking soda can fix this.
Very useful in keeping the body healthily alkalized is half to one teaspoon a day of baking soda in water. Don’t take it with or within an hour of meals, though, as the stomach needs to retain its acidity in order to perform its digestive functions effectively.
A great deal of tap water (or even store-bought spring water) is surprisingly acidic; filtration will remove toxins but will not affect the pH balance of the water. (Baking soda can be used to reduce the corrosion of acidic drinking water in municipal water supplies, therefore reducing the toxicity of the lead and copper, which are dissolved from the pipes.)
There also are interesting health benefits when you drink baking soda, which is alkaline, in water. Viruses and diseases such as colds, flu, cancer and even heart disease thrive in an acidic body, but cannot survive when your body is alkaline. The 2009 Journal of the American Society of Nephrology revealed a study of 134 patients with advanced kidney disease. Taking baking soda daily dramatically slowed down the progression of kidney disease, resulting in no need for dialysis.
To increase your body’s pH, take 1/4 tsp. of baking soda dissolved in a one-half glass of water on an empty stomach, once in the morning and again before bedtime. Acidity and alkalinity are measured by pH, which ranges from 0 to 14 with 7.0 being neutral; a pH above 7.0 is alkaline, and below 7.0 is acidic. Baking soda has the highest pH of 14. Create a healthy body by keeping your body’s pH between 7.1 and 7.5.
Drink the baking soda and water solution at the very beginning of cold or flu symptoms, such as a runny nose or sneezing, to help kill the viruses. Keep your body alkaline by increasing fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet.
If you’re an athlete, swallow sodium bicarbonate supplements with water to buffer lactic acid buildup and improve your exercise performance. Ingest 0.3 g of sodium bicarbonate per 2.2 lb. of body weight, one to two hours before the event, drinking plenty of water.
Drink a glass of water with a half lemon or lime squeezed into it twice daily if you are unable to take baking soda and water. Lemons and limes are acidic but become alkaline in your body, raising your alkalinity almost as well as baking soda.
You can purchase a pH testing kit for home use very cheaply, and if the water you usually drink is acidic (i.e. with a pH of less than 7.0) you could remedy this cheaply and easily by adding a pinch of baking soda to all the water you consume.
Baking soda is also effective for polishing teeth (without scratching the tooth surface) and fighting bad breath (sprinkle a little on the toothbrush bristles). It can even be tried for exfoliating skin when acne is a problem (add a little to a facial cleanser in place of using a commercial facial scrub).
When baking soda is added to bath water, sunburn sufferers often experience a notable reduction in pain. Place a cup (8 ounces) of baking soda under the running bath tap so it dissolves completely, and soak in a lukewarm tub for about half an hour. Such a bath will soothe the pain – and you won’t have to endure the stinging sensation of a shower. Adding baking soda to a hot bath at any time also helps wash acid wastes out of the body.
In addition, baking soda can be used in cool (but not cold) bath water to soothe other skin irritations and alleviate itching from prickly heat, bee stings, insect bites, and other minor skin ailments. A paste (made with just enough water to get the desired sticky consistency) placed on an insect bite or sting and allowed to dry is a time-tested approach for drawing out and neutralizing poisons.
People with skin allergies who tend to react to commercial laundry detergents might find that washing their clothing and bedding in baking soda is less irritating.
Simple baking soda may also weaken the desire for a cigarette as well as reduce the desire for sugar and sweets. It’s used in kidney dialysis to reduce the level of acids in the bloodstream and acts to prevent bacterial growth in food products. For general purposes of alkalinizing the body, quarter to half a teaspoon twice a day in the water is usually enough.
The medicinal and self-care uses of baking soda were recognized by the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) more than 150 years ago. For years, baking soda has been recommended because of its antacid effects, mainly to neutralize stomach acids that can cause heartburn, acid indigestion and related discomforts.
As it mixes with the hydrochloric acid in the stomach, baking soda triggers a chemical reaction, and its end products are salt (NaCl, or sodium chloride), carbon dioxide (CO2) and water. The water is harmless, and the carbon dioxide gets released as a gas, producing a familiar burp once the acid is neutralized.
However, commercial antacid products only lessen symptoms of over-acidity by blocking the production of acid and can often produce unwanted side effects. They alter your body’s ability to absorb protein and calcium, which can then create the need for a calcium supplement to compensate.
If it were not for the presence of sodium – which makes the tissue in the stomach highly alkaline – the lining would be destroyed by the hydrochloric acid in the stomach. The stomach, intestines, joints and ligaments are in constant need of natural food-source sodium. Naturally occurring sodium is not to be confused with the sodium from common commercial table salt, which is processed with extreme heat using many chemical and bleaching agents.
Potassium neutralizes acid wastes, and in combination with sodium, maintains a healthy acid/alkaline balance. Potassium and sodium are nearly always found together in the body and perform many of the same functions. Second only to breathing and maintaining a heartbeat the most important metabolic function our body performs is to maintain a balanced pH. Baking soda, in small amounts, performs this function.
source: http://www.21stcenturynetworker.com/articles/the-many-health-benefits-of-baking-soda/
Of all Things … Baking Soda?
Studies in respected medical journals worldwide consistently support the use of a simple dirt-cheap product for reversing acidity — baking soda. Since there’s no money in baking soda for drug companies, its excluded from the medical school curriculum and/or associated health training/education.
Odours:
As an interesting side-note, most odours we experience are bacteria related. A simple test is to sprinkle a bit of baking soda in your stinky shoes and/or under your smelly arm-pits — odour diminishes readily. Odour from areas of the body that stay wet and/or dark for awhile are a result of/or caused by bacteria and/or the symbiotic relationship it has with fungus. Fungus (vaginal candidiasis or candida, jock itch, athletes foot, etc.) is odour-producing. Cavities and bacteria (bad breath) are best-buddies, too. Sugar creates an acidic environment in the mouth, thus, a reason why dentists recommend avoiding sugar-related foods.
And, stop using sponges to wash your dishes! Sponges typically stay wet for extended periods which encourage bacteria to multiply exponentially within minutes (Discovery Science channel).
Athletes — Faster, Harder, Stronger
Lactic acid is a well-known by-product of the exercising muscle. To a large degree, it is responsible for muscular soreness and premature fatigue. Sports drinks do nothing to address the acid issue. In fact, they add to the acid problem due to a large amount of sugar ingested — sugar drinks are basically acid drinks. The same goes for fruit drinks (the actual sweet part of the fruit is replaced with sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup). It’s no wonder regular exercisers have a hard time recovering from injuries — the injury is surrounded by acid.
Bananas, oranges, potatoes and melons are must-staples of athletes’ general diet due to their high potassium content. Yes, they contain sugar, however, it’s in a complex carbohydrate form (less inflammatory) that is a longer lasting fuel for the exercising muscle. They alkalize once consumed, however, baking soda water is a stronger and more direct alkalizing agent and may mean the difference between 1st and 2nd in an athletic event.
Bottom-line:
As a general guideline, and based on personal research, the following is my recipe for adjusting acid-blood toward the direction of healthier alkaline-blood pH. Below are two separate examples — do one or the other but not both:
Mix 1/4-1/3 teaspoon of baking soda in a 12-16 ounce glass of water and consume 1 glass in the AM and 1 in the PM and swish it in your mouth (cavity prevention) before swallowing daily. In addition to, and at anytime when you experience heartburn, an extra glass may be necessary.
This following method is easy, convenient, and you’re more likely to be consistent with it. If you drink distilled or reverse osmosis water daily as your main source of water (cleanest there is, but acidic), mix 3/4 to 1 teaspoon/gallon. Tap and bottled waters are not as acidic (but very dirty) so you may want to adjust them to a lower 1/2 teaspoon/gallon. You can make adjustments with pH papers below.
Refrain from consuming straight baking soda and/or strong mixtures of the same. It can numb taste-buds and cause the skin from the roof of your mouth to peel, not painful, just bothersome. In other words, strong alkalinity can burn you on its end of the scale similar to strong acids such as sulfuric or muriatic that burn on the acid side of the scale.
The above recommendation is for the non-exerciser and/or those who consume the average western diet. Dedicated life extensionists (typically consume lots of minerals), vegetarians, vegans, and/or those who consume more fruits and vegetables than the average person, may want to use a bit less baking soda. Their bodies tend to be a bit more alkaline than the average person. Your barometer can be the consistent use of pH strips/papers. They give you the information you need to make adjustments with the baking soda you put in your water.
Sodium (and Potassium) Concern:
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda contains 300 mg. (milligrams) of sodium — not much to be concerned about. Most of us typically consume 2,000-3,000 mg. of salt (sodium chloride) daily. Studies show the relationship between sodium and potassium to be high blood pressure culprit. Generally, where there is high sodium in populations, there is low potassium. Potassium-rich foods generally cost more than sodium-rich foods, thus, impoverished areas have a higher incidence of stroke and high blood pressure. The scientific literature shows that if potassium is increased and sodium stays the same, the incidence of blood pressure and strokes drop. A 2:1 ratio of potassium to sodium should be a strong consideration for anyone. Raw fruits and vegetables are some of the best sources of potassium. This is one of the few areas where food provides more micro-nutrients than nutritional supplements.
Measuring With pH Paper/Strips:
There are 2 easy ways to monitor your pH — urine and saliva. Whether you test your urine or saliva, the pH value of either varies throughout the day based on many variables (food, liquids, stress, nutritional supplement intake, etc.). Therefore, it is necessary to check it 4-5 times/day so you can establish an average. Personally, I have found the urine method to be the most accurate. If your average is still acidic (or, gets too alkaline) adjust the amount of baking soda accordingly. You can use pH paper/strips or a pH meter. I’ve always preferred the strips for convenience.